How We May Use And Disclose Health Information
We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes without your express consent or authorization. We will obtain your express written authorization before using or disclosing your information for any other purpose. You may revoke such authorization, in writing, at any time to the extent we have not relied on it.
Treatment
We may use your Health Information to provide you with medical treatment. We may disclose Health Information to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, or other personnel involved in your care. We may also disclose information to people outside the practice involved in your treatment, such as other health care providers, family members and friends.
Payment
We may use and disclose Health Information as necessary to collect payment for services we provide to you. We may disclose information to your family members and friends involved in payment for such services. We also may provide information to other health care providers to assist them in obtaining payment for services they provide to you.
Health Care Operations
We may use and disclose your Health Information for our internal operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary for our day-to-day operations and to make sure patients receive quality care. We may disclose Health Information about you to another health care provider or health plan with which you also have had a relationship for purposes of that provider's or plan's internal operations.
Appointment Reminders, Treatment Alternatives, and Health-Related Benefits and Services
We may use and disclose Health Information to discuss with you treatment options or health-related benefits or services or to provide you with promotional gifts of nominal value. We may use and disclose Health Information to remind you of upcoming appointments. Unless you direct us otherwise, we may leave messages on your telephone answering machine or cell phone voicemail.
Research
Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose Health Information about you for research purposes. All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process, which evaluates a proposed research project, and its use of health information, trying to balance the research needs with patient privacy interests. Before we use or disclose health information for research, the project will have been approved through this research approval process. We may disclose health information about you to people preparing to conduct a research project (for example, to help them look for patients with specific medical needs) so long as the health information does not leave our facility.
Special Situations
We may use or disclose your health information without your consent or authorization in any of the following circumstances. As Required by Law. We will disclose Health Information when required to do so by international, federal, state, or local law.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety
We may use and disclose Health Information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Disclosures, however, will be made only to someone who may be able to help prevent the threat. Organ and Tissue Donation. If you are an organ donor, we may use or release Health Information to organizations that handle organ procurement or other entities engaged in procurement; banking or transportation of organs, eyes, or tissues to facilitate organ, eye, or tissue donations; and transplantation.
Military and Veterans
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release Health Information as required by military command authorities. We also may release Health Information to the appropriate military authority if you are a member of a foreign military.
Workers' Compensation
We may release Health Information for workers' compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Public Health Risks
We may disclose Health Information for public health activities. These activities generally include disclosures to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify people of recalls of products they may be using; inform a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and report to the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.
Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose Health Information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
Lawsuits and Disputes
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose Health Information in response to a court or administrative order. We also may disclose Health Information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Law Enforcement
We may release Health Information if asked by a law enforcement official if the information is: 1) in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons, or similar process; 2) limited information to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing persons; 3) about the victim of a crime even if, under certain very limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person's agreement; 4) about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct; 5) about criminal conduct on our premises; 6) in an emergency to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description, or location of the person who committed the crime.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may release Health Information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We also may release Health Information to funeral directors as necessary for their duties.
National Security and Intelligence
Activities. We may release Health Information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter-intelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
Protective Services for the President and Others
We may disclose Health Information to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state, or to conduct special investigations.
Inmates or Individuals in Custody
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release Health Information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be made if necessary; 1) for the institution to provide you with health care, 2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others, or 3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding Health Information we have about you:
Right to Inspect and Copy
You have a right to inspect and copy Health Information that may be used to make decisions about your care or payment for your care. This includes medical and billing records, other than psychotherapy notes. To inspect and copy this Health Information, you must make your request, in writing, to the Privacy Officer.
Right to Request Amendment
If you feel that Health Information we have is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our office. To request an amendment, you must make your request, in writing, to our Privacy Officer.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we made of health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, and health care operations or for which you provided written authorization. To request an accounting of disclosures, you must make your request, in writing, to our Privacy Officer.
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the Health Information we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the Health Information we disclose to someone involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not share information about a particular diagnosis or treatment with your spouse. To request a restriction, you must make you request, in writing, to our Privacy Officer. We are not required to agree to your request. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with an emergency treatment.
Right to Request Confidential Communication
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we contact you only by mail or at work. To request confidential communication, you must make your request, in writing, to our Privacy Officer. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. To obtain a paper copy of this notice, please notify our Privacy Officer.
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this notice and make the new notice apply to Health Information we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of our current notice at our office. The notice will contain the effective date on the first page, in the top right-hand corner.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with our office, contact the IWC Privacy Officer, the Administrator at 19550 E. 39th Street, Suite 300, Independence, MO 64057 (816) 478-0220. All complaints must be made in writing. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint with either the Practice or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
