Indigent and Deceased Information

Upon a timely application, if the requirements of indigence and residency are met, Bannock County will pay an amount established by the Board of County Commissioners to pay for the final cremation or burial of deceased Bannock County residents or unclaimed bodies.

Relatives of the deceased may apply for assistance if they are unable to pay for the cost of burial/cremation at the rates set by the applicable funeral home. If no family exists, the funeral home or the Bannock County Coroner can submit an application for cremation. Please note that state law requires that the application must be filed with Bannock County Indigent Services BEFORE the cremation or burial services are rendered.

If the application is approved, the County will pay for the services at the County rate, and the funeral home or service provider shall accept the County payment as payment in full.

Also, if the application is approved, the applicant and/or immediate family will be required to reimburse the County for the expenses paid to the provider as a result of their application.

• Bannock County will not pay for transporting human remains either into or out of Bannock County.
• Bannock County will not pay to exhume a deceased body buried as an indigent.
• Bannock County is not financially responsible for the burial of a deceased person who at the time of their death was in the custody of the State of Idaho Department of Corrections, Federal Government, or any of its agencies, either in Bannock County or elsewhere.

Please refer to the Bannock County Ordinance regarding Indigent Deceased for more information.

Apply for Burial/Cremation Assistance

1. Download the Burial/Cremation Assistance application here

2. Complete the application and gather documents to verify income, resources, assets, and expenses for the deceased and the applicant’s household.

3.  Call 208-236-7347 to schedule an appointment with a Service Worker to submit your application

After submitting your application, you will be asked to attend an interview with a Service Worker, who will conduct a thorough investigation to substantiate the data and then make a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for approval or denial.

For questions, call 208-236-7347.

Bannock County can assist with cremation and burial services only.

• Bannock County will not pay for transporting human remains either into or out of Bannock County.
• Bannock County will not pay to exhume a deceased body buried as an indigent.
• Bannock County is not financially responsible for the burial of a deceased person who at the time of their death was in the custody of the State of Idaho Department of Corrections, Federal Government or any of its agencies, either in Bannock County or elsewhere.

Per 2022 state legislation and House Bill 735, financial assistance is limited and is no longer available for payment of medical expenses.

For the majority of our non-medical assistance, the county contracts and provides funds to surrounding agencies in our area to provide those services as outlined in Idaho Code 31-3402 which states: “The boards of county commissioners in their respective counties may contract for the care, protection, and maintenance of the nonmedically indigent of the county.”

See “Useful Resources” below to help with medical assistance, rent, utilities, legal aid, etc.

Reimbursement Information

Please be advised that pursuant to Idaho law:

• If you or a 3rd (i.e. funeral service provider) party submit an application for assistance with cremation or burial services, Bannock County will require that you reimburse the county for funds expended on your behalf.

Bannock County uses taxpayer funds to assist county residents who are in need. These funds are provided through property taxation, and the Board of County Commissioners believes that where possible, these funds should be recovered so that others who are in need can be helped. Reimbursement also reduces the need to increase taxes for this purpose.

Tax Hardship Information

Information to consider when applying for property tax cancellation due to hardship:

IDAHO CODE § 63-711

You must submit a signed, sworn, and notarized application (application forms are different for individuals and churches/businesses) containing complete information about your household’s financial status, including all adults (18 and over) in the home. This is required by Idaho Code Title 63, Chapter 7. In completing the application for hardship cancellation from taxes, please be aware that documentation is required to support the information provided in the application. Attached to the application is a list of documentation that should be submitted with the application and is required to complete a review of the application.

The application is available at the Bannock County Indigent Services Office at 624 E. Center St., Rm.
106, in Pocatello, Idaho.

The Board will consider the following when determining if a hardship exists:

• All household income and public benefits you are receiving, and the household’s necessary monthly living expenses. Necessary monthly expenses do not include items such as cable, internet, or multiple telephones. Please be aware that certain expenses have a maximum allowable amount set by the Board of County Commissioners.
• All assets, including but not limited to bank, investment, retirement, stocks, bonds, mutual fund, and savings accounts; and personal property such as extra vehicles, recreational vehicles, boats, and ATVs.
• Any real property you own or are in the process of purchasing and any equity in that property.
• Whether property taxes are included in your monthly mortgage payment.
• Whether there is sufficient disposable income, after considering all household income and necessary expenses, to pay the taxes within twelve months.
• Whether there are sufficient assets (real property or personal property) that could be sold to pay the taxes.
• Whether the taxes in question have already been paid.
• Whether you are behind in paying the property taxes for three years (with the property subject to tax deed).
• Whether you occupy the property as your primary place of residence.
• Whether you have exhausted all other resources prior to applying for a hardship cancellation, including applying with other assistance programs such as the Circuit Breaker program through the Assessor’s Office/Idaho State Tax Commission.

