HIPAA POLICY STATEMENT...disclose your PHI in accordance with the specific requirements of the...

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PRIVACY NOTICE HIPAA POLICY STATEMENT Apex Allergy & Immunology 534 Woods Lake Road, Greenville, SC 29607 APEX ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY’S Privacy No�ce to Pa�ents THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED BY APEX ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. Effec�ve Date: October 11, 2016 Under the HIPAA Privacy regula�ons, Apex Allergy & Immunology and all similar health care providers are required by federal law to maintain privacy of your protected health informa�on (PHI) and will abide by the terms in the Privacy No�ce. Please be advised that Apex Allergy & Immunology may use your PHI in rendering treatment. For example, we are permi�ed to use your PHI in providing you with medical care/treatment when you visit our office or when we treat you in a hospital or nursing facility. Under federal law, we may disclose your PHI to you or we can disclose you PHI to third par�es for treatment. For example, if we refer you to a specialist, we will forward your medical informa�on to such specialists. We can disclose your PHI for payment purposes. For example, we will disclose your PHI to your insurance provider, your employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or other party responsible for providing you with health insurance coverage in order for Apex Allergy & Immunology to be reimbursed for our services rendered to you. We will also use or disclose your PHI for health care opera�ons. For example, we may use your PHI when we engage in quality assurance and medical chart reviews, which are part of our health care opera�ons. We may also disclose your PHI, when required by the Secretary of the US Department of Heatlh & Human Services. Unless disclosure is requried under federal/state law, or certain other excep - �ons, including law enforcement, we are prohibited from disclosing your PHI without your authoriza�on. Our prac�ce may use or disclose your PHI in accordance with the specific requirements of the HIPAA rules without Apex Allergy needing to obtain your authoriza�on if the informa�on is: 1. required by law 2. required for public health purposes 3. required disclosures about vic�ms of abuse, neglect or domes�c violence 4. required by health oversight agency for oversight ac�vi�es authorized by law 5. required in the course of any judicial or administra�ve proceeding 6. required for a law enforcement prupose to a law enforcement official 7. required by a coroner or medical examiner 8. required by an organ procurement organiza�on for research, and 9. if disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public. Addi�onally, if you are a member of the armed forces, Apex Allergy & Immunology is permi �ed to disclose your PHI without consent if deemed necessary by appropriate military command authori�es to assure an appropriate military mission. We may also contact you via mail or phone to remind you of appointments with our office or to discuss treatment alterna�ves. If, for any reason, you do not wish to be contacted via mail or phone, our office personnel will note your request in your chart. In the event our prac�ce wishes to disclose your PHI to another en�ty besides those referenced above, we are required to obtain your authoriza�on. We would seek to obtain your authoriza�on if Apex Allergy & Immunology decided to release your PHI for reasons other than treatment, payment, or for our prac�ce’s opera�ons. For example, if we desired to par�cipate in outside research or a drug study, we would need your wri�en authoriza �on prior to being permi �ed to release your PHI to such outside research facility or drug manufacturer. If you provide us with an authoriza�on, you have the ability to revoke such authoriza�on at any �me by sending Apex Allergy & Immunology a wri�en revoca �on. However, if we have already released such informa�on pursuant to your prior authoriza�on, the revoca�on will be effec�ve for all future disclosures. Please be further advised that you have the ability to access, obtain a copy, inspect and request amendment to your medical informa�on that we maintain. Addi�onally, if you desire, Apex Allergy & Immunolo - gy can provide you with an accoun�ng of all disclosures for treatment, payment or healthcare opera�ons and pursusant to authori - za�on. If you have a dispute with our prac�ce regarding the use of your PHI or a disclosure by Apex Allergy & Immunology and believe that your primary rights have been violated, please contact Apex Allergy & Immunology to file a complaint or you may contact the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Alterna�vely, complaint forms are posted on our website. They can be complet - ed and electronically mailed to us. Please understand that Apex Allergy & Immunology will not retaliate against you in any way for filing a complaint. Lastly, please be advised that you have the right to designate a personal representa�ve or request restric�ons on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare opera�ons or disclosures by Apex Allergy & Immunology of your PHI to a family member, rela�ve, or a close personal friend. However, we are not required by federal law to agree to your requested designa�on or restrici�on. If you request a copy of your PHI, you also have the ability to request that we send it to an alterna�ve loca�on (different address) and by alterna�ve means. Addi�onally, if you have received this no�ce in an electronic form and you would like a paper copy, please contact Apex Allergy & Immunology’s Privacy Contact. Apex Allergy & Immunology reserves the right to amend this no�ce as revised. No�ces will be posted on our website (www.apexallergysc.com) and in our offices and provided to you upon your request. Thank you and if you have any ques�ons, please contact Apex Allergy & Immunology.

Transcript of HIPAA POLICY STATEMENT...disclose your PHI in accordance with the specific requirements of the...

Page 1: HIPAA POLICY STATEMENT...disclose your PHI in accordance with the specific requirements of the HIPAA rules without Apex Allergy needing to obtain your authoriza on if the informa

PRIVACY NOTICE

H I PA A P O L I C Y S TAT E M E N T

Apex Allergy & Immunology 534 Woods Lake Road, Greenville, SC 29607

A P E X A L L E R G Y & I M M U N O L O G Y ’ S P r i v a c y N o � c e t o P a � e n t s

T H I S N O T I C E D E S C R I B E S H O W YO U R M E D I C A L I N F O R M AT I O N M AY B E U S E D A N D D I S C L O S E D BY A P E X A L L E R G Y & I M M U N O L O G Y A N D H O W YO U C A N G E T A C C E S S TO T H I S I N F O R M AT I O N . P L E A S E R E A D I T C A R E F U L LY.

Eff e c � v e D a t e : O c t o b e r 1 1 , 2 0 1 6U n d e r t h e H I PA A P r i v a c y r e g u l a � o n s , A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y a n d a l l s i m i l a r h e a l t h c a r e p r o v i d e r s a r e r e q u i r e d b y f e d e r a l l a w t o m a i n t a i n p r i v a c y o f y o u r p r o t e c t e d h e a l t h i n f o r m a � o n ( P H I ) a n d w i l l a b i d e b y t h e t e r m s i n t h e P r i v a c y N o � c e . P l e a s e b e a d v i s e d t h a t A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y m a y u s e y o u r P H I i n r e n d e r i n g t r e a t m e n t . F o r e x a m p l e , w e a r e p e r m i � e d t o u s e y o u r P H I i n p r o v i d i n g y o u w i t h m e d i c a l c a r e / t r e a t m e n t w h e n y o u v i s i t o u r o ffi c e o r w h e n w e t r e a t y o u i n a h o s p i t a l o r n u r s i n g f a c i l i t y. U n d e r f e d e r a l l a w, w e m a y d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I t o y o u o r w e c a n d i s c l o s e y o u P H I t o t h i r d p a r � e s f o r t r e a t m e n t . F o r e x a m p l e , i f w e r e f e r y o u t o a s p e c i a l i s t , w e w i l l f o r w a r d y o u r m e d i c a l i n f o r m a � o n t o s u c h s p e c i a l i s t s . We c a n d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I f o r p a y m e n t p u r p o s e s . F o r e x a m p l e , w e w i l l d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I t o y o u r i n s u r a n c e p r o v i d e r, y o u r e m p l o y e r, M e d i c a r e , M e d i c a i d , o r o t h e r p a r t y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r p r o v i d i n g y o u w i t h h e a l t h i n s u r a n c e c o v e r a g e i n o r d e r f o r A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y t o b e r e i m b u r s e d f o r o u r s e r v i c e s r e n d e r e d t o y o u . We w i l l a l s o u s e o r d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I f o r h e a l t h c a r e o p e r a � o n s . F o r e x a m p l e , w e m a y u s e y o u r P H I w h e n w e e n g a g e i n q u a l i t y a s s u r a n c e a n d m e d i c a l c h a r t r e v i e w s , w h i c h a r e p a r t o f o u r h e a l t h c a r e o p e r a � o n s . We m a y a l s o d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I , w h e n r e q u i r e d b y t h e S e c r e t a r y o f t h e U S D e p a r t m e n t o f H e a t l h & H u m a n S e r v i c e s . U n l e s s d i s c l o s u r e i s r e q u r i e d u n d e r f e d e r a l / s t a t e l a w, o r c e r t a i n o t h e r e x c e p -� o n s , i n c l u d i n g l a w e n f o r c e m e n t , w e a r e p r o h i b i t e d f r o m d i s c l o s i n g y o u r P H I w i t h o u t y o u r a u t h o r i z a � o n . O u r p r a c � c e m a y u s e o r d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e s p e c i fi c r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e H I PA A r u l e s w i t h o u t A p e x A l l e r g y n e e d i n g t o o b t a i n y o u r a u t h o r i z a � o n i f t h e i n f o r m a � o n i s :

