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NOTICE
OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective: April 14, 2003
I. This
Notice describes how medical information about you may
be used and disclosed and how you can access this
information. Please review it carefully.
Pro-Care
Home Health Services (the Company) uses health
information about you for treatment, to obtain payment
for treatment, for administrative purposes, and to
evaluate the quality of care that you receive. Your
health information is contained in a clinical record
that is the physical property of the Company.
II. How
the Company may use or disclose your protected health
information (PHI).
A. For
Treatment. The Company may use your health information
to provide you with medical treatment or services. For
example, information obtained by a health care
provider, such as a physician, nurse or other person
providing health services to you, will record
information in your record that is related to your
treatment. This information is necessary for health
care providers to determine what treatment you should
receive. Health care providers will also record
actions taken by them in the course of your treatment
and note how you respond to the actions.
B. For
Payment. The Company may use and disclose your health
information to others for purposes of receiving
payment for treament and services that you receive.
For example, a bill may be sent to you or a third
party payer, such as an insurance company or health
plan. The information on the bill may contain
information that identifies you, your diagnosis and
treatment or supplies used in the course of treatment.
C. For
Health Care Operations. The Company may use and
disclose health information about you for operational
purposes. For example, your health information may be
disclosed to members of the healthcare staff, risk or
quality improvement personnel, and to others to:
1.
Evaluate the performance of our staff;
2.
Assess the quality of care and outcomes in your case
and in similar cases;
3. Learn
how to improve our facilities and services; and
4.
Determine how to continually improve the effectiveness
of the healthcare we provide.
D.
Appointments. The Company may use your information to
provide appointment reminders or information about
treatment alternatives or other health-related
benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
E.
Required by Law. The Company may use and disclose
information about you as required by law. For example,
the Company may disclose information for the following
purposes:
1. For
judicial and administrative proceedings pursuant to
legal authority;
2. To
report information related to victims of abuse,
neglect or domestic violence; and
3. To
assist law enforcement officials in their law
enforcement duties.
F.
Public Health. Your health information may be used or
disclosed for public health activities such as
assisting public health authorities or other legal
authorities to prevent or control disease, injury or
disability, or for other health oversight activities.
G.
Decedents. Health information may be disclosed to
funeral directors or coroners to enable them to carry
out their lawful duties.
H.
Organ/Tissue Donation. Your health information may be
used or disclosed for cadaveric organ, eye or
I
Research. The Company may use your health information
for research purposes when an institutional review
board or privacy board that has reviewed the research
proposal and established protocols to ensure the
privacy of your health information has approved the
research.
J.
Health and Safety. Your health information may be
disclosed to avert a serious threat to the health or
safety of you or any other person pursuant to
applicable law.
K.
Government Functions. Specialized government functions
such as protection of public officials or reporting to
various branches of the armed services that may
require or use disclosure of your health information.
L.
Workers’ Compensation. Your health information may be
used or disclosed in order to comply with laws and
regulations related to Workers’ Compensation.
III.
Your health information rights. You have the right to:
A.
Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures
of your information as provided by 45 C.F.R. §
164.522; however, the Company is not required to agree
to a requested restriction;
B.
Obtain a paper copy of the notice of information
practices upon request;
C.
Inspect and obtain a copy of your health record as
provided for in 45 C.F.R. § 164.524;
D. Amend
your health record as provided for in C.F.R. §
164.526;
E.
Request communications of your health information by
alternative means or at alternative locations;
however, transmission of PHI using alternative means
(such as the use of e-mail) may not be secure;
F.
Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health
information except to the extent that action has
already been taken; and
G.
Receive an accounting of disclosures made of your
health information as provided by 45 C.F.R. § 164.528.
IV.
Complaints. You may complain to the Company and to the
Department of Health and Human Services if you believe
your privacy rights have been violated. You will not
be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
V.
Obligations of the Company. The Company is required to
to:
A.
Maintain the privacy of PHI;
B.
Provide you with this notice of its legal duties and
privacy practices with respect to your health
information;
C. Abide
by the terms of this notice;
D.
Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested
restriction on how your information is used or
disclosed;
E.
Accommodate reasonable requests you may make to
communicate health information by alternative means or
at alternative locations; and
F.
Obtain your written authorization to use or disclose
your health information for reasons other than those
listed above and permitted by law.
The
Company reserves the right to change its information
practices and to make the new provisions effective for
all PHI it maintains. Revised notices will be made
available to you in writing and upon request to the
Privacy Officer.
VI.
Contact Information. If you have any questions or
complaints, please contact:
Pro-Care Home Health Services
Corporate Privacy Officer
7880 Alta Valley Dr., Suite 103
Sacramento, CA 95823
916 681-4949
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