HEALTH CARE STRATEGIES, LLC
HEALTH INFORMATION PRACTICES
EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/11/2009
This notice describes how information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
Your Medical Record! Health Information
Records are kept of your visits with your physician or heathcare providers. This record comtains your health information such as sysptoms, diagnoses,exams, procedures, test results, and treatment plans. This health information is called your medical record and serves as a:
- basis for forming treatment plans
- means of communication among healthcare professionals who are involved in your care
- legal document describing care you received
- means by which you or a third party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided
- source of data for medical research
- tool with which health care providers can assess and continually work to improve type of care given and outcomes achieved
Understanding what is in your medical record and how the information is used helps you to ensure its accuracy, better underestand who, what, when where and why others may access your health record, and make informed decisions regarding disclosure of this information to others.
Your Health Information Rights
Although your medical record is the physicial property of the healthcare provider or paractice that compliled it, the information belongs to you. You have the rights to:
- request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by 45 CFR 161.522
- obtain a paper copy of the notice of Health Information Practices upon request
- inspect and obatin a copy of your medical record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.524
- amend your health record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
- obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in 45 CFR 164.528
- request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
- revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken
Our Responsibilities:
As a business associate our responsibilities include:
- maintain the privacy of your health information
- provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you
- abide by the terms of this notice
- notify you if we are unable to agree to a requsted restriction
- accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations
We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practice change, we will post a revised notice on our web page.
We will not use or disclose your health informatin without your authorization, except as described in this notice.
Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Operations
Example #1 We will use your health information to obtain payment.
A bill may be sent to you or a third party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, your diagnoses, procedures, tests, and supplies used.
Example #2 Your health care provider will use your health information for regular health operations. Members of the medical staff and quality improvement team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it.
Other Permitted or Required Uses and Disclosures
Business Associates: There are some services provided through contracts with business associates. Examples include phisicain services in emergency departments, radiology, laboratories, copy services, and billing services. When these services are utilized, your physician or healthcare provider may disclose your health information to business associates so that they can perform the job they have been asked to do and bill you or your third party payer for services rendered. To protect your health information, business associates are required to safeguard your information.
Communication with Family: Using their best judgment, physicians and healthcare providers may disclose to a family member, other relative, or any person you identify, health informatin, relavent to that person's involvement in your care or payment related to your care.
Research: Phycians and healthcare providers may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by and institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Marketing: Your provider may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other helath related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Food and Drub Administration (FDA): You provider or halthcare professional may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, products, and product defects.
Workers' Compensation: Your provider may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers' compensation or similar programs established by law.
Public Health: As required by law, your provider may disclose your health information to public health or leagal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.
Law Enforcement Agencies: Your provider may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. Federal law makes provisions for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney, provided that a work force member or business assocaite believes in good faith that a provider has engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, employees, or the public.
For More Information or to Report a Problem
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our Privacy Officer, Dick White at 888-701-8826. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with our Pivacy Officer Dick White or the the secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
