“Protected health information” is medical information created or received by your health care provider that contains information that may be used to identify you, such as demographic data. It includes written or oral health information that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health; the provision of health care to you; and your past, present and future payment for health care.
This practice uses and discloses health information about you for treatment, to obtain payment for treatment, for health care operations, and to evaluate the quality of care that you receive. These disclosures may be made in writing, electronically, by facsimile, or orally.
We are permitted to use and disclose your medical information to those involved in your treatment. For example, the physicians in this practice are specialists. When we provide treatment, we may request that your primary care physician share your medical information with us. Also, we may provide your primary care physician information about your particular condition so that he or she can appropriately treat you for other medical conditions. Other examples are when the practice provides information to a pharmacy to fill a prescription, to a diagnostic facility to order x-rays, ct’s, or to a lab to order lab tests.
We are permitted to use and disclose your medical information to determine eligibility for benefits, get approval for a recommended treatment, and to bill and collect payment for the services provided to you. For example, we may submit a claim form to obtain payment from your insurer. The claim will contain medical information; such as a description of the medical service provided to you that your insurer needs to approve payment to us.
We are permitted to use or disclose your medical information for the purposes of health care operations, which are activities that support this practice and ensure that quality care is delivered. For example, we may engage the service of a professional to aid this practice in its compliance programs. This person will review billing and medical files to ensure we maintain our compliance with regulations and the law.
There are situations in which we are permitted by law to disclose or use your medical information without your written authorization or an opportunity to object. In other situations we will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing any identifiable health information about you. If you choose to sign an authorization to disclose information, you can later revoke the authorization, in writing, to stop future uses and disclosures. However, any revocation will not apply to disclosures or uses already made or taken in reliance on that authorization.
We may disclose your medical information for public health activities. Public health activities are mandated by federal, state, or local government for the collection of information about disease, vital statistics (like births and death), or injury by a public health authority. We may disclose medical information, if authorized by law, to a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease of condition. We may disclose your medical information to report reactions to medications, problems with products, or to notify people of recalls of products they may be using.
We may also disclose medical information to a public agency authorized to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. Nevada law requires physicians to report child abuse or neglect. Regulations also permit the disclosure of information to report abuse or neglect of elders or the disabled.
We may disclose your medical information to a health oversight agency for those activities authorized by law. Examples of these activities are audits, investigations, license applications and inspections which are all government activities undertaken to monitor the health care delivery system and compliance with other laws, such as civil rights laws.
We may disclose your medical information in the course of judicial or administrative proceedings in response to an order of the court (or the administrative decision-maker) or other appropriate legal process. Certain requirements must be met before the information is disclosed.
If asked by a law enforcement official, we may disclose your medical information under limited circumstances provided that the information:
We may also release information if we4 believe the disclosure is necessary to prevent of lessen an imminent threat to the health or safety of a person.
We may disclose your medical information as required by Nevada’s workers compensation law.
We may release your medical information to a correctional institution or law enforcement official if you are an inmate of under the custody of law enforcement. This release is permitted to allow the institution to provide you with medical care, to protect your health or the health and safety of others, or for the safety and security of the institution.
We may disclose your medical information for specialized governmental functions such as separation or discharge form military service, requests as necessary by appropriate military command officers (if you are in the military), authorized national security and intelligence activities, as well as authorized activities for the provision of protective services for the President of the United States, other authorized government officials, or foreign heads of state.
When a research project and its privacy protections have been approved by an Institutional Review board or privacy board, we may release medical information to researchers for research purposes. We may release medical information to organ procurement organizations for the purpose of facilitating organ, eye, or tissue donation if you are a donor. Also, we may release your medical information to a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased or a cause of death. Further, we may release your medical information to a funeral director where such a disclosure is necessary for the director to carry out his duties.
We may release your medical information where the disclosure is required by law.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services created regulations intended to protect patient privacy as required by the health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA). Those regulations create several privileges that patients may exercise. We will not retaliate against a patient that exercises their HIPAA rights.
You may request that we restrict or limit how your protected health information is used of disclosed for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We do NOT have to agree to this restriction, but if we do agree, we will comply with your request except under emergency circumstances.
To request a restriction, submit your letter attention privacy officer.
You may request that we send communications of protected health information by alternative means of to an alternative location. Please send your written request to the office manager a t the Allergy & Asthma Center’s office where you are seen.
You may inspect and/or obtain a copy of health information that is within the designed record set, which is information that is used to make decisions about your care. Nevada law requires that requests for copies be mad in writing and we ask that requests for inspection of you health information also be made in writing Please send your request to the office manager at the Allergy & Asthma Center.
We can refuse to provide some of the information you ask to inspect or ask to be copied if the information:
We can refuse to provide access to or copies of some information for other reasons, provided that we provide a review of our decision on your request.
You may request an amendment of your medical information in the designated record set. Any such request must be made in writing to the person listed below. We will respond within 60 days of your request. We may refuse to allow an amendment if the information that is the subject of the request;
Even if we refuse to allow an amendment you are permitted to include a patient statement about the information at issue in your medical record. If we refuse to allow an amendment we will inform you in writing.
The HIPAA privacy regulations permit you to request, and us to provide, an accounting of disclosures that are other than for treatment, payment, health care operations, or made with an authorization signed by you or your representative.
We may contact you by telephone, mail, or both to provide appointment reminders, treatment plans, information about treatment alternatives, or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
If you are concerned that your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact the person listed below. You may also send a written complaint to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint with the government or us. The Contact information is: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HIPAA Complaint
7500 Security Blvd., C5-24-04
Baltimore, MD 21244
We are required by law and regulation to protect the privacy of your medical information, to provide you with this notice of our privacy practices with respect to protected health information, and to abide by the terms of the notice of privacy practices in effect.
If you have any questions or want to make a request pursuant to the rights described above, please contact the office manager at the Allergy & Asthma Center.
This notice is effective on April 14, 2003
We may change our policies and this notice at any time and have those revised policies apply to all the protected health information we maintain. If or when we change our notice, we will post the new notice in the office where it can been seen.
Acknowledgment of Receipt
Notice of Privacy Practices
Allergy & Asthma Center
I have received a copy for review of this office’s Notice of Privacy Practices, which explains how my medical information will be used and disclosed. I understand that I am entitled to receive my own copy of this document.
______________________________________________________
Signature of Patient of Guardian/Personal Representative
______________________________________
Date
______________________________________________________
Name of Patient or Guardian/Personal Representative (Please Print)
______________________________________________________
Description of Guardian/Personal Representative’s Authority