NORTHWEST VALLEY EYE CARE’S NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICE
IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS OF HIPAA’S PRIVACY RULE, 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.
Right to Notice
As a patient, you have the right to adequate notice of the uses and disclosures of your protected health information. Under the health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA), our office can use your health information for treatment, payment and health care operations.
- Treatment – We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.
- Payment – We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide you.
- Health care operations – We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competency or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Authorization
Most uses and disclosures that do not fall under treatment, payment, healthcare operations with require your written authorization. Upon signing, you may revoke your authorization (in writing) through our practice at any time.
Marketing
We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.
Emergency Situations
In the event of your incapacity or an emergency situation, we will disclose health information to a family member or another person responsible for your care, using our professional judgement. We will only disclose health information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement in your healthcare.
Abuse or Neglect
We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence or are the victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your or other people’s health or safety.
Required by Law
We may also use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
National Security
We may disclose the health information of Armed Forces personnel to military authorities under certain circumstances. We may disclose health information to authorized federal officials required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and other national security activities. We may disclose health information of inmates or patients to the appropriate authorities under certain circumstances.
Appointment Reminders
We may use or disclose your health information to provide you we appointments via phone, e-mail or letter.
Rights as a Patient
- You have the right to restrict the disclosure of your protected health information (in writing). The request for restriction may be denied if the information is required for treatment, payment or health care operations.
- You have the right to receive confidential communications regarding your protected health information.
- You have the right to inspect and get a copy of your protected health information.
- You have the right to amend your protected health information.
- You have the right to receive an account of disclosures of your protected health information.
- You have the right to a paper copy of privacy practices.
Legal Requirements
Our office is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this notice as it is currently stated and reserve the right to change the terms of this notice at any time. The changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available via mail upon request.
Complaints
If you have complaints regarding the way your protected health information was handled you are free to contact us in written form, by email, fax or by phone. You will not be retaliated against in any manner for complaint.