1 . r e q u i r e d b y l a w2 . r e q u i r e d f o r p u b l i c h e a l t h p u r p o s e s3 . r e q u i r e d d i s c l o s u r e s a b o u t v i c � m s o f a b u s e , n e g l e c t o r d o m e s � c v i o l e n c e4 . r e q u i r e d b y h e a l t h o v e r s i g h t a g e n c y f o r o v e r s i g h t a c � v i � e s a u t h o r i z e d b y l a w5 . r e q u i r e d i n t h e c o u r s e o f a n y j u d i c i a l o r a d m i n i s t r a � v e p r o c e e d i n g6 . r e q u i r e d f o r a l a w e n f o r c e m e n t p r u p o s e t o a l a w e n f o r c e m e n t o ffi c i a l7 . r e q u i r e d b y a c o r o n e r o r m e d i c a l e x a m i n e r8 . r e q u i r e d b y a n o r g a n p r o c u r e m e n t o r g a n i z a � o n f o r r e s e a r c h , a n d9 . i f d i s c l o s u r e i s n e c e s s a r y t o p r e v e n t o r l e s s e n a s e r i o u s a n d i m m i n e n t t h r e a t t o t h e h e a l t h o r s a f e t y o f a p e r s o n o r t h e p u b l i c .

A d d i � o n a l l y, i f y o u a r e a m e m b e r o f t h e a r m e d f o r c e s , A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y i s p e r m i � e d t o d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I w i t h o u t c o n s e n t i f d e e m e d n e c e s s a r y b y a p p r o p r i a t e m i l i t a r y c o m m a n d a u t h o r i � e s t o a s s u r e a n a p p r o p r i a t e m i l i t a r y m i s s i o n . We m a y a l s o c o n t a c t y o u v i a m a i l o r p h o n e t o r e m i n d y o u o f a p p o i n t m e n t s w i t h o u r o ffi c e o r t o d i s c u s s t r e a t m e n t a l t e r n a � v e s . I f, f o r a n y r e a s o n , y o u d o n o t w i s h t o b e c o n t a c t e d v i a m a i l o r p h o n e , o u r o ffi c e p e r s o n n e l w i l l n o t e y o u r r e q u e s t i n y o u r c h a r t . I n t h e e v e n t o u r p r a c � c e w i s h e s t o d i s c l o s e y o u r P H I t o a n o t h e r e n � t y b e s i d e s t h o s e r e f e r e n c e d a b o v e , w e a r e r e q u i r e d t o o b t a i n y o u r a u t h o r i z a � o n . We w o u l d s e e k t o o b t a i n y o u r a u t h o r i z a � o n i f A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y d e c i d e d t o r e l e a s e y o u r P H I f o r r e a s o n s o t h e r t h a n t r e a t m e n t , p a y m e n t , o r f o r o u r p r a c � c e ’s o p e r a � o n s . F o r e x a m p l e , i f w e d e s i r e d t o p a r � c i p a t e i n o u t s i d e r e s e a r c h o r a d r u g s t u d y, w e w o u l d n e e d y o u r w r i � e n a u t h o r i z a � o n p r i o r t o b e i n g p e r m i � e d t o r e l e a s e y o u r P H I t o s u c h o u t s i d e r e s e a r c h f a c i l i t y o r d r u g m a n u f a c t u r e r. I f y o u p r o v i d e u s w i t h a n a u t h o r i z a � o n , y o u h a v e t h e a b i l i t y t o r e v o ke s u c h a u t h o r i z a � o n a t a n y � m e b y s e n d i n g A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y a w r i � e n r e v o c a � o n . H o w e v e r, i f w e h a v e a l r e a d y r e l e a s e d s u c h i n f o r m a � o n p u r s u a n t t o y o u r p r i o r a u t h o r i z a � o n , t h e r e v o c a � o n w i l l b e e ff e c � v e f o r a l l f u t u