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Protection of Personal Health Information

Policy

Covered Plans

The federal law known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires employers to ensure that personal health information is properly protected. The law protects personal health information used with a number of University sponsored benefit plans including

Excluded Plans

Notice of Privacy Practices

The University’s notice and notices issued by our insurance companies may be obtained by download as listed below. You may also receive notices from your health care providers, health care insurance companies, claims administrators and others explaining their own policies.

The Notice explains procedures for you to request copies of your health information maintained in your University benefits file. You may also request health information maintained by the insurance companies or claims administrators as well as amend your records in some cases.

If you still have questions after reading the notices about the privacy policies followed by the Northwestern plans, contact your insurance company or the Human Resources Benefits team at 847-491-7513.

Release of Your Information

Should you like a Human Resources Benefits staff member to release your benefit plan enrollment or claim information on your behalf to be shared with a family member or other individual, you should submit a completed Release of Information Authorization  form to Human Resources Benefits.