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 administrative simplification of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996) is of concern to our practice and requires us to comply with specific rules regarding:
- Unique Identifiers for health plans, providers, individuals and employers
- Healthcare Transactions & Code Sets for transmitting electronic data
- Privacy Regulations over disclosure and use of health information
- Security Regulations over projections of electronic health information
These policies have been developed by the Department of Health & Human Services.
Our Uses and Disclosures:
- Treatment: We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
(e.g. A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.)
- Health Care Operations: We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
(e.g. We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.)
NOTE: It is the policy of eMDe Cares to release confidential information, with signed consent, through a provided email, telephone number, voicemail and/or fax number. If we are returning phone calls and the answering machine picks up, it is our policy NOT to leave confidential information if there is no recorded message identifying the owner. Confidential information will NOT be left with an unauthorized person who may answer your telephone.
- Payment: We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
(e.g. We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.)
NOTE: If you choose to save your credit card information with our office, it is kept in a HIPAA compliant patient server and is encrypted, therefore numbers are not visible to staff members (other than last four digits for verification purposes).
Other Uses and Disclosures:
- Help with public health and safety issues: We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
- Preventing disease
- Helping with product recalls
- Reporting adverse reactions to medications
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
- Do research: We can use or share your information for health research.
- Comply with the law: We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
- Respond to organ and tissue donation requests: We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
- Work with a medical examiner or funeral director: We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
- Respond to lawsuits and legal actions: We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
- Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests:
We can use or share health information about you:
– For workers’ compensation claims
– For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
– With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
– For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
eMDe Cares Specific Uses and Disclosures:
Note: You may revoke your authorization at any time for the following:
- Appointment reminders: eMDe Cares reserves the right to send text, email, and phone reminders for appointments and appointment related reminders. e.g) Reminder to complete paperwork.
- eMDe Cares may contact you to suggest services that may be of interest or alternative treatment plans.
- Surveys, practice research, or raise funds for the practice: eMDe Cares may use your information to ask for feedback and improve practice standards.
Your Rights:
- Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record: We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
- Ask us to correct your medical record: You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no” to your request, but will explain why in writing within 60 days.
- Receive confidential communications: You can ask us to contact you in a specific way or to send mail to a different address. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
- Ask us to limit what we use or share: You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
- Obtain a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information with
- Receive a copy of this privacy notice
- File a complaint as follows if you feel your rights are violated:
- You may contact our office with your complaint using the details at the end of this notice.
- You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
- We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Our Responsibility to Our Patients:
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and provide you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time with a written notice.
- We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, posted in our office, and published on our website.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic and other potential public health emergencies, eMDe Cares will make good faith efforts to offer telehealth options for certain patients & eligible services; however, not all patients & services will be accomodated and it shall be eMDe Cares sole discretion as whether to offer, continue, or terminate telehealth options. NOTE: Covered health care providers will not be subject to penalties for violations of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules that occur in the good faith provision of telehealth during the COVID-19 nationwide public health emergency.
eMDe Cares Contact for Further Information, Questions, or Concerns:
Name or Title: Office Manager
Telephone Number: 561-802-7142
Email: officemanager@emdecares.com
Effective Date: January 1, 2021