The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) passed by Congress in 1996.

* To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the health-care system by standardizing the electronic transmission of certain health information.

* To guarantee the security and privacy of individually identifiable health information.

The HIPAA laws are designed to protect the rights of clients by safeguarding their Protected Health Information (PHI).

For a Far West client, this means not only is confidentiality one of our core values, but we are also bound by law to protect any information, whether oral or recorded in any other medium that:
Is created or received by a health care provider; and relates to the past, present or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; the provision of healthcare to an individual; or the past, present or future payment for the provision of healthcare to an individual.

While HIPAA is a relatively new legal mandate, the protection of PHI is not a new practice for Far West Family Services. For over 25-years we have been one of the most trusted and highly utilized Employee Assistance Programs in the field. This is in part, the result of our unremitting commitment to protect the anonymity and privacy of our clients. Clients who use our EAP services do so with complete confidence that no information will get back to his/her employer or anyone else without their signed written consent. Even then, only very specific authorized information will be released.

Protected Health Information includes any individually identifiable health information that is transmitted or maintained by electronic (or other) media. Individually Identifiable Health Information means health information created or received by a healthcare provider that either identifies the individual or provides a reasonable basis to believe that it could be used to identify the individual, including demographic information.

This notice describes how health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully. Protecting the privacy of your personal health information is very important to us. When you see a Far West Family Services therapist, you will be given a copy of our privacy practices.

It is our right to change our privacy practices provided law permits the changes. Before we make a significant change, this Notice will be amended to reflect the changes and we will make the new Notice available upon request. We reserve the right to make any changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice, effective for all health information maintained, created and/or received by us before the date changes were made.

You may request a copy of our Privacy Notice at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer. Information on contacting us can be found at the end of this Notice.

TYPICAL USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
We will keep your health information confidential, using it only for the following purposes:
Treatment: We may use your health information to provide you with our professional services. We have established "minimum necessary or need to know" standards that limit various staff members' access to your health information according to their primary job functions. Everyone on our staff is required to sign a confidentiality statement.

Disclosure: We may disclose and/or share your healthcare information with other health care professionals who provide treatment and/or service to you. These professionals will have a privacy and confidentiality policy like this one. Health information about you may also be disclosed to your family, friends and/or other persons you choose to involve in your care, if you request in writing that we do so.

Payment: Since Far West Family Services is a free service as a part of your employer benefit package, there will never be a need to disclose Personal Health Information in order to receive payment for our services. However, in general, this type of disclosure is authorized by HIPAA.

Emergencies: We may use or disclose your health information to notify, or assist in the notification of a family member or anyone responsible for your care, in case of any emergency involving your care, your location, your general condition or risk of death. If at all possible, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to this use or disclosure. Under emergency conditions or if you are incapacitated we will use our professional judgment to disclose only that information directly relevant to your care.
Healthcare Operations: We will use and disclose your health information to keep our practice operable. Examples of personnel who may have access to this information include, but are not limited to, our medical records staff, the Executive Director, and Clinical Supervisor. In most cases, this type of disclosure will be minimal and whenever possible, clinical supervision will be done without the therapist disclosing any identifying information.

Required by Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law. (Court or administrative orders, subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.) We will use and disclose your information when requested by national security, intelligence and other State and Federal officials and/or if you are an inmate or otherwise under the custody of law enforcement.

Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence or the possible victim of other crimes. This information will be disclosed only to the extent necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety or that of others.
Public Health Responsibilities: We will disclose your health care information to report problems with products, reactions to medications, product recalls, disease/infection exposure and to prevent and control disease, injury and/or disability.
Marketing Health-Related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing purposes unless we have your written authorization to do so.

National Security: The health information of Armed Forces personnel may be disclosed to military authorities under certain circumstances. It the information is required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence or other national security activities, we may disclose it to authorized federal officials.

Appointment Reminders We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders, including but not limited to voicemail messages, postcards or letters.

YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS AS OUR PATIENT
Access: Upon written request, you have the right to inspect and get copies of your health information (and that of an individual. for whom you are a legal guardian.) There will be some limited exceptions. If you wish to examine your health information, you will need to complete and submit an appropriate request form. Contact our Privacy Officer for a copy of the Request Form. You may also request access by sending us a letter to the address at the end of this Notice. Once approved, an appointment can be made to review your records. Copies, if requested, will be $5.00 for pages 1-5 and $.50 thereafter. The staff time charged will be up to $15.00 per hour including the time required to locate and copy your health information. If you want the copies mailed to you, postage will also be charged. If you prefer a summary or an explanation of your health information, we will provide one without a fee. Please contact our Privacy Officer for a request form or for an explanation of our fee structure.

Amendment: You have the right to amend your healthcare information, if you feel it is inaccurate or incomplete. Your request must be in writing and must include an explanation of why the information should be amended. Under certain circumstances, your request may be denied.

Non-routine Disclosures: You have the right to receive a list of non-routine disclosures we have made of your health care information. (When we make a routine disclosure of your information to a professional for treatment and/or payment purposes, we do not keep a record of routine disclosures: therefore these are not available.) You have the right to a list of instances in which we, or our business associates, disclosed information for reasons other than treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You can request non-routine disclosures going back 6 years starting on April 14, 2003. Information prior to that date would not have to be released you request information on May 15,2004, the disclosure period would start. (Example: If on April 14, 2003 up to May 15,2004. Disclosures prior to April 14, 2003 do not have to be made available.)

Restrictions: You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We do not have to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement. (Except in emergencies.) Please contact our Privacy Officer if you want to further restrict access to your health care information. This request must be submitted in writing.

QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
You have the right to file a complaint with us if you feel we have not complied with our Privacy Policies. Your complaint should be directed to our Privacy Officer. If you feel we may have violated your privacy rights, or if you disagree with a decision we made regarding your access to your health information, you can complain to us. In writing. Request a Complaint Form from our Privacy Officer. We support your right to the privacy of your information and will not retaliate in anyway if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

HOW TO CONTACT US REGARDING PRIVACY ISSUES:
Privacy Officer:
Katie Frisbie
Executive Director
PO Box 33788
Seattle, WA 98133
206-682-8149 or 1-800-398-3440