Privacy Policy
A Guide To How We Protect Personal Information
EBMS values the trust you have placed in us and we will continue to be dedicated to maintaining your trust and confidence in our products and services. This notice describes the privacy practices of EBMS and our commitment to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and protected health information.
To effectively administer claims, provide superior quality customer service and other services on behalf of your group health plan, it is necessary for EBMS to receive and/or disclose personal and protected health information. EBMS may disclose to employers, plan sponsors, health care providers, other group health plans, insurers, service providers and/or business associates. Such information may be made available through enrollment forms, medical claims, medical reports, coverage history and other sources and forms necessary to effectuate claim administration, treatment, payment and health care operations.
The information EBMS may receive and/or disclose may include your name, Social Security number, address, date of birth, telephone number, marital status, gender, dependent information, claim information and employment information. While this list is not exhaustive, it gives you an idea of the type of information we are referring to in this notice.
HIPAA Compliance
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), in part, establishes new standards for healthcare privacy and security. Although EBMS is not directly subject to HIPAA privacy and security requirements, we do receive protected health information (“PHI”) from, and on behalf of, our customer that are subject to HIPAA. EBMS is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal and protected health information in a manner that is consistent with our customer’s legal obligations. EBMS has developed a privacy and security compliance program for our personnel that takes into account HIPAA privacy and security standards and reasonable practices in the healthcare industry.
Our Security Procedures
EBMS understands that storing and transmitting data in a secure manner is essential. EBMS stores your personal and protected health information using industry standard physical, technical and administrative safeguards to secure data against foreseeable risks, such as unauthorized use, access, disclosure, destruction and modification. Certain information containing personal and protected health information that is displayed or received via Internet Web browser technology is transmitted in a secured environment using 128-bit SSL encryption.
Our commitment to you
- We will safeguard, according to strict standards of security and confidentiality, any information shared with us. We will limit the collection and use of information to the minimum required to provide superior quality customer service.
- We will permit only authorized employees, who are trained in the proper handling of personal information, to have access to that information. We use physical, electronic, procedural and computer access controls.
- We will not share personal and protected health information for any purpose other than the administration and legal requirements of a group health plan.
- We may provide to you, upon a written request and as required by law, a record of certain disclosures made by EBMS.
- We will keep all personal and protected health information accurate to the best of our ability. You may write to EBMS requesting items of your personal information be changed if they are incorrect. EBMS will correct the inaccurate information if possible.
When We May Disclose Information
In order to effectively process claims, provide superior quality customer service and other services on behalf of our customers and their group health plan, it is necessary for EBMS to disclose your personal and protected health information. EBMS may make the following disclosures:
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to third parties with or without your written authorization.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to business associates of your group health plan.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to service providers.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information reasonably necessary to assist in detecting or preventing criminal activity, fraud, misrepresentation or nondisclosure in a health benefit or insurance transaction/function. We may disclose personal and protected health information to another person or entity in order to administer your group health plan or for purposes of allowing the other person or entity to administer a health benefit plan including, but not limited to, payment and health care operations.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to a medical care institution, a medical professional, or to an individual to whom the information pertains.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to an insurance regulatory authority, to an insurance commissioner, law enforcement or other governmental authority as required or permitted by law.
- We may disclose personal and protected and health information to comply with any law or legal process to which we are subject, including a facially valid administrative or judicial order, search warrant, subpoena or lawful discovery request.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information for the purpose of conducting an audit.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to a professional peer review organization for the purpose of reviewing the service or conduct of a medical care institution or a medical care professional.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to a person covered under a health benefit plan to provide information as to the status of a health benefit or insurance transaction/function.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to a person or entity engaged to provide services to enable EBMS to perform a service, health benefit or claim administration function.
- We may disclose personal and protected health information to other non-affiliated third parties as permitted by law.
- We may disclose, at a future time, personal and protected health information not presently disclosed, but only as permitted by law.
In certain circumstances EBMS may be required by law to obtain from you separate, written authorization in order to disclose personal and protected health information.
Revisions and Contact Information
EBMS reserves the right to modify this Privacy Policy. It may be revised from time to time as we add new features and services, as laws change, and as the healthcare industry and privacy and security practices evolve. We display a date in the bottom left corner of this Privacy Policy so that it will be easier for you to know if changes have been made. We hope this notice has been helpful in explaining our Privacy Policy. For additional information about EBMS commitment to privacy, please contact us at 1-800-777-3575 or at EBMS, Attention: Privacy Officer, P.O. Box 21367, Billings, MT 59104-1367.
miRx
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
EFFECTIVE 4/01/2010
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.