If you are less than three (3) years behind on your real property taxes, you may make partial payments without contacting the Commissioners or the Treasurer. If you choose this option, you will incur late fees and interest. If you fall behind in paying these taxes for three (3) years or more, you will face additional fees and penalties, and your property will be subject to the tax deed process, pursuant to title 63, chapter 10, Idaho Code.

APPEALS – If the county commissioners deny your tax hardship application, you can appeal that decision to the district court. Please consult an attorney regarding any appeal questions.

The application must be completed in blue or black ink, and the hard copy must be submitted to the address listed on the application. Applications cannot be filed online.

Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS SECTIOM DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact the Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor, Bannock County HIPAA Privacy Officer, at (208) 236-7020 or by email at nancyn@bannockcounty.us.

You may request a copy of this notice at any time. Copies of this notice are available at the Bannock County Indigent Services office. This notice is also available on the Bannock County website at https://www.bannockcounty.us. Even if you have previously agreed to receive this notice electronically, whether through e-mail or the County website, you have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from Bannock County Indigent Services upon request.

Purpose of this Notice

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Bannock County (the “County”) handles confidential information, following state and federal requirements. All Bannock County programs, including Bannock County Indigent Services, may share your confidential information with each other as needed to provide you benefits or services, and for normal business purposes. The County may also share your confidential information with others outside of the County as needed to provide you benefits or services.

We are dedicated to protecting your confidential information. We create records of the benefits or services you receive from the County. We need these records to give you quality care and services. We also need these records to follow various local, state and federal laws. We are required to:

• use and disclose confidential information as required by law;
• maintain the privacy of your information;
• give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices for your information; and
• follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

This Notice of Privacy Practices does not affect your eligibility for benefits or services.

Your Rights Regarding Your Confidential Information

1. Right to Review and Copy

You have the right to ask to review and copy your information as allowed by law.

If you would like to ask to review and copy your information, a “Records Request” form is available at the County Indigent Services office. You must complete this form and return it to the County Indigent Services office for processing. The County will respond to your request within 3 working days of receipt of your request. The County may extend the response time to 7 additional working days if the information you have requested cannot be located or retrieved within the original 3 days. You will be sent a notification of an extension and the reason for the extension.

If you ask to receive a copy of the information, we may charge a fee. If your request produces more than 100 pages, the fee will be $0.10 per page over 100 pages. Effective: December 3, 2014

You will be told if there is information we are legally prevented from disclosing to you.

2. Right to Amend

You have the right to ask us to make changes to your information if you feel that the information we have
about you is wrong or not complete.

If you would like to ask the County to change your information, a “Request to Amend Records” form is available at the County Indigent Services office. You must complete this form and return it to the County Indigent Services office for processing. The County will respond to your request within 10 days.

We may deny your request if you ask us to change information that:

• Was not created by the County;
• Is not part of the information kept by or for the County;
• Is not part of the information which you would be allowed to review and copy; or
• We determine is correct and complete.

3. Right to Restrict Health Information Disclosures

You have the right to ask us not to share your health information for your treatment or services, or normal business purposes. You must tell us what information you do not want the County to share and with whom we should not share it.

If you would like to ask the County to not share your information, a “Request to Restrict Health Information Disclosures” form is available at the County Indigent Services office. You must complete this form and return it to the County Indigent Services office for processing. The County will respond to your request within 10 days. The County is not required to agree to the requested restriction. If we agree to your request, we will comply unless the information is needed to give you emergency treatment, or until you end the restriction.

4. Right to an Alternate Means of Delivery

You have the right to ask that we deliver your information to you at a different mailing address. For example, you can ask that we send your information from one program to a different mailing address from other programs from which you receive services or benefits. If you would like to ask for an alternate means of delivery for your information, a written request must be sent to the County Indigent Services office for processing. The County will respond to your request within 10 days.

We will not ask you the reason for your request. Reasonable requests will be approved.

