Privacy Policy...
Protecting the Privacy of Patient Health Information
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO READ AND REVIEW THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY.
We at Trinity Home Health Care have a duty to protect your health information.
We are legally required by law to protect information used to identify you which includes information we have created or received about your past, present, or future health condition, the provision of health care to you, or the payment of this health care. We may not use or disclose any more of your protected health information than is necessary to accomplish the purpose of the use or disclosure.
However, we reserve the right to revise or amend the terms of our privacy policies at any time. Any revisions or amendments to this notice will be effective for all of your records our practice may already have. Before we make any changes to this policy we will change this notice and post the notice on our web site which can be viewed at www.trinityhomehealthcares.com
How we may disclose and use your protected health information is described and categorized below:
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For Treatment we may disclose your protected health information to physicians, nurses, and other health care personnel who provide health care services or are involved in your care such as spouse, children or family members. An example could be our staff meetings where patient care and scheduling is coordinated.
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To obtain payment for services we may use your protected health information in order to bill or collect payment for services. An example may be determining eligibility and coverage within your health care insurance plan or precertification for our billing department to bill your health care insurance for payment of the health care services we provide to you.
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For health care operations we may use your protected health information in order to operate this agency. We may use your protected health information as part of our administrative and business functions, quality improvement functions, medical review, determining competence of health care professionals, evaluating agency performance, licensing, surveys, accreditation and credentialing activities or business planning activities for our agency.
Other Uses and Disclosures of your protected health care information:
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When a disclosure is required by federal, state, or local law. An example is that we are required to report to government agencies and law enforcement personnel victims of abuse, neglect; or when ordered in a judicial proceeding.
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For public health activities our agency may disclose your protected health information to government officials who are required by law to collect information such as births, deaths, various diseases and potential exposure to a communicable disease.
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For health care oversight activities we will provide protected health information to assist the government when it conducts an investigation or inspection of our agency or health care provider.
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For purpose of organ donation we may notify organ procurement agencies to assist them in tissue, eye, or organ donation or transplants.
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For research purposes we may provide your protected health information in certain circumstances to conduct medical research.
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To avoid harm or serious threat to the safety of a person or the public, we may disclose your protected health information to law enforcement personnel to prevent or lessen the threat or harm.
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For specific government functions such as the military we may disclose your protected health information if you are a member of the military or a veteran for national security purposes or if required by the appropriate military command authorities.
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For correctional institutions or if you are an inmate under the custody of a law enforcement official we may need to disclose your protected health information to provide health services to you, for the protection of your health and safety or the health and safety of other individuals.
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For Worker’s Compensation purposes we may disclose your protected health information in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
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Decedents, we may need to provide your protected health information to a coroner, medical examiner or funeral director in order for them to provide their task.
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For appointment reminders and health related benefits or services we may need to disclose your protected health information to provide appointment reminders or give you information about treatment alternatives, other health care services or benefits we offer.
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Uses and disclosures when you have the opportunity to object would be disclosure of your protected health information to a family member, caregiver, friend that you object in whole or in part.
All other uses and disclosures require your written authorization before using or disclosing any of your protected health information. Limitations on use and disclosure will apply if this notice is subject to a law more stringent than HIPAA.
What rights you have regarding your protected health information:
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The rights to request limits on uses and disclosures of your protected health information, you have the right to ask that we limit how we disclose your information and we will consider your request but we may not be legally required to accept it. You may not limit the uses we are legally required to disclose. Any request you have to limitations must be made in writing containing the information you are requesting to have limited or restricted and to whom you want the limits to apply.
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The right to choose how we send protected health information to you such as an alternative addressor by alternative means may be made in writing. We will attempt to honor your request.
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The right to see and get copies of your protected health information must be made in writing. We will respond to your request within 30 days. In certain situations we may need to deny your request. Our reason for denial will be explained in writing. If you request copies to be sent we will charge you a reasonable fee. We may provide a summary or explanation instead of your protected health information as long as you agree to that and the cost in advance.
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The right to receive an Accounting of the Disclosures we have made is the right of all patients. This is a list of certain disclosures our agency has made of your protected health information. In order to obtain a list of Accounting of the Disclosures we must have the request in writing. We will respond to the request within 60 days. The list will not include uses or disclosures such as made for treatment, payment, or health care operations, directly to you or to your family or to a valid authorization. The list will not include disclosures made for national security purposes, or to law enforcement personnel.
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The right to amend your protected health information for what you believe to be incorrect or incomplete information must be made in writing. We may deny your request if the protected health information is accurate and complete, not part of your protected health information kept by our agency, not part of the protected health information you are permitted to inspect or copy or not created by our agency. Our written denial will state the reasons for the denial and explain your right to file a written statement of disagreement with the denial. If we approve your request we will make the change to your protected health information and tell you that we have made the change and others needing to know about the change.
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The right to get a paper copy of this disclosure or to be notified by e-mail is your and you may make the request at any time.