As part of the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known as HIPAA, the pharmacy has created this Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice). This Notice describes the pharmacy’s privacy practices and the rights you, the individual, have as they relate to the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI). Your PHI is information about you, or that could be used to identify you, as it relates to your past and present physical and mental healthcare services, payment for such services or you or your family members’ genetic information. The HIPAA regulations require that the pharmacy protect the privacy of your PHI that the pharmacy has received or created.
This pharmacy will abide by the terms presented within this Notice. For any uses or disclosures that are not listed below, the pharmacy will obtain a written authorization from you for that use or disclosure, which you will have the right to revoke at any time, as explained in more detail below. The pharmacy reserves the right to change the pharmacy’s privacy practices and this Notice. Revisions to the Notice will be posted in the pharmacy and upon your request, provided to you in a paper format.
HOW THE PHARMACY MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHI
The following is an accounting of the ways the pharmacy is permitted, by law, to use and disclose your PHI.
Uses and disclosures of PHI for Treatment: We will use the PHI we receive from you to fill your prescription and coordinate or manage your health care.
Uses and disclosures of PHI for Payment: The pharmacy will disclose your PHI to obtain payment or reimbursement from insurers for your health care services.
Uses and disclosures of PHI for Health Care Operations: The pharmacy may use the minimum necessary amount of your PHI to conduct quality assessments, improvement activities, and evaluate the pharmacy workforce.
The following is an accounting of additional ways in which the pharmacy is permitted or required to use or disclose PHI about you without your written authorization. All uses and disclosures will be to the minimum necessary amount of your PHI. Many of these uses and disclosures will never be made by the pharmacy; however, we are required by law to notify you of them as a health care provider.
Uses and disclosures as required by law: The pharmacy is required to use or disclose PHI about you as required and as limited by law.
Uses and disclosure for Public Health Activities: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you to a public health authority that is authorized by law to collect for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. This includes the FDA so that it may monitor any adverse effects of drugs, foods, nutritional supplements and other products as required by law.
Uses and disclosure about victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you to a government authority if it is reasonably believed you are a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Uses and disclosures for health oversight activities: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you to a health oversight agency for oversight activities which may include audits, investigations, inspections as necessary for licensure, compliance with civil laws, or other activities the health oversight agency is authorized by law to conduct.
Disclosures for judicial and administrative proceedings: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you in the course of any judicial or administrative proceedings, provided that proper documentation is presented to the pharmacy.
Disclosures for law enforcement purposes: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you to law enforcement officials for authorized purposes as required by law or in response to a court order or subpoena.
Uses and disclosures about the deceased: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about a deceased, or prior to, and in reasonable anticipation of an individual’s death, to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors.
Uses and disclosures for cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes: The pharmacy may use and disclose PHI for the purpose of procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissues for donation purposes.
Uses and disclosures for research purposes: The pharmacy may use and disclose PHI about you for research purposes with a valid waiver of authorization approved by an institutional review board or a privacy board. Otherwise, the pharmacy will request a signed authorization by the individual for all other research purposes.
Uses and disclosures to avert a serious threat to health or safety: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you, if it believed in good faith, and is consistent with any applicable law and standards of ethical conduct, to avert a serious threat to health or safety.
Uses and disclosures for specialized government functions: The pharmacy may use or disclose PHI about you for specialized government functions including; military and veteran’s activities, national security and intelligence, protective services, department of state functions, and correctional institutions and law enforcement custodial situations.
Disclosure for workers’ compensation: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws or programs established by law.
Disclosures for disaster relief purposes: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you as authorized by law to a public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts.
Disclosures to business associates: The pharmacy may disclose PHI about you to the pharmacy’s business associates for services that they may provide to or for the pharmacy to assist the pharmacy to provide quality health care. To ensure the privacy of your PHI, we require all business associates to apply appropriate safeguards to any PHI they receive or create.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
The pharmacy may contact you for the following purposes:
Refill reminders: The pharmacy may contact you to remind you of your prescription upon such time they are ready to be refilled.
Information about treatment alternatives: The pharmacy may contact you to notify you of alternative treatments and/or products.
Health related benefits or services: The pharmacy may use your PHI to notify you of benefits and services the pharmacy provides.
