HIPPA Policy

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we use and  disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment,  payment or health care operations (TPO) and for other purposes that are  permitted or required by law.  It also  describes your rights to access and control your protected health  information. “Protect 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.

Uses and Disclosures of  Protected Health Information

Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by  your physician, our office staff and others outside of our office that are  involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care  services to you, to pay your health care bills, to support the operation of  the physician’s practices, any other use required by law.

The “minimum  necessary” rule    will be followed  when  using or disclosing any protected health information. This means that only  the minimum amount of information about a resident’s health is used or  disclosed when essential to completing a given task.

Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health  information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any  related services.  This includes the  coordination or management of your health care with a third party.  For example, we would disclose your  protected health information, as necessary, to a home health agency that  provides care to you.  For example,  your protected health information may be provided to a physician to whom you  have been referred to ensure that the physician has the necessary information  to diagnose or treat you.

Payment: Your protected health information will be used,  as needed, to obtain payment for your health care services.  For example, obtaining approval for a  hospital stay may require that your relevant protected health information be  disclosed to the health plan to obtain approval for the admission.

Healthcare Operations:    We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information  in order to support the business activities of your physician’s  practice.  These activities include,  but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, employee review  activities, training of medical students, licensing, and conducting or  arranging for the other business activities.    For example, we may disclose your protected health information to  medical school students that see residents at our facility.  We may use or disclose your protected  health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment.

We may use or disclose your health information in the following  situations without your authorization.    These situations include: as Required by Law, Public Health issues as  required by law, Communicable Diseases: Health Oversight: Abuse or Neglect:  Food and Drug Administration requirements: Legal Proceedings; Law  Enforcement: Coroners: Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation: Research:  Criminal Activity; Military Activity and National Security: Workers’   Compensation: Inmates: Required Uses and Disclosures; Under the law, we must  make disclosures to you and when required by the Secretary of the Department  of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with  the requirements of Section 164-500.

Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures Will Be Made  Only With Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object unless  required by law.

You may revoke this authorization, at any time, in writing,  except to the extent that your physician or the physician’s practice has  taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the  authorization.

Your Rights:

Following is a statement of your right with respect to your  protected health information,

You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health  information.  Under federal law,  however, you may not inspect or copy the following records: psychotherapy  notes: information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use, in a  civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, and protected health  information that is subject to law that prohibits access to protect health  information.

You have the right to request a restriction of your protected  health information.  This  means you may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your protected health  information for the purpose of treatment, payment or healthcare  operations.  You may also request that  any part of your protected health information not be disclosed to family  members or friends who may be involved in your care for notification purposes  as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices.  Your request must state the specific  restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

Your physician is not required to agree to a restriction that  you may request.  If your physician  believes it is in your best interest to permit use and disclosure of your  protected health information, your protected health information will not be  restricted.  You then have the right to  use another Healthcare Professional.

You have the right to request to receive confidential  communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative  location.  You have the right to obtain  a paper copy of this notice from us, upon request, even if you agree to  accept this notice alternatively i.e. electronically.

You may have the right to have your physician amend your  protected health information.  If we deny   your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of  disagreement with us and we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will  provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal.

You have the right to receive an accounting of certain  disclosures we have made, if any, of your protected health information. 

We reserve the rights to change the terms of this notice and  will inform you by mail of any changes.    You then have the right to object or withdraw as provided in this  notice.

Complaints: You may complain to us or the Secretary of Health  and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated  us.  You may file a complaint with us  by notifying our privacy contact of your complaint.  We will not retaliate against you for  filing a complaint.

This notice was published and becomes effective on/or before April  14, 2003.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of, and provide  individuals with, this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with  respect to protected health information.    If you have any objections to this form, please ask to speak with our  HIPAA Compliance Officer in person or by phone at (717)755-1964.

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Additional update added September 19,2013

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

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.

Your Rights

You have the right to:
• Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
• Correct your paper or electronic medical record
• Request confidential communication
• Ask us to limit the information we share
• Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
• Get a copy of this privacy notice
• Choose someone to act for you
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:
• Tell family and friends about your condition
• Provide disaster relief
• Include you in a hospital directory
• Provide mental health care
• Market our services and sell your information
• Raise funds

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your information as we:
•  Treat you
• Run our organization
• Bill for your services
• Help with public health and safety issues
• Do research
• Comply with the law
• Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
• Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
• Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
• Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask us to correct your medical record
• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you
• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information as noted in bold print above the September 19, 2013 update.

• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
• Share information in a disaster relief situation
• Include your information in a hospital directory
If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
In the case of fundraising:
• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

Our Uses and Disclosures
How do we typically use or share your health information?
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

Treat you

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our organization

We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for your services

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

 

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

Help with public health and safety issues

We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
• Preventing disease
• Helping with product recalls
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research
We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

We can use or share health information about you:
• For workers’ compensation claims
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions.

We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Notes recorded by a mental health care professional documenting or analyzing the contents of conversation during a private counseling session or a group, joint or family counseling session that are maintained separately from your medical record are afforded additional protections. Psychotherapy notes may only be released in more limited situations than thouse described above with respect to mental health records or otherwise, with your authorization.

Drug and alcohol treatment information may only be released with your authorization or pursuant to a Court Order in limited circumstances.

HIV-related information such as information pertaining to HIV testing or your HIV status, may only be released in limited situations.

Our Responsibilities
• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.

This notice was published on September 19,2013, and will become effective on September 23, 2013