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PRIVACY NOTICE
Disclaimer
Classic Home Care (CHC) works to ensure that the
information provided on its web site is accurate, timely
and useful. However, the information contained on the
CHC web site should not be considered medical guidance
or professional advice. CHC, or any parties involved in
the preparation or publication of the site are not
responsible for errors or omissions in information
provided on this site or any actions resulting from the
use of such information. Readers are encouraged to
confirm the information contained herein with other
reliable sources and to direct any questions concerning
their personal health to licensed physicians or other
appropriate health care professionals. Corrections to
this site will be made when necessary or as time permits.
Privacy
Statement
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.
Our agency uses your Protected Health Information for
treatment, to obtain payment for our services and for
our operational purposes, such as improving the quality
of care we provide to you. We are committed to
maintaining your confidentiality and protecting your
health information. We are required by law to provide
you with this Notice which describes our health
information privacy practices and those of our
affiliated health care providers.
This Notice applies to all information and records
related to your care that our agency workforce members
and Business Associates (described below) have received
or created. It also applies to health care
professionals, such as physicians, and organizations
that provide care to you. It informs you about the
possible uses and disclosures of your Protected Health
Information and describes your rights and our
obligations regarding your Protected Health Information.
We 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 are currently in effect. We reserve the
right to change the terms of this Notice, and will
notify you or your personal representative by letter if
we make any material changes to the Notice.
I. WITH YOUR CONSENT WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND
HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
You will be asked to sign a Consent allowing us to use
and disclose your Protected Health Information to others
to provide you with treatment, obtain payment for our
services, and run our health care operations. Here are
examples of how we may use and disclose your health
information.
For Treatment.
Our staff and affiliated health care professionals may
review and record information in your record about your
treatment and care. We will use and disclose this health
information to health care professionals in order to
treat and care for you. For example, a nurse may consult
with another nurse located at another location to
determine how to best treat you.
For Payment.
Our agency may use and disclose your Protected Health
Information to others in order for the agency to bill
for your health care services and receive payment. For
example, we may include your health information in our
claim to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medicare or Medicaid in
order to receive payment for services provided to you.
We may also disclose your health information to other
health care providers so that they can receive payment
for your services.
For Health Care Operations.
We may use and disclose your Protected Health
Information to others for our agency's business
operations. For example, we may use Protected Health
Information to evaluate our agency's services, including
the performance of our staff, and to educate our staff.
II. WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH
INFORMATION FOR OTHER SPECIFIC PURPOSES
Business Associates.
We may share your Protected Health Information with our
vendors and agents who help us with obtaining payment or
carrying out our business functions. For example, we may
give your health information to a billing company to
assist us with our billing for services, or to a law
firm or an accounting firm that assists us in complying
with the law and or improving our services.
Family and Friends Involved in Your Care.
Unless you object, we may disclose your Protected Health
information to a family member or close personal friend,
including clergy, who is involved in your care or
payment for that care.
Disaster Relief.
We may disclose your Protected Health Information to an
organization assisting in a disaster relief effort.
Public Health Activities.
We may disclose your Protected Health Information for
public health activities including the reporting of
disease, injury, vital events, and the conduct of public
health surveillance, investigation and/or intervention.
We may also disclose your information to notify 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 if a law permits us to do so.
Health Oversight Activities.
We may disclose your Protected Health Information to
health oversight agencies authorized by law to conduct
audits, investigations, inspections and licensure
actions or other legal proceedings. These agencies
provide oversight for the Medicare and Medicaid
programs, among others.
Reporting Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic
Violence.
If we have reason to believe that you have been a victim
of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, we may use and
disclose your Protected Health Information to notify a
government authority if required or authorized by law,
or if you agree to the report.
Law Enforcement.
We may disclose your Protected Health information for
certain law enforcement purposes or other specialized
governmental functions.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings.
We may disclose your Protected Health Information in the
course of certain judicial or administrative
proceedings.
Research.
In general, we will request that you sign a written
authorization before using your Protected Health
Information or disclosing it to others for research
purposes. However, we may use or disclose your health
information without your written authorization for
research purposes provided that the research has been
reviewed and approved by a special Privacy Board or
Institutional Review Board.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors, Organ
Procurement Organizations.
We may release your health information to a coroner,
medical examiners, and funeral director or, if you are
an organ donor, to an organization involved in the
donation of organs and tissue.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety.
We may use and disclose your Protected Health
Information when necessary to prevent a serious threat
to your health or safety or the health or safety of the
public or another person. However, any disclosure would
be made only to someone able to help prevent the threat.
Military and Veterans.