FOR ALL OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
The pharmacy will obtain a written authorization from you for all other uses and disclosures of PHI, and the pharmacy will only use or disclose pursuant to such an authorization. The pharmacy is prohibit from selling your PHI. In addition, you may revoke such an authorization in writing at any time. To revoke a previously authorized use or disclosure, please contact HIPAA Privacy Officer to obtain a Request for Restriction of Uses and Disclosures.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
The following are a list of your rights with respect to your PHI.
Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to request additional restrictions of the pharmacy’s uses and disclosures of your PHI; however, the pharmacy is not required to accommodate a request. If you wish to request additional restrictions, please obtain the form, Request for Restriction of Uses & Disclosures, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the pharmacy or return to the HIPAA Privacy Officer.
The right to have your PHI communicated to you by alternate means or locations: You have the right to request that the pharmacy communicate confidentially with you using an address or phone number other than your residence. However, state and federal laws require the pharmacy to have an accurate address and home phone number in case of emergencies. The pharmacy will consider all reasonable requests. If you wish to request a change in your communicating address and/or phone number, please obtain a form, Request for Alternative Arrangements for Confidential Communication, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the pharmacy or return to the HIPAA Privacy Officer.
The right to inspect and/or obtain a copy your PHI: You have the right to request access and/or obtain a copy (paper or electronic) of your PHI that is contained in the pharmacy for the duration the pharmacy maintains PHI about you. If you wish to inspect or obtain a copy of your PHI, please obtain a form, Request for Access to Records, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the pharmacy or return to the HIPAA Privacy Officer. There may be a reasonable cost-based charge for providing access to PHI.
You will be notified in advance of incurring such charges, if any.
The right to amend your PHI: You have the right to request an amendment of the PHI the pharmacy maintains about you, if you feel that the PHI the pharmacy has maintained about you is incorrect or otherwise incomplete. Under certain circumstances we may deny your request for amendment. If we do deny the request, you will have the right to have the denial reviewed by someone we designate who was not involved in the initial review. You may also ask the Secretary, United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), or their appropriate designee, to review such a denial. If you wish to amend your PHI files, please obtain a form, Request for Amendment to PHI, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the pharmacy or return to the HIPAA Privacy Officer.
The right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by the pharmacy. If you wish to receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI, please obtain a form, Request for Accounting of Disclosures, from the pharmacy and return the completed form to the pharmacy or return to the HIPAA Privacy Officer. You should be aware; however, that such an accounting excludes uses and disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes.
The right to be notified of a Breach of your unsecured PHI: A “breach” is defined as the “unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of PHI in a manner which compromises the security or privacy of such information” and which poses “a significant risk of financial, reputational, or other harm to the individual.” If the clinic determines that a probability exists that your PHI may have been compromised, you will receive a notification by first-class mail regarding the breach at least sixty (60) days after the breach was discovered.
The right to receive additional copies of the Pharmacy’s Notice of Privacy Practices: You have the right to receive additional paper copies of this Notice, upon request, even if you initially agreed to receive the Notice electronically. If you wish to receive a paper copy of this request, please ask a pharmacy workforce member and they will provide you with a copy.
REVISIONS TO THE NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
The pharmacy reserves the right to change and/or revise this Notice and make the new revised version applicable to all PHI received prior to its effective date. The revised Notice will be available, upon request, to all individuals. The pharmacy will also post the revised version of the Notice in the pharmacy.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the pharmacy and/or to the Secretary of HHS, or his designee. If you wish to file a complaint with the pharmacy, please contact the HIPAA Privacy Officer. If you wish to file a complaint with the Secretary, please write to:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the Inspector General
200 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
The pharmacy will not take any adverse action against you as a result of your filing of a complaint.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions on the pharmacy’s privacy practices or for clarification on anything contained within the Notice, please contact:
miRx, LLC
Stacey L. Loucks
HIPAA Privacy Officer
PO BOX 21669
Billings, MT 59104
(406) 245-3575, EXT. 1175
(800) 777-3575
miCare
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
EFFECTIVE 10/20/2012
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.
THE CLINIC’S COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY
Our clinic respects your information privacy and is committed to protecting your health information. Pursuant to the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known as HIPAA, the clinic is required by law to provide you with adequate notice of the clinic’s uses and disclosures of protected health information (“PHI”), and of your rights and the clinic’s legal duties with respect to PHI. PHI means information that identifies you individually; including demographic information, and information that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition and/or related health care services. The terms of this notice apply to all your PHI created or maintained by the clinic.
