HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
In accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), this organization is required to maintain the privacy of your health information. We will use your protected health information for purposes of treatment, payment and health-care operations. The following list explains how we use your health information:
Treatment
Information obtained by a health-care practitioner in our office will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. We will also provide your other practitioners, including your primary or referring physician, with copies of office visit notes that should assist in treating you.
Payment
Your health-care information will be used to receive payment for services rendered by this office. A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer, such as your insurance company, with accompanying documentation that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures and supplies used.
Business Associates
Some or all of your health-care information may be subject to disclosure to our Business Associates, who are contracted for services to assist this office in providing health care. Examples of Business Associates include laboratories, radiologists, billing agencies, etc. To protect your health information, we require our Business Associates to follow the same standards of privacy held by this office through terms detailed in a written agreement.
Notifications
We may disclose your health information to notify or assist family members, personal representatives or other persons responsible for your care of your location and general condition.
Communication with Family
Using our best judgment, we may disclose your health information to a family member or close personal friend or any other person identified by you, relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
Marketing
We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be appropriate for you.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
This office is required by law to disclose health information to the FDA relative to any adverse events with respect to food, supplements, product and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs or replacement.
Workers’ Compensation
This office will disclose your health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers’ compensation.
Public Health
This office is required by law to disclose health information to public health or legal authorities charged with tracking births and deaths, as well as with preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability.
Correctional Facilities
Should you be an inmate of a correctional facility, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health-care information necessary for your health, and the health and safety of other individuals. An inmate does not have the rights outlined in this notice.
Law Enforcement
Your health information will be disclosed for law-enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. Provisions of federal law permit the disclosure of your health information to appropriate health oversight agencies, health authorities, or attorney, provided that a staff member or Business Associate of this office believes in good faith that there has been unlawful conduct or violations of professional or clinical standards that may endanger one or more patients, workers or the public.
The full brochures “Our Notice of Privacy Practices” and “Your Rights as our Patient” are available in hard copy at all of our offices. You will be asked to sign an acknowledgement form, which states that our “Notice of Privacy Practices” is available to you. For additional information, please contact our HIPAA Privacy Coordinator.
