THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED, DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable heath information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, are kept properly confidential. This Act gives you, the patient, significant new rights to understand and control how your health information is used. HIPPA provides penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information.
As required by HIPPA, we have prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose you health information.
We may use and disclose your medical records only for each of the following purposes: treatment, payment and health care options:
- Treatment means providing, coordination or managing health care and related services by one or more health car providers. An example of this would include a physical examination.
- Payment means such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services, confirming coverage, billing or collection activities, and utilization review. An example of this would be sending a bill for your visit to your insurance company for payment.
- Health care operations include the business of aspects of running this practice, such as conduction quality assessment and improvement activities, audition functions, cost-management analysis, and consumer service. An example would be an internal quality assessment review.
We may also create and distribute de-identified health information by removing all references to individually identifiable information.
We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization in writing and we are required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.
You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by presenting a written request to this office:
- The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosers of protected health information, including those related to disclosures to family members, other relatives, close personal friends, or any other person identified by you.
We are, however, not required to agree to a requested restriction. If we do agree to a restriction, we must abide by it unless you agree in writing to remove it. - The right to reasonable requests to receive confidential communications of protected health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations.
- The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.
- The right to amend your protected health information.
- The right to receive an accounting of disclosure of protected health information.
- The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us upon request.
Natural Family Health P.C, is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.
This notice is effective as of October 1, 2007. Natural Family Health P.C, reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. The revised Notice of Privacy Protection will be posted and you may request a written copy form this office.
You have recourse if you feel that this privacy policy has been violated. You have the right to file a written complaint with our office or the Department of Health and Human Services or the Office of Civil Rights, about violations of the provisions of this office or the policies and procedures of this office. This office will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Please request additional information if needed.