This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) contains the following important information: (a) how we may use and disclose your PHI; (b) your privacy rights; and (c) our obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your PHI.
We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice at any time. We will post a copy of our current Notice in the clinic and online at www.ebms.com/privacy-policy. You may request a copy of our most recent Notice at any time.
HOW THE CLINIC MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHI
We are permitted to use and disclose your PHI:
For Treatment: We will use the PHI we receive from you to provide medical treatment and coordinate or manage your health care. For example, we may ask you to have laboratory tests conducted, and we may use the test results to reach a diagnosis. We might also use your PHI to write a prescription for you or disclose your PHI to other health care providers as needed for assistance with your treatment.
For Payment: The clinic may use or disclose your PHI to bill or collect payment for the services you receive. For example, we may contact your health plan to confirm your eligibility for benefits and provide your insurer with treatment details to determine available coverage for your treatment. We may also use or disclose your PHI to bill you directly for services or assist other health care providers in their billing or collection efforts.
For Health Care Operations: The clinic may use your PHI as necessary to evaluate the quality of care you received from us or conduct other business improvement activities, such as clinic workforce evaluations.
The following is an accounting of additional ways in which the clinic is permitted or required to use or disclose PHI about you without your written authorization. All uses and disclosures will be to the minimum necessary amount of your PHI. Many of these uses and disclosures will never be made by the clinic; however, we are required by law to notify you of them as a health care provider.
ADDITIONAL WAYS WE MAY USE OR DISCLOSE YOUR PHI WITHOUT YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
As Required by Law: The clinic may use or disclose your PHI to the extent the use or disclosure is required by law and limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
For Public Health Activities: The clinic may use or disclose your PHI for public health activities. For example, we may disclose your PHI to a public health authority that is authorized by law to collect PHI for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, including the reporting of disease, injury, vital events such as birth or death, and the conduct of public health surveillance, public health investigations, and public health interventions. Disclosure for public health activities may also include:
- Disclosure to a public health authority or other appropriate government authority authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.
- Disclosure to the FDA or people within the FDA’s jurisdiction for activities related to the quality, safety, or effectiveness of an FDA-regulated product or activity.
- Disclosure to a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition, if the clinic is authorized by law to notify such person as necessary in the context of a public health intervention or investigation.
- Disclosure to an employer, if:
- The clinic provides you with health care at the request of your employer
- The PHI disclosed concerns a work-related illness, injury, or workplace-related medical surveillance.
- The employer needs the information to comply with its own obligations under federal or state law with a similar purpose (i.e., to record illness, injury, or carry out responsibilities related to workplace medical surveillance).
- The clinic provides you with written notice that PHI related to the medical surveillance of the workplace and work-related illnesses and injuries is disclosed to the employer.
- Disclosure to a school about a student or prospective student, if:
- The PHI disclosed is limited to proof of immunization;
- The school is required by law to have such proof of immunization prior to admission; and
- The clinic obtains and documents the agreement to the disclosure from either:
- The individual subject of the PHI
- That individual’s parent or guardian
About Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence: The clinic may disclose PHI to a government authority, including a social service or protective services agency authorized by law to receive reports of such abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, if we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
For Health Oversight Activities: The clinic may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, which may include audits; civil, administrative, or criminal investigations; inspections; licensure or disciplinary actions; civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings or actions; or other activities necessary for appropriate oversight of:
- The health care system;
- Government benefit programs for which health information is relevant to beneficiary eligibility;
- Entities subject to government regulatory programs for which health information is necessary for determining compliance with program standards; or
- Entities subject to civil rights laws for which health information is necessary for determining compliance
For Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: The clinic may disclose your PHI during any judicial or administrative proceedings, for example:
- In response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal, provided that we disclose only the PHI expressly authorized by such order; or
- In response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, that is not accompanied by an order of a court or administrative tribunal, if satisfactory assurances are provided.
For Law Enforcement Purposes: The clinic may disclose PHI to law enforcement officials under certain circumstances including:
- As required by law, including laws that require the reporting of certain types of wounds or other physical injuries
- In response to a law enforcement official’s request for such information for the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person,
- In response to a law enforcement official’s request for such information about an individual who is or is suspected of being a victim of a crime
- To alert law enforcement of the death of the individual if the clinic has a suspicion that such death may have resulted from criminal conduct
- When the clinic believes in good faith that the PHI constitutes evidence of criminal conduct that occurred on the clinic’s premises.
