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%u2022 To a public health authority for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease; and %u2022 If required by other federal, state or local law. %u2022 For specific government functions. TRS may disclose protected health information of military personnel and veterans in certain situations. TRS may also disclose protected health information to authorized federal officials for conducting national security, such as protecting the President of the United States, or conducting intelligence activities, or to the Texas Legislature or agencies of the state or federal government, including, but not limited to health oversight agencies, for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings or actions, or other activities. Oversight agencies seeking this information include government agencies that oversee: (i) the health care system, (ii) government benefit programs, (iii) other government regulatory programs, and (iv) compliance with civil rights laws.%u2022 Business associates. TRS has contracts with individuals and companies (business associates) that help TRS in its business of providing health care coverage and in making disability retirement benefit decisions. Some of the functions these companies provide are: performing audits; performing actuarial analysis; adjudication and payment of claims; customer service support; utilization review and management; coordination of benefits; subrogation; pharmacy benefit management; and technological functions. TRS may disclose your protected health information to its business associates so that they can perform the services that TRS has asked them to do. To protect your health information, however, TRS requires that these companies follow the same rules that are set out in this notice and to notify TRS in the event of a breach of your unsecured protected health information. %u2022 Executor or Administrator. TRS may disclose your protected health information to the executor or administrator of your estate. %u2022 Health-Related Benefits. TRS or one of its business associates may contact you to provide appointment reminders. They may also contact you to give you information about treatment alternatives or other health benefits or services that may be of interest to you. %u2022 Legal Proceedings. TRS may disclose your protected health information: (1) in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding, including, but not limited to, an appeal of denial of coverage or benefits; (2) in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal (to the extent such disclosure is expressly authorized by law); and (3) when necessary to provide evidence of a crime that occurred on our premises. %u2022 Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation. TRS may disclose protected health information to a coroner or medical examiner for purpose of identifying a deceased person, determining a cause of death, or for the coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties authorized by law. TRS also may disclose, as authorized by law, protected health information to funeral directors so that they may carry out their duties. Further, TRS may disclose protected health information to organizations that handle organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation. %u2022 Research. TRS may disclose your protected health information to researchers when an institutional review board or privacy board has: (1) reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of the information; and (2) approved the research. %u2022 To Prevent a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. Consistent with applicable federal and state laws, TRS may disclose your protected health information if we believe that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, such as disclosures to prevent disease, help with product recalls, report adverse reactions to medications, or report suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence. %u2022 Inmates. If you are an inmate of a correctional institution, TRS may disclose your protected health information to the correctional institution or to a law enforcement official for: (1) the institution to provide health care to you; (2) your health and safety and the health and safety of others; or (3) the safety and security of the correctional institution. 34 www.bcbstx.com/trsactivecare