Under new Federal Regulation, you as a patient have the following rights:
To have your personal health information (PHI) kept confidential, and to only be used for the following:
- Treatment- We will use the health care information we learn about you to provide you with health care service.
- We have limited the personnel in our office who have access to your PHI.
- We will share your health information with other health care providers (and others you choose to involve in your care, such as family members) involved in your care.
- Payment- We will use and disclose your PHI for reimbursement for services we render to you and members of your household. In this process, others, such as our business office staff and insurance organizations, may have access to the information you give us.
- Health Care Operations- We will use and disclose your health information to keep our practice operable. Examples of this kind include, but are not limited to:
- Government oversight activities
- As required by law- such as by subpoena or other lawful process
- For appointment reminders
- Treatment alternatives- to seek out treatment alternatives in professional or popular literature
- Research- we will use your PHI to participate in government approved research. If your PHI is to be presented such that individual identification is possible, we will seek your written authorization prior to disclosure upon military command to prevent a serious threat to health or safety
- Worker’s Compensation- If you present with a condition which you are seeking payment under Worker’s Compensation, we will disclose your PHI to your employer and your worker’ compensation insurer as necessary to discharge public health responsibilities- to report deaths, child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, problems with products/medications, recalls, disease/infection exposure, and to prevent/control disease, injury, or disability
Your privacy rights
You have the right to:
- Inspect and copy your health care information, or that of an individual for whom you are the legal guardian
- Request amendment of your health care information, if you feel it is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Receive a list of non-routine disclosures we have made of your PHI
- To request a limit to the health care information we disclose about you
- To request confidential communications (to further restrict the parties who will have access to your information)
Your right to complain:
You have the right to file a complaint with us about our adherence to our privacy practices