- If such disclosure of PHI appears necessary to alert law enforcement to:
- The commission and nature of a crime;
- The location of such crime or of the victim(s) of such crime; and
- The identity, description, and location of the perpetrator of such crime.
Disclosures about the Deceased: The clinic may disclose PHI:
- To a coroner or medical examiner for the purpose of identifying a deceased person, determining a cause of death, or other duties as authorized by law.
- To funeral directors, consistent with applicable law, as necessary to carry out their duties with respect to the decedent.
For Cadaveric Organ, Eye, or Tissue Donation Purposes: The clinic may use or disclose PHI to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissue for the purpose of facilitating organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation.
For Research Purposes: The clinic may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes, regardless of the source of funding of the research, with a valid waiver of authorization approved by an institutional review board or a privacy board and other researcher representations, as applicable.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: The clinic may use or disclose your PHI, consistent with any applicable law and standards of ethical conduct, if it believes in good faith that the use or disclosure:
- Is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public; and
- Is to a person or persons reasonably able to prevent or lessen the threat, including the target of the threat; or
- Is necessary for law enforcement authorities to identify or apprehend an individual.
For Specialized Government Functions: The clinic may use or disclose PHI for specialized government functions including
- Military and veteran’s activities (e.g., to determine an individual’s eligibility for VA benefits);
- National security and intelligence activities;
- Protective services for the President, other officials or foreign heads of state;
Correctional institutions and other law enforcement custodial situations (e.g., if the PHI is necessary for the provision of health care to an inmate or other person in lawful custody).
For Workers’ Compensation: The clinic may disclose your PHI as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers’ compensation or other similar programs, established by law, that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness without regard to fault.
For Disaster Relief Purposes: The clinic may disclose PHI about you as authorized by law to a public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts.
To Business Associates: The clinic may disclose your PHI to our business associates as required to assist with our provision of quality health care and health care operations. To ensure the privacy of your PHI, we require all business associates to apply appropriate safeguards to any PHI they receive from us or create on our behalf.
WE MAY USE OR DISCLOSE YOUR PHI FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS WHEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO AGREE OR OBJECT IS PROVIDED
Uses and Disclosures for Facility Directories: To maintain or release limited facility directory information to acknowledge an individual is a patient at the facility and provide basic information about the patient’s condition in general terms (e.g., critical or stable, deceased, or treated and released) if the patient has not objected to or restricted the release of such information or, if the patient is incapacitated, if the disclosure is believed to be in the best interest of the patient and is consistent with any prior expressed preferences of the patient.
Uses and Disclosures for Involvement in the Individual’s Care and Notification purposes: The clinic may share PHI with a patient’s family members, relatives, friends, or other persons identified by the patient as involved in the patient’s care. We may also share information about a patient as necessary to identify, locate, and notify family members, guardians, or anyone else responsible for the patient’s care, of the patient’s location, general condition, or death. This may include, where necessary to notify family members and others, the police, the press, or the public at large.
WE REQUIRE YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION TO:
Use or disclose psychotherapy notes except to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations.
Use or disclose PHI for marketing except if the communication is in the form of a face-to-face communication made to you by the clinic or a promotional gift of nominal value provided by the clinic.
Make any disclosure which is a sale of PHI. In such case, the authorization will state that the disclosure will result in remuneration to the clinic.
You may revoke an authorization for an applicable PHI use or disclosure in writing at any time. Please contact miCare’s HIPAA Privacy Officer, to submit a revocation of authorization request. After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your PHI for the reasons described in the authorization. However, we cannot take back any uses or disclosures of your PHI already made in reliance on your authorization.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
The clinic may contact you for the following purposes:
Appointment Reminders: The clinic may contact you to remind you of your appointment for treatment or medical care at the clinic.
Information about Treatment Alternatives: The clinic may contact you to notify you of alternative treatments and/or products.
Health Related Benefits or Services: The clinic may use your PHI to notify you of benefits and services the clinic provides.
