CHILDREN’S HOME HEALTHCARE
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective: June 10, 2010
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
CHH is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your Protected Health Information. Protected Health Information (PHI) is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health conditions and related health care services. In conducting day-to-day business, CHH will create PHI regarding you and the treatment and services we provide to you.
What are the duties of CHH concerning the use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information?
CHH is required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI that identifies you, and to abide by the terms of this Notice.
The terms of this Notice apply to all records containing your PHI that are created or retained by CHH. CHH reserves the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. Any revisions or amendments to this Notice will be effective for all of your PHI that CHH has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your PHI that CHH may create or maintain in the future. Should any revisions to this Notice occur, CHH is not required to notify you, but the revised Notice will be available upon request.
This Notice will be posted in the office and given to patients at the time of admission.
How does CHH use and disclose your Protected Health Information without an authorization?
CHH may use and disclose you PHI for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations (TPO); and as required or authorized by law. CHH may share information with other divisions within CHH as permitted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Not every use or disclosure within CHH will be listed in these categories. However, the ways CHH is permitted to use and disclose your PHI may fall within one of these categories.
a. Treatment: CHH may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services. This may include communicating with other health care providers regarding your treatment, or coordinating and managing your health care with others.
For example, when you are being seen by another health care provider, your doctor may disclose your drug allergies and the needed PHI, in order for the other health care provider to diagnose or treat you.
b. Payment: Your PHI may be used and disclosed to obtain payment for your health care services.
For example, before CHH receives payment for a particular health care service, your health care plan may request a copy of the PHI pertaining to that service.
c. Health care operations: CHH may use or disclose, as needed, your PHI in order to support the business activities of our practice. These activities include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, workforce review activities, training of new employees, licensing, fundraising activities, and conducting or arranging for other business activities.
For example, CHH may use your PHI in quality assessment activities to improve patient care.
The following are additional ways in which CHH may use or disclose your PHI without your authorization:
1) Required or authorized by law
2) Public health activities
3) Victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
4) Health oversight activities
5) Judicial, administrative and law enforcement purposes
6) Decedents
7) Organ procurement organizations
8) Research
9) Legally Authorized Representatives
10) Limited Data Sets
11) Business Associates
12) Specialized Government Functions
13) Correctional Institutions
14) Workers’ Compensation
15) Notification
16) Communications for treatment and healthcare
17) Fundraising
Other than the categories mentioned above, or as authorized or required by law, CHH will not disclose any PHI without your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time, except if CHH has acted on your request.
What are your privacy rights regarding your Protected Health Information?
· You have the right to obtain a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices upon request. Even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this Notice.
· You have the right to request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations; and as to disclosures permitted to persons, including family members, personal representatives or others involved in your care that is related to such person’s involvement with your care or payment for your health care; and as to disclosures that are related to the notification of such persons of your location, general condition or death. However, CHH is not required by law to agree to a requested restriction. In order to maintain a high level of patient care, CHH will not grant any requested restrictions.
· You have the right to request alternative means or an alternative location in order to receive communications regarding PHI. All requests must be in writing using a CHH Confidential Communication Request Form. CHH will accommodate reasonable request for alternative means or alternative locations.
· You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI for as long as CHH maintains your PHI, except for psychotherapy notes and information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or for use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding or when prohibited by law. There will be a reasonable fee to obtain a copy of your PHI. CHH reserves the right to deny the requested access or copy of the PHI as provided by law. You must request this in writing using a CHH Authorization for Release of PHI Form and forwarding it to the office.
· You have the right to request an amendment to your PHI for as long as that information is maintained by CHH. CHH reserves the right to deny your request for amendment as provided by law. You must request this right in writing using a CHH Amendment Request Form and forwarding it to the office.
· You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI made by CHH in the six years prior to the date on which the accounting is requested. This right applies to disclosures other than those you have authorized, for TPO, or is required or authorized by law. You will be able to request an accounting of disclosures that occur on or after the CHH’s compliance date of April 1, 2005. There may be a reasonable fee to obtain an accounting of disclosures. If, during the period covered by the accounting, CHH has made any disclosures of PHI for a particular research purpose for 50 or more individuals, CHH can provide the names of the protocol or research activity. However, your PHI may or may not have been disclosed for a particular protocol or other research activity. You must request this right in writing using a CHH Accounting Request Form and forwarding it to the office.
Questions or Complaints:
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact the Privacy Officer regarding the use or disclosure of you PHI.
Privacy Officer: Melissa Bullock: 903-482-9020
If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with CHH’s Privacy Officer or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. All complaints must be in writing. You will not be penalized or be subjected to retaliation for filing a complaint.