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may use and
disclose your Protected Health Information as required
by military command authorities. We may also use and
disclose Protected Health Information about foreign
military personnel as required by the appropriate
foreign military authority.
Workers' Compensation.
We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information
to comply with laws relating to workers' compensation or
similar programs.
National Security and Intelligence Activities;
Protective Services.
We may disclose health information to authorized federal
officials who are conducting national security and
intelligence activities or as needed to provide
protection to the President of the United States, or
other important officials.
As Required By Law.
We will disclose your Protected Health Information when
required by law to do so.
III. YOUR AUTHORIZATION IS REQUIRED FOR OTHER USES OF
YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
We will use and disclose your Protected Health
Information other than as described in this Notice or
required by law only with your written Authorization.
You may revoke your Authorization to use or disclose
Protected Health Information in writing, at any time. To
revoke your Authorization, contact the Medical
Records/Health Information Management (HIM) staff. 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.
IV. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
You have the following rights with respect to your
health information. If you wish to exercise any of these
rights, you should make your request to the Medical
Records/HIM Director.
Right of Access to Protected Health Information.
You have the right to request, either orally or in
writing, to inspect and obtain a copy of your Protected
Health Information, subject to some limited exceptions.
We must allow you to inspect your records within 10 days
of your request. If you request copies of the records,
we must provide you with copies within a reasonable time
but not more than 30 days if the records are maintained
onsite or 60 days if the records are maintained
off-site. We may charge a reasonable fee for our costs
in copying and mailing your requested information.
In certain limited circumstances, we may deny your
request to inspect or receive copies. If we deny access
to your Protected Health Information, we will provide
you with a summary of the information, and you have a
right to request review of the denial. We will provide
you with information on how to request a review of our
denial and how to file a complaint with us or the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human
Services.
Right to Request Restrictions.
You have the right to request restrictions on the way we
use and disclose your Protected Health Information for
our treatment, payment or health care operations. You
also have the right to restrict your Protected Health
Information that we disclose to a family member, friend
or other person who is involved in your care or the
payment for your care.
We are not required to agree to your requested
restriction, and in some cases, the law may not permit
us to accept your restriction. However, if we do agree
to accept your restriction, we will comply with your
restriction except if you are being transferred to
another health care institution, the release of records
is required by law, or the release of information is
needed to provide you emergency treatment.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures.
You have the right to request an "accounting" of our
disclosures of your Protected Health Information. This
is a listing of certain disclosures of your Protected
Health Information made by the agency or by others on
our behalf, but does not include disclosures made for
treatment, payment and health care operations or certain
other exceptions.
You must submit a request in writing, stating a time
period beginning after April 13, 2003 that is within six
years from the date of your request. For example, you
may request a list of disclosures the agency made
between May 1, 2003 and May 1, 2004. You are entitled to
one free accounting within one 12-month period. For
additional requests, we may charge you our costs.
We will usually respond to your request within 60 days.
Occasionally, we may need additional time to prepare the
accounting. If so, we will notify you of our delay, the
reason for the delay, and the date when you can expect
the accounting.
Right to Request Amendment.
If you think that your Protected Health Information is
not accurate or complete, you have the right to request
that the agency amend such information for as long as
the information is kept in our records. Your request
must be in writing and state the reason for the
requested amendment. We will usually respond within 60
days, but will notify you within 60 days if we need
additional time to respond, the reason for the delay and
when you can expect our response. We may deny your
request for amendment, and if we do so, we will give you
a written denial including the reasons for the denial
and an explanation of your right to submit a written
statement disagreeing with the denial.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice.
You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this
Notice, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice
electronically. You may request a copy of this Notice at
any time.
Right to Request Confidential Communications.
You have the right to request that we communicate with
you concerning personal health matters in a certain
manner or at a certain location. For example, you can
request that we speak to you only at a private location
in your home. We will accommodate your reasonable
requests.
V. COMPLAINTS
If you believe that your privacy rights have been
violated, you may file a complaint in writing with us or
with the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
VI. CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We will promptly revise and distribute this Notice
whenever there is a material change to the uses or
disclosures, your individual rights, our legal duties,
or other privacy practices stated in this Notice. We
reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the
revised or new Notice provisions effective for all
Protected Health Information already received and
maintained by the agency as well as for all Protected
Health Information we receive in the future. We will
post a copy of the current Notice in the agency. In
addition, we will provide a copy of the revised Notice
to all patients by mailing or hand-delivering a hard
copy to them or their personal representatives.
VII. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
If you have any questions about this Notice or would
like further information concerning your privacy rights,
please contact Cynthia Roberts at 734-254-0076 |