Individuals Involved in Your Care: Unless you object, the clinic may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend, or any other person you identify, PHI directly relevant to that person’s involvement with your care. The clinic will also disclose PHI to an individual if it can reasonably infer from the circumstances, based on the exercise of professional judgment, that you do not object to the disclosure.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR): The EMR helps physicians, specialists, and hospitals know a patient’s entire health history, drugs that have been prescribed, and test results. To improve overall quality, safety, and cost of care, the clinic may disclose information held in the EMR to other health care providers or Business Associates of the clinic.
Incidental Disclosures: Despite our best efforts to protect your privacy, your PHI may be overheard or seen by people not involved in your care. For example, other individuals at the clinic could overhear a conversation about you or see you getting treatment. Such incidental disclosures are not a violation of HIPAA.
WE WILL OBTAIN YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION. FOR ALL OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES NOT SPECIFIED IN THIS NOTICE.
HOW WE HANDLE PHI RELATED TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
The clinic will not use or disclose your PHI to investigate, punish, or identify anyone seeking, assisting with, or providing reproductive health care which is otherwise lawful under the circumstances under which it was provided. Some uses and disclosures of PHI related to reproductive health care are permitted. In applicable circumstances, we may require a written confirmation, called an attestation, before using or disclosing PHI related to reproductive health care.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
You have the following rights with respect to the PHI we maintain about you:
To request restrictions: You have the right to request restrictions of the clinic’s uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to a request. However, if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except as otherwise required by law. You may submit a request in person at the clinic or by contacting the miCare HIPAA Privacy Officer at 800-777-3575.
To receive communications containing PHI by alternate means or locations: You have the right to request that the clinic communicate confidentially with you using a different address or phone number. However, state and federal laws may require the clinic to maintain an accurate address and home phone number for you in case of emergencies. The clinic will consider and accommodate all reasonable requests. You may submit a Request for Alternative Arrangements for Confidential Communication by contacting the miCare HIPAA Privacy Officer at 800-777-3575.
To inspect and/or obtain a copy of your PHI: You have the right to request access and/or obtain a copy (paper or electronic) of your PHI that is contained in the clinic for the duration the clinic maintains PHI about you. You may submit a Request for Access to Records by contacting the miCare HIPAA Privacy Officer at 800-777-3575. A reasonable, cost-based charge may be associated with your request. You will be notified in advance of incurring any such charges. If we deny your request, you may request a review of our denial.
To amend your PHI: You have the right to request an amendment of your PHI for as long as the information is maintained by the clinic, if you believe that the PHI is inaccurate or otherwise incomplete. Under certain circumstances, we may deny your request for amendment. If we do, you will have the right to have the denial reviewed by someone we designate, who was not involved in the initial review. You may also ask the Secretary, United States Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), or their appropriate designee, to review such a denial. You may submit a Request for Amendment to PHI by contacting the miCare HIPAA Privacy Officer at 800-777-3575.
To receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by the clinic. You may submit a Request for Accounting of Disclosures by contacting the miCare HIPAA Privacy Officer at 800-777-3575. Any accounting we provide will include the disclosures we have made of your PHI but will exclude disclosures made for the purposes of treatment, payment, health care operations, disclosures required by law, and certain other disclosures (such as those you asked us to make). Your request must be in writing and state the period for which you are requesting the accounting (not to exceed six (6) years prior to the request date).
To be notified of a breach of your unsecured PHI: You have the right to receive notification of a breach that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.
To receive additional copies of this Notice: You have the right to receive additional paper copies of this Notice, upon request, even if you initially agreed to receive the Notice electronically. If you wish to receive a paper copy of this request, please ask a clinic workforce member, and they will provide you with a copy.
REVISIONS TO THE NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
The clinic reserves the right to change and/or revise this Notice and make the new revised version applicable to all PHI received prior to its effective date. The revised Notice will be available, upon request, to all individuals. The clinic will also post the revised version of the Notice in the clinic and online.
COMPLAINTS
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the clinic and/or to the Secretary of HHS, or his designee. If you wish to file a complaint with the clinic, please contact the miCare HIPAA Privacy Officer. If you wish to file a complaint with the Secretary, please write to:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Ave, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
You may also call 1-877-696-6775 or submit a complaint online at: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
The clinic will not take any adverse action against you as a result of your filing of a complaint.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions about the clinic’s privacy practices or need clarification on anything contained within the Notice, please contact:
miCare LLC
HIPAA PRIVACY OFFICER
1550 Liberty Bridge Drive, Suite 330
Wayne, PA 19087
(800) 777-3575

