2930 Notice of Privacy Practice

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) also requires group health plans to provide a notice explaining the uses and disclosures of protected health information to participants in the plan. All health care assistance programs administered by KDHE, including Medicaid, MediKan, CHIP as well as other state-funded groups (such as tuberculosis coverage) are considered group health plans for purposes of this requirement. The notice must also explain the legal duties and responsibilities of the agency and provide an explanation of the rights of the insured. The Notice of Privacy Practice (NOPP) is used for this purpose.

The NOPP must be sent to each household approved for health care coverage. An additional NOPP must be provided when a new participant is added to the plan, including newborns. Participants with a break in coverage of 12 months or more shall also be sent a new notice. The MMIS generates a NOPP in these situations. It is not necessary to manually produce a NOPP unless requested by the beneficiary.

For additional information regarding the requirements of HIPAA, including an explanation of the referenced disclosure requirements, a definition of protected health information refer to Insurance Portability And Accountability (HIPAA)