r e d i s c l o s u r e s . P l e a s e b e f u r t h e r a d v i s e d t h a t y o u h a v e t h e a b i l i t y t o a c c e s s , o b t a i n a c o p y, i n s p e c t a n d r e q u e s t a m e n d m e n t t o y o u r m e d i c a l i n f o r m a � o n t h a t w e m a i n t a i n . A d d i � o n a l l y, i f y o u d e s i r e , A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o -g y c a n p r o v i d e y o u w i t h a n a c c o u n � n g o f a l l d i s c l o s u r e s f o r t r e a t m e n t , p a y m e n t o r h e a l t h c a r e o p e r a � o n s a n d p u r s u s a n t t o a u t h o r i -z a � o n . I f y o u h a v e a d i s p u t e w i t h o u r p r a c � c e r e g a r d i n g t h e u s e o f y o u r P H I o r a d i s c l o s u r e b y A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y a n d b e l i e v e t h a t y o u r p r i m a r y r i g h t s h a v e b e e n v i o l a t e d , p l e a s e c o n t a c t A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y t o fi l e a c o m p l a i n t o r y o u m a y c o n t a c t t h e S e c r e t a r y o f H e a l t h a n d H u m a n S e r v i c e s . A l t e r n a � v e l y, c o m p l a i n t f o r m s a r e p o s t e d o n o u r w e b s i t e . T h e y c a n b e c o m p l e t -e d a n d e l e c t r o n i c a l l y m a i l e d t o u s . P l e a s e u n d e r s t a n d t h a t A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y w i l l n o t r e t a l i a t e a g a i n s t y o u i n a n y w a y f o r fi l i n g a c o m p l a i n t . L a s t l y, p l e a s e b e a d v i s e d t h a t y o u h a v e t h e r i g h t t o d e s i g n a t e a p e r s o n a l r e p r e s e n t a � v e o r r e q u e s t r e s t r i c � o n s o n c e r t a i n u s e s a n d d i s c l o s u r e s o f y o u r P H I t o c a r r y o u t t r e a t m e n t , p a y m e n t o r h e a l t h c a r e o p e r a � o n s o r d i s c l o s u r e s b y A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y o f y o u r P H I t o a f a m i l y m e m b e r, r e l a � v e , o r a c l o s e p e r s o n a l f r i e n d . H o w e v e r, w e a r e n o t r e q u i r e d b y f e d e r a l l a w t o a g r e e t o y o u r r e q u e s t e d d e s i g n a � o n o r r e s t r i c i � o n . I f y o u r e q u e s t a c o p y o f y o u r P H I , y o u a l s o h a v e t h e a b i l i t y t o r e q u e s t t h a t w e s e n d i t t o a n a l t e r n a � v e l o c a � o n ( d i ff e r e n t a d d r e s s ) a n d b y a l t e r n a � v e m e a n s . A d d i � o n a l l y, i f y o u h a v e r e c e i v e d t h i s n o � c e i n a n e l e c t r o n i c f o r m a n d y o u w o u l d l i ke a p a p e r c o p y, p l e a s e c o n t a c t A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y ’s P r i v a c y C o n t a c t . A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y r e s e r v e s t h e r i g h t t o a m e n d t h i s n o � c e a s r e v i s e d . N o � c e s w i l l b e p o s t e d o n o u r w e b s i t e ( w w w. a p e x a l l e r g y s c . c o m ) a n d i n o u r o ffi c e s a n d p r o v i d e d t o y o u u p o n y o u r r e q u e s t . T h a n k y o u a n d i f y o u h a v e a n y q u e s � o n s , p l e a s e c o n t a c t A p e x A l l e r g y & I m m u n o l o g y.