A. Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information
By applying to be treated by Wellness Grove, you are implying consent to the use and disclosure of your protected health information by your provider, Wellness Grove staff and others outside of Wellness Grove that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing healthcare services to you. Your protected health information may also be used and disclosed to bill for your healthcare and to support the operations of the organization.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information Based Upon Your Implied Consent
Following are examples of the types of uses and disclosures of your protected healthcare information we will make, based on this implied consent. These examples are not meant to be exhaustive but to describe the types of uses and disclosures that may be made by Wellness Grove.
Treatment:
We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your healthcare with a third party that has already obtained your permission to have access to your protected health information. For example, we would disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to another healthcare provider who may be treating you. Your protected health information may be provided to a healthcare provider to whom you have been referred to ensure that healthcare provider has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.
In addition, we may disclose your protected health information from time-to-time to another healthcare provider (e.g., a specialist) who, at the request of your treating provider, becomes involved in your care by providing assistance with your healthcare diagnosis or treatment.
Payment:
Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your healthcare services. This may include certain activities that your health insurance plan may undertake before it approves or pays for the healthcare services we recommend for you, such as making a determination of eligibility or coverage for insurance benefits, reviewing services provided to you for medical necessity, and undertaking utilization review activities.
Healthcare Operations:
We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of Wellness Grove. These activities may include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, and staff review activities.
For example, we may disclose your protected health information to interns that see clients at our office. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your provider. Communications between you and your provider or assistants may be recorded to assist us in accurately capturing your responses; we may also call you by name in the reception area when your provider is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment.
We will share your protected health information with third party “business associates” that perform various activities (e.g., billing, transcription services for the organization). Whenever an arrangement between Wellness Grove and a business associate involves the use or disclosure of your protected health information, we will have a written contract with that business associate that contains terms that will protect the privacy of your protected health information.
We may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. We may also use and disclose your protected health information for other internal marketing activities. For example, your name and address may be used to send you a newsletter about our practice and the services we offer. We may also send you information about products or services that we believe may be beneficial to you. You may contact our Chief Information Officer to request that these materials not be sent to you.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information That May Be Made Only With Your Written Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information will be made only with your written authorization, unless otherwise permitted or required by law as described below.
- Disclosures of psychotherapy notes;
- Uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information for external marketing purposes;
- Disclosures that constitute a sale of Protected Health Information; and
- Other uses and disclosures not described in the Notice of Privacy Practices.
You may revoke any of these authorizations, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that your provider or Wellness Grove has already taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the authorization.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made With Your Authorization or Opportunity to Object
In the following instance where we may use and disclose your protected health information, you have the opportunity to agree or object to the use or disclosure of all or part of your protected health information. If you are not present or able to agree or object to the use or disclosure of the protected health information, then your provider may, using his or her professional judgment, determine whether the disclosure is in your best interest. In this case, only the protected health information that is relevant to your healthcare will be disclosed.
Others Involved in Your Healthcare:
Unless you object, we may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, your protected health information that directly relates to that person’s involvement in your healthcare. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment. We may use or disclose protected health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location or general condition. Finally, we may use or disclose your protected health information to an authorized public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and to coordinate uses and disclosures to family or other individuals involved in your healthcare.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and, Disclosures That May Be Made Without Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object
We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your consent or authorization. These situations include:
Required by Law:
We may use or disclose your protected health information to the extent that the use or disclosure is required by law. The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law. You will be notified, as required by law, of any such uses or disclosures.
Public Health:
We may disclose your protected health information for public health activities and purposes to a public health authority that is permitted by law to collect or receive the information. The disclosure will be made for the purpose of controlling disease, injury or disability. We may also disclose your protected health information, if directed by the public health authority, to a foreign government agency that is collaborating with the public health authority.
Communicable Diseases:
We may disclose your protected health information, if authorized by law, to a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading the disease or condition.
Health Oversight:
We may disclose protected health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections. Oversight agencies seeking this information include government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs and civil rights laws.
Abuse or Neglect:
We may disclose your protected health information to a public health authority that is authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. In addition, we may disclose your protected health information if we believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence to the governmental entity or agency authorized to receive such information. In this case, the disclosure will be made consistent with the requirements of applicable federal and state laws.
Legal Proceedings:
We may disclose protected health information in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding, in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal (to the extent such disclosure is expressly authorized), in certain conditions in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.
Law Enforcement:
We may also disclose protected health information, so long as applicable legal requirements are met, for law enforcement purposes. These law enforcement purposes include (I) legal process and otherwise required by law, (2) limited information requests for identification and location purposes, (3) pertaining to victims of a crime, (4) suspicion that death has occurred as a result of criminal conduct, (5) in the event that a crime occurs on the premises of Wellness Grove, and (6) medical emergency (not on Wellness Grove's premises) and it is likely that a crime has occurred.
Workers’ Compensation:
We may disclose your protected health information, as authorized, to comply with workers’ compensation laws and other similar legally-established programs.
Required Uses and Disclosures:
Under the law, we must make disclosures to you and when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of Section 164.500 et. seq.