5. Right to a Report of Health Information Disclosures

You have the right to ask for an accounting of the disclosures of your health information. This accounting will not include instances in which the County has shared your health information for treatment, payment for your treatment or normal business purposes, or instances in which the County has shared your health information when you have authorized the County to do so.

If you would like to ask for a report of your health information disclosures, an “Accounting of Disclosures Request Form” is available at the County Indigent Services office. You must complete this Effective: December 3, 2014 form and return it to the County Indigent Services office for processing. The County will respond to your request within 10 days.

The first report you ask for and receive within a calendar year will be free of charge. For additional reports within the same calendar year, we may charge you for the costs of providing the report. We will tell you the cost, and you may choose to remove or change your request at that time before any costs are charged to you.

How Bannock County indigent Services May Use and Share your Information

1. Times when your permission is not needed

For Treatment. We may use your information to give you benefits, treatment or services. We may share your information with a physician, nurse, medical professional or other personnel who are giving you treatment or services. County programs may also share your information in order to bring together the services that you may need. We also may share your information with people outside of the County who are involved in your care, such as family members, informal or legal representatives, or others that give you services as part of your care.

For Payment. We may use and share your information so that the County can determine your eligibility for payment for treatment and services you have received or will receive.

For Business Operations. We may use and share your information for business operational purposes. This is necessary for the daily operation of the County and to make sure that all of our clients receive quality care. For example, we may use your information to review our provision of treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in providing services for you.

2. Times when your permission is needed

For reasons other than treatment, payment or business operations. There may be times when the County may need to use and share your information for reasons other than for treatment, payment and business operations as explained above. For example, if the County is asked for information from your employer or school that is not part of treatment, payment or business operations, the County will ask you for a written authorization permitting us to share that information. The County would also need your permission to share your information for marketing purposes, sell your information, psychotherapy notes or fundraising efforts. If you give us permission to use or share your information, you may stop that permission at any time, if it is in writing. If you stop your permission, we will no longer use or share that information. You must understand that we are unable to take back any information already shared with your permission.

Individuals that are part of your care or payment for your care. We may give your information to a family member, legal representative, or someone you designate who is part of your care. We may also give your information to someone who helps pay for your care. If you are unable to say yes or no to such a release, we may share such information as needed if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional opinion. Also, we may share your information in a disaster so that your family or legal representative can be told about your condition, status and location. Effective: December 3, 2014

3. Other uses and sharing of your information that may be made without your permission

For Appointment Reminders
For Treatment Alternatives
As Required by Law
For Public Health Risks
To Law Enforcement
For Lawsuits and Disputes
To Correctional Institutions
For Organ and Tissue Donation
For Emergency Treatment
To Prevent a Serious Threat to Health or Safety
To Military and Veterans Organizations
For Health Oversight Activities
For National Security and Intelligence Activities
To Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Information that has been received from a federally funded substance abuse treatment program will not be released without specific authorization from the individual or legal representative.

Changes to this Notice

The County has the right to change this notice. A copy of the notice currently in effect will be posted at  County offices, including Bannock County Indigent Services, and will be available for distribution at the Bannock County Indigent Services office upon request. The effective date of this notice will be shown in the top right hand corner of each page. If the County makes any changes to this Notice of Privacy Practices, the County will follow the terms of the notice then in effect.

Complaints

If you believe your information privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint with the Bannock County Privacy Officer. All complaints turned in to the County must be in writing on the “Privacy Complaint” form that is available at the County Indigent Services office. To file a complaint with the County, send your completed Privacy Complaint form to:

Chief Civil Deputy Prosecutor
Bannock County HIPAA Privacy Compliance Officer
5500 S. Fifth Avenue
Pocatello, Idaho 83204
Email: nancyn@bannockcounty.us

If you believe your health information privacy rights have been violated, you may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Your complaint must be in writing, and you must name the organization that is the subject of your complaint and describe what you believe was violated. Send your written complaint to:

Office for Civil Rights, Region 10
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
2201 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900
Seattle, Washington 98121-1831

Complaints may also be filed by e-mail to OCRComplaint@hhs.gov.

A complaint filed with either the County or the Secretary of Health and Human Services must be filed
within 180 days of when you believe the privacy violation occurred. This time limit for filing complaints
may be waived for good cause.

You will not be punished or retaliated against for filing a complaint