HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
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
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may 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. “Protected 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 practice, and any other use required by law. These uses or disclosures do not require your signed authorization.
Treatment:
We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare 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. As another 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, your protected health information may be provided to other providers, insurers, and collection related agencies to obtain payment for services provided or to obtain prior approval for the provision of a service.
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 clinical students, licensing, and conducting or arranging for other business activities. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to medical school students that see patients at our office. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may also call you by name in the waiting room when your physician is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment or medically advisable services, or provide you with a test result. We may disclose your protected information to the sponsor of your health plan. Our practice utilizes electronic health records and the services of health information exchanges. We may also use or disclose your information for purposes of research.
Use permitted or required by law:
We may use or disclose your protected health information when release is required or permitted by law, including in judicial settings and to health oversight regulatory agencies and law enforcement. We may use or disclose your protected health information in emergency situations, public health activities and health oversight or to avert serious health/safety situations or report abuse and neglect. We may disclose your protected information to medical examiners, coroners or funeral directors to aid in identifying you or to help them in performing their duties, and to organ, tissue and other donations organization, upon or proximate to your death, if we have no indication on hand about your donation preferences (or a positive indication).
Family Member:
We may disclose your protected health information to a family member, relative or others involved in your health care or payment thereof, unless you object, which you have the right to do.
Business Associates:
We may disclose your protected health information to outside companies that assist in operating our health services, including but not limited to, billing, accounting, auditing and other services provided by these “business associates.”
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 any such 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
The following is a statement of your rights 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 be allowed to inspect or copy the following records; certain psychotherapy notes; information that relates specifically to legal preparations, including information protected by attorney-client privilege or rules of discovery, and certain other protected health information that is subject to law that allows prohibition of access to that information. Under some circumstances, you may have the right to appeal certain denials to access protected health information. To receive copies of your information or initiate an appeal for denial of access, please contact the clinic manager at 1810 Murchison, Suite 300, El Paso, TX 79902.
You have the right to request a restriction of all or part of your protected health information.
To do this, you must complete our form requesting the restrictions you wish. The form is available at our front desk. We are not required to grant your request unless the restriction is to not tell your insurance company about a treatment and you or someone on your behalf has paid out of pocket for that treatment in full. To request restriction of information to your insurance company, you must complete our form requesting the restriction and make payment in full prior to receiving treatment. The form is available at the front desk of our clinic. If the treatment requires a precertification, you will need to request the restriction and make payment prior to request of the precertification.
You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative location .
Your request must be in writing and must state the specific alternatives you are requesting. Please ask personnel at the front desk of our clinic for a form. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
You have the right to request changes be made to your protected health information.
We are not required to grant your request. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file an appeal or complain about the denial. A request for a change or to appeal/complain must be sent in writing to Attention: Privacy Officer at the address above. You must indicate the requested change and provide reasons to support any requested change.
You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures
we have made, if any, of your protected health information. To receive an accounting of disclosures, send your request, in writing to Attention: Privacy Officer at the address above.
You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice and any updates from us,
upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this notice electronically.
To revoke an authorization you have previously provided,
send a letter requesting that your authorization be revoked to Attn: Privacy Officer at the address above.
You have the right to receive notifications of a breach of your information
in the event that we or one of our business associates discovers a breach or unsecured protected health information involving your medical information.
Complaints:
You may complain to us or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You may file a complaint with us by notifying our Privacy Officer of your complaint. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make new provisions effective retroactively to all the protected information we maintain.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. We must abide by the terms of this notice or any update of this notice. For more information about our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer at (915) 577-0051, PO box 3157, El Paso, TX 79923-3157.
This notice was published and becomes effective on September 20, 2013
Permitted disclosures may be made in either electronic or physical formats.
Privacy Officer: Bill Collins, (915) 577-0051
