IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS OF HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT'S (HIPAA'S) PRIVACY RULE, THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO IT.
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We respect our legal obligation to keep health information that might identify you private. We are obligated by law to provide you with notice of our privacy practices. This notice describes how we protect your health information and what rights you have regarding it. | ||
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TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS | ||
The most common reasons we would use or disclose your health information is for treatment, payment, or business operations. We routinely use and disclose your medical information within the office on a daily basis. We do not need specific permission to use or disclose your medical information in the following matters, although you have the right to request that we do not. | ||
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Examples of how we might use or disclose health information for treatment purposes might include: | ||
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Setting up or changing appointments including leaving messages with those at your home or office who may answer the phone or leaving messages on answering machines, voice mails or emails; calling your name out in a reception room environment; prescribing glasses, contact lenses, or medications as well as relaying this information to suppliers by phone, fax or other electronic means including initial prescriptions and requests from suppliers for refills; notifying you that your ophthalmic goods are ready, including leaving messages with those at your home or office who may answer the phone, or leaving messages on answering machines, voice mails or emails; referring you to another doctor for care not provided by this office; obtaining copies of health information from doctors you have seen before us; discussing your care with you directly or with family or friends you have inferred or agreed may listen to information about your health; sending you postcards or letters or leaving messages with those at your home who may answer the phone or on answering machines, voice mails or emails reminding you it is time for continued care; at your request, we can provide you with a copy of your medical records via email transmission | ||
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Examples of how we might use or disclose health information for payment purposes might include: | ||
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Asking you about your vision or medical insurance plans or other sources of payment; preparing and sending bills to your insurance provider or to you; providing any information required by third party payors in order to insure payment for services rendered to you; sending notices of payment due on your account to the person designated as responsible party or head of household on your account with fee explanations that could include procedures performed and for what diagnosis: collecting unpaid balances either ourselves or through a collection agency, attorney, or district attorney's office. At the patient's request we may not disclose health care information that you have paid for out of pocket. This only applies to those encounters related to the care you want restricted. | ||
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Examples of how we might use or disclose health information for business operations might include: | ||
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Financial or billing audits; internal quality assurance programs; participation in managed care plans; defense of legal matters; business planning; certain research functions; informing you of products or services offered by our office; compliance with local, state, or federal government agencies request for information; oversight activities such as licensing of our doctors; Medicare or Medicaid audits; providing information regarding your vision status to the Department of Public Safety, a school nurse, or agency qualifying for disability status | ||
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USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR OTHER REASONS NOT NEEDING PERMISSION | ||
In some other limited situations, the law allows us to use or disclose your medical information without your specific permission. Most of these situations will never apply to you but they could. | ||
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USES OR DISCLOSURES TO PATIENT REPRESENTATIVES | ||
It is the policy of EyeWish Optometry for our staff to take phone calls from individuals on a patients behalf requesting information about making or changing an appointment; the status of eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other optical goods ordered by or for the patient. EyeWish Optometry staff will also assist individuals on a patient's behalf in the delivery of eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other optical goods. During a telephone or in person contact, every effort will be made to limit the encounter to only the specifics needed to complete the transaction required. No information about the patient's vision or health status may be disclosed without proper patient consent. EyeWish Optometry staff and doctors will also infer that if you allow another person in an examination room, treatment room, dispensary, or any business area within the office with you while testing is performed or discussions held about your vision or health care or your account that you consent to the presence of that individual. | ||
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OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES | ||
We will not make any other uses or disclosures of your health information unless you sign a written | ||
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YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION | ||
The law gives you many rights regarding your personal health information.
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CHANGING OUR NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES | ||
By law, we must abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices until we choose to substantially change the Notice. We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. If we change this Notice, the new privacy practices will apply to your existing health information as well as any additional information generated in the future. If we change this Notice, we will post a new Notice in our office and on our website. | ||
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COMPLAINTS | ||
If you think that anyone at EyeWish Optometry has not respected the privacy of your health information, you are free to complain to the Privacy Officer named at the beginning of this Notice. We are more than happy to try to resolve any concern you may have in writing. If we cannot resolve your concern at that level, you may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights or the state Attorney General’s Office. We will not retaliate against you if you make such a complaint. |