NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
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.
This practice is required, by law, to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of your protected health information and to provide our patients with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your protected health information.
Disclosure of Your Health Care Information
Treatment
We may disclose your health care information to other health care professionals within our practice for the purpose of treatment, payment or health care operations. (example)
"On occasion, it may be necessary to seek consultation regarding your condition from other health care providers associated with this practice."
"It is our policy to provide a substitute health care provider, authorized by this practice, to provide assessment and/or treatment to our patients, without advanced notice, in the event of your primary health care provider's absence due to prior vacation, sickness, or other emergency."
Payment
We may disclose your health information to your insurance provider for the purpose of payment or health care operations. (example)
"As a courtesy to our patients, we will submit an itemized billing statement to our insurance carrier for the purpose of payment to this practice for health! care service rendered. If you pay for your health care services personally, we will, as a courtesy, provide an itemized billing to your insurance carrier for the purpose of reimbursement to you. The billing statement contains medical information, including diagnosis, date of injury or condition, and codes which describe the health care services received."
Worker's Compensation
We may disclose your health information as necessary to comply with State Workers Compensation Laws.
Emergencies
We may disclose your health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, or another person responsible for your care, and your medical condition or in the event of an emergency or of your death.
Public Health
As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health authorities for purposes related to preventing or controlling disease, injury or Disability, reporting child abuse or neglect, reporting domestic violence, reporting to the Food and Drug Administration problems with products and reactions to medications, and reporting diseases or infection exposure.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for purposes such as: identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person, complying with a court order or subpoena, and other law enforcement purposes.
Deceased Persons
We may disclose your health information to coroners or medical examiners.
Organ Donation
We may disclose your health information to researchers conducting research that has been approved by an Institutional Review Board.
Public Safety
It may be necessary to disclose your health information to appropriate persons in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or to the general public.
Specialized Government Agencies
We may disclose your health information for military, national security, prisoner and government benefits purposes.
Marketing
We may contact you for marketing purposes or fund-raising purposes, as described below (example)
"As a courtesy to our patients, it is our policy to call your home on the evening prior to your scheduled appointment to remind you of your appointment time. If you are not at home, we leave a reminder message on your answering machine or with the person answering the phone. No personal health information will be disclosed during this recording or message other than the date and time of your scheduled appointment along with a request to call our office if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment."
"It is our practice to participate in charitable events to raise awareness, food, donations, gifts, money, etc. During these times, we may send you a letter, post-card, invitation or call your home to invite you to participate in the charitable, activity. We will provide you with information about the type of activity, the dates and times and request your participation in such an event. It is not our policy to disclose any personal health information about your condition for the purpose of practice sponsored fund-raising events."
Your Health Information Rights
- You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. Please be advised, however, that this practice is not required to agree to the restriction that you requested.
- You have the right to have your health information received or communicated through an alternative method or sent to an alternative location other than the usual method of communication or delivery, upon your request.
- You have the right to inspect and copy your health information.
- You have the right to request that this practice amend your protected health information. Please be advised, however, that this practice is not required to agree to amend your protected health information. If your request to amend your health information has been denied, you will be provided with an explanation of your denial reason(s) and information about how you can disagree with the denial.
- You have a right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information made by this practice.
- You have a right to a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time upon request.
Changes to this Notice of Privacy Practices
This practice reserves the right to amend this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time in the future and will make the new provisions effective for all the information that it maintains. Unless such an amendment is made, this practice is required by law to comply with this notice.
This practice is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information. If, you have questions about any part of this notice or if you want more information about your privacy rights, please contact out Privacy Officer by calling this office.
If you are not satisfied with the manner in which this office handles your complaint, you may submit a formal complaint to:
DHHS, Office of Civil Rights