Benefits Information

The City of North Charleston’s primary goal is to provide our citizens with the best municipal services possible. Every employee has an important part to play in the City’s day to day activities. The rewards of public services are many, and our employees enjoy interesting work and a career that is more than just a job. Employees of the City are given the opportunity to truly serve their fellow man and make their community a better place to live. These are priceless ingredients that too few people find in the process of earning a living.

The City offers a comprehensive fringe benefits program including employer paid health, dental, and life insurance for employees and health, dental and life insurance for dependents may be added for a bi-weekly payroll deduction.

The City observes the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• President’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day & Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day

Regular employees who satisfactorily complete the probationary period accrue annual and sick leave.

All regular full-time employees participate in the South Carolina Retirement System or the South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System. Both the City and the employee contribute to the plan.

The City in conjunction with the State of South Carolina offers all full-time employees the opportunity to participate in a deferred compensation plan.

Privacy Practices

Thomas Cooper & Company, Inc. (843) 722-2115 fax (843) 722-2866

City Of North Charleston Group Benefit Plan

Notice of Privacy Practices (Effective Date April 14, 2003)

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

If you have any questions about his notice, please contact Janie King, Director of Human Resources at (843) 740-2598 or in writing addressed to her at: P.O. Box 190016, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419.

WHO MUST FOLLOW THIS NOTICE: This notice describes the privacy practices of the City Of North Charleston

OUR OBLIGATIONS: We are required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy of protected health information;
• Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding protected health information about you; and
• Follow the terms of our notice that is currently in effect.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION:

The following categories describe ways that we may use and disclose health information that identifies you (“protected health information”). “Protected health information” is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services. Some of the categories include examples, but every type of use or disclosure of protected health information in a category is not listed. Except for the purpose described below, we will use and disclose protected health information only with your written permission. If you give us permission to use or disclose protected health information for a purpose not discussed in this notice, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time by mailing or delivering the revocation to: Janie King, Director of Human Resources, 2500 City Hall Lane, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419.

• For Treatment. We may use and disclose protected health information to coordinate and manage your health care related services by one or more of your health care providers. For example, we may discuss the most beneficial treatment plan for you with your health care provider if you have a chronic condition such as diabetes.
• For Payment. We may use and disclose protected health information to bill, collect payment and pay for treatment/services from an insurance company or another third party; to obtain premiums; to determine or fulfill its responsibility for coverage or provision of benefits; or to provide reimbursement for health care. For example, we may need to give your protected health information to another insurance provider to facilitate the coordination of benefits.
• For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose protected health information for health care operations purposes. We may use protected health information in connection with reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals, provider and health plan performance; premium rating and other activities relating to health plan coverage; conducting or arranging for medical review, legal services, audit services, and fraud and abuse protection programs; budget planning such as cost management, and general administrative activities relating to the health care coverage. For example, we may disclose your health information to an actuary, who is required to protect your health information, to make decisions regarding rates.
• As Required by Law. We will disclose protected health information when required to do so by international, federal, state or local law.
• To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. We may use and disclose protected health information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, will be to someone who may be able to help prevent the threat.
• Business Associates. We may disclose protected health information to our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. For example, we may use another company to perform billing services on our behalf. All of our business associates are obligated, under contract with us, to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.
• Organ and Tissue Donation. If you are an organ donor, we may release protected health information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary, to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.
• Military and Veterans. If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release protected health information as required by military command authorities. We also may release protected health information to the appropriate foreign military authority if you are a member of a foreign military.
• Workers’ Compensation. We may release protected health information for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries.
• Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose protected health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
• Lawsuits and Disputes. If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose protected health information in response to a court or administrative order. We also may disclose protected health information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
• Law Enforcement. We may release protected health information if asked by a law enforcement official for the following reasons:
  1. in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process;
  2. limited information to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person;
  3. about the victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement;
  4. about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct;
  5. about criminal conduct on our premises; and
  6. in emergency circumstances to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description, or location of the person who committed the crime.
• Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors. We may release protected health information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We also may release protected health information to funeral directors as necessary for their duties.
• National Security and Intelligence Activities. We may release protected health information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter-intelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
• Protective Services for the President and Others. We may disclose protected health information to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or conduct special investigations.
• Inmates or Individuals in Custody. If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release protected health information to the appropriate correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be made only if necessary
• (1) for the institution to provide you with health care;
• (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or
• (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.

YOUR RIGHTS: You have the following rights regarding protected health information we maintain about you:

• Right to Inspect and Copy. You have the right to inspect and copy protected health information about your care or payment for your care. To inspect and copy this protected health information, you must make your request, in writing, to Janie King, Director of Human Resources.
• Right to Amend. If you feel that protected health information we have is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for us. To request an amendment, you must make your request, in writing, toJanie King, Director of Human Resources, P.O. BOX 190016, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures of protected health information we made. To request an accounting of disclosures, you must make your request in writing to Janie King, Director of Human Resources, P.O. BOX 190016, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419
• Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the protected health information we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. In addition, you have the right to request a limit on the protected health information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member. For example, you could ask that we not share information about your surgery with your spouse. To request a restriction, you must make your request, in writing, to Janie King, Director of Human Resources, 2500 City Hall Lane, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29406. We are not required to agree to your request. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless we need to use the information in certain emergency treatment situations.
• Right to Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we contact you only by mail or at work. To request confidential communications, you must make your request, in writing, to Janie King, Director of Human Resources, P.O. BOX 190016, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. You may obtain a copy of this notice at our web site, www.northcharleston.org To obtain a paper copy of this notice, visit during City office working hours or write: City of North Charleston, Human Resources Department, P.O. BOX 190016, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE: We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for protected health information we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice at our office. This notice will contain the effective date on the first page, in the top right-hand corner.

COMPLAINTS: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with us, contact Janie King, Director of Human Resources, P.O. BOX 190016, North Charleston, South Carolina, 29419. Telephone (843) 740-2593. All complaints must be made in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.