HIPAA POLICY
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
OUR DUTIES
We are committed to maintaining the privacy of this information in accordance with state and federal laws and are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy of your protected health information;
- Provide to you this detailed Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices relating to your protected health information; and
- Abide by the terms of the Notice that is currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and make the new Notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain.
USING AND DISCLOSING YOUR PRETECTED HEALTH INFORMATION FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS.
For Treatment. We will use and disclose your protected health information in providing you with treatment and services. Our workforce has access to such information on a need to know basis– for example, for referral to a medical doctor or other service provider. We may also disclose protected health information to individuals who will be involved in your care after you leave INROADS TO RECOVERY, INC. Anyone who has access to protected health information is required to protect it and keep it confidential.
Appointment Reminders/Returning Your Phone Call/Treatment Options/Health Related Benefits. Our office will try to disclose only the minimum necessary PHI for our patients while completing these tasks.
For Payment. We may use and disclose your protected health information so that we can bill and receive payment for the treatment and services you receive at INROADS TO RECOVERY, INC. Bills requesting payment will usually include information which identifies you, your diagnosis and any treatment performed. For billing and payment purposes, we may disclose your protected health information to your legal representative, an insurance or managed care company, Medicare, Medicaid or another third party payer. For example, we may contact Medicaid or your heath plan to confirm your coverage or to request prior approval for a proposed treatment or service.
For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your protected health information for Health Care Operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to monitor the health status of clients and monitor the quality of our treatments. Due to INROADS TO RECOVERY, INC. accepting and providing services to those individuals who have Medicare or Medicaid, we are authorized and mandated to comply.
With audits of our client files and information within them. As well, we may use protected health information to evaluate INROADS TO RECOVERY, INC. services, including the performance of our staff. In addition, we may release your protected health information to another individual or covered entity for quality assessment and improvement activities or for review of or evaluation of health care professionals.
USING AND DISCLOSING PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION FOR OTHER SPECIFIC PURPOSES
Communication with Family. Using our best judgment, we may disclose to a family member, relative, or close friend, or any other person you identify PHI relevant to that person’s involvement in your care.
Business Associates. We may disclose your PHI to business associates so they can perform the job we have asked them to complete. However, we require business associates to protect your medical information. An example would be a firm that assists us with reimbursement.
Notification of Family. We may use or disclose information to notify a family member or other person responsible for your care and general condition.
As Required By Law. We will disclose your protected health information when required by law to do so.
Public Health Activities. We may disclose your protected health information for public health activities. These activities may include, for example: reporting for preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability; reporting deaths; reporting abuse or neglect of a dependent adult; reporting reactions to medications or problems with products; notifying a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition; or disclosing for certain purposes involving workplace illness or injuries.
Reporting Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence. We may use or disclose protected health information to protective services or social service services agency or other similar government authorities, if we reasonably believe you have been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law. These may include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections and licensure actions, judicial/administrative proceedings to which you are not a party or other legal proceedings. We do not control what information is needed by the health oversight agencies.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. We may disclose your personal health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose information in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful legal process; efforts will be made to contract you regarding the request or to obtain an order or agreement protecting the information.
Law Enforcement. We may also release your protected health information to law enforcement officials for the following purposes: Pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena/summons, or administrative request; Identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; regarding a crime victim, but only if the victim consents or the victim is unable to consent due to incapacity and the information is needed to determine if a crime has occurred, non-disclosure would significantly hinder the Investigation, and disclosure is in the victim’s best interest; regarding a decedent, to alert law enforcement that the individual’s death was caused by suspected criminal conduct; or for reporting suspected criminal activity.
Inmates. If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of law enforcement officials, we may release your PHI to these organizations. This release would be necessary for them to provide care, to protect your health and safety or that of others, and for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
Threats to Public Health of Safety. We may disclose or use your PHI when it is in our good faith, consistent with ethical and legal standards that it is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat.
Coroners, Healthcare Examiners, Funeral Homes. We may release your personal health information to a coroner, medical examiner, and funeral director. We may also release information to an organization involved in the donation of organs if you are an organ donor.
YOUR RIGHTS.
You have the following rights regarding your protected health information at the Community:
- The right to receive notice of our policies and procedures used to protect your protected health information;
- The right to request that certain uses and disclosures of your protected health information be restricted;
- The right to access to your protected health information;
- The right to request that your protected health information be amended;
- The right to obtain an accounting of certain disclosures by us of your protected health information for the past six years after April 13, 2003;
- The right to revoke any prior authorizations for use or disclosure of protected health information, except to the extent that the Community has acted on your Authorization by contacting INROADS TO RECOVERY;
- The right to request the method by which your protected health information is communicated.
OUR RIGHTS
- We have the right not to agree to your requested restrictions on the use or disclosure of your personal health information. If we do agree to accept your requested restrictions, we will comply with your request except as needed to provide you with emergency treatment;
- We have the right to deny your request to inspect or receive copies of your protected health information in certain circumstances;
- We have the right to deny your request for amendment of protected health information if it was not created by us, if it is not part of your personal health information maintained by us, if it is not
Part of the information to which you have right of access, or if it is already accurate and complete, as determined by us.
AUTHORIZATION
Uses and disclosures of your protected health information not allowed by law under our Notice of Privacy Practice will only be made with your authorization. You can revoke the Authorization as described in your written Authorization. If you revoke your Authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your Protected health information for the purposes covered by the Authorization, except where we have already relied on the Authorization.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint to the Privacy Official at the Address or Phone listed on the next page. The Privacy Official will review and respond to your complaint in a timely manner. At any time, you can contact the office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: