MIDTOWN ORTHOPEDICS POLICY
Notice of Privacy Practices Effective: February 1, 2015
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you may obtain access to this information. Please review carefully.
Who is required to follow this notice:
This notice applies to all of our staff members, other healthcare workers, volunteers, trainees, external vendors that may work with this practice to provide patients with healthcare needs. However, this notice is not to take the place of the Privacy Practice notice in effect by other providers or vendors.
Regarding Medical Information:
We understand that your medical records and health information is important and personal. We are committed to protecting your medical information. We create a health record of the care and services you receive at MIDTOWN ORTHOPEDICS. We need these records to provide you with quality orthopedic healthcare and to comply with certain legal requirements. This Notice applies to all of you healthcare that we generate.
We are required by law to:
Make sure that medical information that identifies you by name is kept private.
Give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you.
Follow the terms of the Notice that is currently in effect.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Medical Information:
In the following categories we will explain and/or give examples of different ways on how we may use or disclose your Personal Health Information. Not every use or disclosure or exact example will be listed but every way will fall into one of the following categories.
Treatment: We may use your health information to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose your health information to other healthcare providers, nurses, technicians, health care students, pharmacies/pharmacist or others who are involved in your healthcare treatment or need this information in order to provide you with health care services. Example: We may share you information with another provider who has referred you to our facility for care or another provider in which we have referred you to for healthcare services. We may also disclose your health information in order to provide you with services such as x-rays, Diagnostic testing, surgery, prescriptions and lab work that is performed outside of Midtown Orthopedics.
Treatment Alternatives: We may use and disclose your health information to inform you about or recommend possible treatment alternatives that you might benefit from or might be of interest to you.
Appointment Reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to contact you to notify or remind you of an upcoming appointment you have with us or to reschedule an appointment you have with us. This may be done via text message, email, or phone.
PAYMENT: We may use or disclose your health information in order for the services or treatment provided to you to be billed to and payment received from your health insurance, third party insurance, or workers comp insurance, you or your legal guardian in order for us to receive payment for services provided to you. Example: Your health insurance may request or require a copy of your medical records or insurance card in order to process a claim for services provided to you and remit payment to us or to reimburse you for services you paid for.
Patient Assistance Programs: We may use or disclose your health information to third parties for the purpose of determining if you qualify or are eligible for programs that will assist you in paying the amount owed to Midtown Orthopedics. Example if you need to apply for care credit to help pay for surgery, or if you apply for state assistance and they request medical records.
Individuals involved in your care or payment for your care: Unless you object or specify in writing we may share your health information with a care giver who maybe a family member or friend. We may also disclose information to someone who helps to pay for your medical care or medical bills. If you are unable to object to such disclosure, we will use professional judgement and only pertinent information related to your immediate care will be disclosed until such time you can provide your wishes.
Workers Compensation: Under Federal or State law, we may be required to provide copies of your medical information in connection with your workers’ comp claim to your employer, to the courts, to the workers compensation adjustor(s) or workers comp insurance company, attorneys, you or your dependents, to other state agencies involved in your workers compensation claim.
Lawsuits and Disputes: if you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we may disclose your health information in response to a court order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute.
Required by Law: We may disclose your health information when required to do so by federal or state or local law.
Law Enforcement: To the extent permitted by law, we may release your health information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official. By subpoena, court order, warrant, summons. Or in the case of a missing person, material witness, fugitive. If the victim of a crime under certain circumstances when we are unable to obtain the victims consent. And in the event of a death that we believe maybe the result of criminal conduct. Or in the event of an emergency situation in which we believe a crime is being committed. Example: Abuse of a child or elderly or disabled person.
INMATES: We may use or disclose your health information if you are an inmate or under the custody of law enforcement to the correctional facility or law enforcement official. We would do this so that you may receive adequate care from the correctional facility and to protect your health and safety and the health and safety of others and for the safety of the correctional facility.
MILITARY: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release your health information as required by military command authorities. We may also release medical information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authority.
Health Oversight Activities: We may use or disclose your health information to a Health Oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These may include audits, investigations, inspections and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor health care systems, government programs and in compliance with civil laws.
Public Health Risks: We may use or disclose your health information to public health agencies when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person or when we are legally required to do so. Such as to prevent disease, injury or disability. To report child or elderly abuse or neglect. To report reactions or problems to medications or products. To notify of a recall of products that may have been used.
Your Rights: You have the right to inspect medical information we maintain on you that might be used to make decisions regarding your care. This includes medical records and medical billing. You have the right to request in writing to inspect and have a copy your medical records. If you request a copy of your medical records, we may charge a fee for the cost of copying and for postage.
You have the right to request an amendment to your records if you feel that the health information we have on you is incorrect or incomplete. You have the right to request in writing that we amend your health information/medical records by providing the reason you feel it is not correct for as long as we have the records. We will not and cannot amend records or health information from another provider, another clinic, or healthcare facility. You must request that be done by the one who provided the services to you.
You have the right to request in writing account disclosure. This is a list of disclosures we have made of medical information about you to others expecting disclosure relating to treatment or payments.
You have the right to refuse to allow us to release your health information to anyone that you do not want to have access to it. You have to do this in writing and name the person(s) and or facilities by name that you do not want your information released to, or what information you do not want disclosed. You can change or amend this at any time. You also have the right to name whom you do want to have access to your health information and what access you want them to be able to obtain.
You have the right to request confidential communications. You have the right to request in writing whom we can communicate with about your health information, medical treatment, and where and how we can do so. Example by mail/email, phone and at work or on cell phone or home.
