Privacy Policy
03
Revised Date:
Jim’s Home Health Supplies
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.
If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact our Privacy Officer at
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations 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.
We are required by law to:
- Make sure that medical information that identifies you is kept private
- Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you
- Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect
The following describes the manner in which we will use and disclose your personal health information:
Uses and disclosures without your express permission
1. For Treatment. We may use medical information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. For example, information obtained by a member of our staff will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment or equipment that should work best for you. We may provide your physician or a subsequent healthcare provider with copies of various reports that should assist him or her with treating you.
2. For Payment. We may use and disclose your medical information for our payment purposes or the payment purposes of other health care providers or health plans. For example, our billing department may release medical information to your health insurer to allow the insurer to pay us or reimburse you for our services in regard to your treatment.
3. For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose medical information about you for our business operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run our business and to insure that all of our customers receive quality care and service. For example, we may use your medical information to assess the quality of care and service in your case and ensure that our business continues to provide the quality of care and service you and other customers deserve. We may use your medical information to ensure we are complying with all federal and state compliance requirements.
Uses and disclosures that we may make unless you object
1. Family, friends or caregiver involved in your care. We, using our best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care and/or payment related to your care.
2. Appointment reminders, treatment alternatives, and health-related benefits and services. We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder for follow-up treatment or services, treatment options, or to tell you about health-related services that may be of interest to you.
Uses and disclosures that do not require your authorization
We may use or disclose your medical information for the following purposes:
1. To the military. If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release medical information about you as required by military command authorities.
2. To health oversight agencies such as state and federal regulatory agencies. We may disclose medical information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
3. To support public health activities. These activities typically include reports to agencies as required or authorized by law. These reports may include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:
o To report child abuse or neglect.
o To notify the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient/customer has been the victim of abuse or neglect. We will only make this disclosure if the patient/customer agrees or when required or authorized by law.
o To the Food and Drug Administration relative to adverse events concerning food, supplements, product and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.
4. As authorized by law in connection with Workers’ Compensation. We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.
5. Pursuant to lawful subpoena or court order. If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose medical information about you in response to a civil subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell patients/customers about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
6. To law enforcement officials. We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.
7. When required to avert a serious threat to health or safety. We may disclose health information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety to the public or another person.
8. Inmates. Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of others.
9. As required by federal, state, or local law. We will disclose medical information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
10. Incidental disclosures. Certain incidental disclosures of your medical information occur as a byproduct of lawful and permitted use and disclosure of your medical information. For example, another customer may inadvertently overhear a discussion regarding your care. These incidental disclosures are permitted if our business applies reasonable safeguards to protect your medical information.
Uses and disclosures requiring your authorization
Other uses and disclosures for purposes other than described above require your express authorization. For example, this business must obtain your authorization before disclosing your medical information to a life insurer or to an employer, except under special circumstances such as when disclosure to the employer is required by law. You have the right to revoke an authorization at any time, except to the extent we have already relied on it in making an authorized use or disclosure. Your revocation of an authorization must be in writing. This business hopes that if you choose to revoke an authorization, you will help us comply with your wishes by identifying the authorization you are choosing to revoke.
Disclosures to Business Associates
This business contracts with outside companies that perform business services for us, such as billing companies, collection agencies, consultants, quality assurance reviewers, accountants, computer support, delivery services, accountants, or attorneys. In certain circumstances, we may need to share your medical information with a business associate so it can perform a service on our behalf. We will limit the disclosure of your information to a business associate to the amount of information that is the minimum necessary for the business associate to perform the service required. In addition, we will have a written contract in place with the business associate requiring it to protect the privacy of your medical information.
You have the Right To:
· Request to inspect and copy your medical information used to make decisions about your care. To inspect and copy medical information that may be used to make decisions about customers, you must submit a request in writing. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other supplies associated with your request. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to medical information, you may request that the denial be reviewed.
· Request and amendment to your medical record. This request must be in writing. Your request must include a reason for the amendment. We may deny your request if we believe the records are complete and accurate, if the records were not created by us and the creator of the record is available or if the records are otherwise not subject to customer access. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal.
· Request that we send you confidential communications by alternative means or at alternative locations. For example, you may ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. This request must be in writing. We will honor all reasonable requests.
· Request additional restrictions on the use and disclosure of your medical information. You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care and/or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. This request must be in writing. We are not required to agree to your request for restrictions. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
· Request an accounting of disclosures. You may request, in writing, an accounting of disclosures we made of your medical information in the previous six years, beginning
· Request a paper copy of this notice even if you have agreed to accept this notice electronically.