Notice of Privacy Practices
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, are kept properly confidential. This Act gives you, the patient, significant new rights to understand and control how your health information is used. “HIPAA” provides penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information. As required by “HIPAA” we have prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose your health information.
We may use and disclose your medical records only for each of the following purposes:
- Treatment means providing, coordinating, or managing health care and related services by one or more health care providers. An example of this would include a physical examination.
- Payment means such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services, confirming coverage, billing or collection activities, and utilization review. An example of this would be sending a bill for your visit to your insurance company
for payment.
- Healthcare operations include the business aspects of running our practice, such as conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, auditing functions, cost management analysis, and customer services. An example would
be an internal quality assessment review.
- We may also create and distribute de-identified health information by removing all references to individually identifiable information.
- We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization in writing and we are required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken
actions relying on your authorization. You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by presenting a
written request to the Privacy Officer:
- The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including those related to disclosures to family members, other relatives, close personal friend, or any other person identified by you.
We are, however, not required to agree to a requested restriction. If we do agree to a restriction, we must abide by it unless you agree in writing to remove it.
- The right to reasonable requests to receive confidential communications of protected health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations.
- The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.
- The right to amend your protected health information.
- The right to receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information.
- The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us upon request.
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.
This notice is effective as of April 14, 2003 and we are required to abide by the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. We will post and you may request a written copy of a revised Notice of Privacy Practices from this office. You have recourse if you feel that our privacy protections have been violated. You have the right to file a written complaint with our office, or with the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, about violations of the provisions of this notice or the policies and procedures of our office. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. Please contact us for more information at the address listed at the bottom of the page.
For more information about HIPPA or to file a complaint:
The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Right
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Patient Acknowledgment
I understand that the patient’s health information is private and confidential. I understand that the Advaita Collective works very hard to protect the patient’s privacy and preserve the confidentiality of the patient’s personal health information. I understand that Advaita Integrated Medicine may use and disclose the patient’s personal health information to help provide healthcare to the patient, to handle billing and payment, and to take care of other health care operations. (In general, there are no other uses and disclosures of this information unless I permit it. I understand that sometimes the law may require the release of this information without my permission. These situations are very unusual. One example would be if a patient threatened to hurt someone.)
The Advaita Collective has a detailed document called the “Notice of Privacy Practices”. It contains more information about the policies and practices protecting the patient’s privacy and is attached to this Acknowledgment. I understand that I have the right to read the “Notice of Privacy Practices”. If I ask, Advaita Integrated Medicine will provide me with the most current “Notice of Privacy Practices”. Within the Notice of Privacy, Practices is contained a complete description of my privacy/confidentiality rights. These rights include but aren’t limited to, access to my medical records: restrictions on certain uses; receiving an accounting of disclosures as required by law; and requesting communication be by specified methods of communications or alternative locations. Advaita Integrated Medicine has established procedures that help them meet their obligations to patients. Their procedures may include other signature requirements, written acknowledgments information, charges for copies and non-routine information needs, etc. I will assist Advaita Integrated Medicine by following these procedures if I choose to exercise any of my rights described in the “Notice of Privacy Practices”.