In accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as of April 14, 2003 all health care providers are required to provide their patients with a "Notice of Privacy Practice' statement.
NOTICE OF HIPAA PRIVACY PRACTICES
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.
Bloom Healthcare is required, by law, to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of your protected health information and to provide our clients with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your protected health information
Disclosure of Your Health Care Information
Treatment
We may disclose your health care information to other healthcare professionals within our practice for the purpose of treatment, payment or healthcare operations. For example, on occasion, it may be necessary to seek consultation regarding your condition from other health care professionals associated with Bloom Healthcare.
Payment
We may disclose your health information to your insurance provider for the purpose of payment of health care operations. For example, as a courtesy to our clients, we will submit an itemized billing statement to you and/or your insurance carrier for the purpose of payment to Bloom Healthcare for health care services rendered. The billing statement contains medical information, including diagnosis, date of condition and codes that describe the health care services rendered.
Workers' Compensation
We may disclose your health information as necessary to comply with State Workers' Compensation Laws.
Emergencies
We may disclose your health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, or another person responsible for your care about your medical condition or in the event of an emergency or your death.
Public Health
As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health authorities for purposes related to: preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability, reporting child abuse or neglect, reporting domestic violence, reporting to the Food and Drug Administration problems with products and reactions to medications and reporting disease or infection exposure.
Juridical and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose your health information in the course of any administrative or judicial proceeding.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for purposes such as identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person, complying with a good cause court order or subpoena and other law enforcement purposes.
Deceseased Persons
We may disclose your health information to coroners or medical examiners.
Organ Donation
We may disclose your health information to organizations involved in procuring, banking or transplanting organs and tissues.
Research
We may disclose your health information to researchers conducting research that has been approved by an Institutional Review Board.
Public Safety
It may be necessary to disclose your health information to appropriate persons in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or to the general public.
Specialized Government Agencies
We may disclose your health information for military, national security, prisoner or government benefits purposes.
Appointment Reminders
We may contact you for purposes of reminding you that you have an appointment for treatment at our office.
Change of Ownership
In the event that Bloom Healthcare is sold or merged with another organization, your health information/record will become the property of the new owner.
Your Health Information Rights
You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. Please be advised, however, that Bloom Healthcare is not required to agree to the restriction that you request. You have the right to have your health information received or communicated through an alternative method or sent to an alternative location other than the usual method of communication of delivery, upon your request. You have the right to inspect and copy your health information. You have the right to request that Bloom Healthcare amend your protected health information. Please be advised, however, that Bloom Healthcare is not required to agree to amend your protected health information. If your request to amend your health information has been denied, you will be provided with an explanation of our denial reason(s) and information about how you can disagree with the denial. You have a right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information made by Bloom Healthcare. You have a right to a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time upon request.
Changes to this Notice of Privacy Practices
Bloom Healthcare reserves the right to amend this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time in the future, and will make the new provisions effective for all information that it maintains. Until such amendment is made, Bloom Healthcare is required by law to comply with this Notice.
Bloom Healthcare is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of its' legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information. If you have questions about any part of this notice or if you want more information about your privacy rights, please contact the HIPAA Privacy Practice Officer by calling our office at the number listed in the Client Handbook.
HIPAA Disclaimer
Releases of information permitted by HIPAA regulations which are prohibited by the Federal and State Confidentiality Laws for substance abuse treatment, continue to be prohibited and will require the client's written consent.
Complaints
Complaints about your Privacy rights or how Bloom Healthcare has handled your health information should be directed to the HIPAA Privacy Practice Officer at Bloom Healthcare . If s/he is not available, you may make an appointment for a personal conference in person or by telephone within two working days. If you are not satisfied with the manner in which this office handles your complaint, you may submit a formal complaint to:
DHHS
Office of Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201