Privacy Practices
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
The Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment, or other healthcare operations and for other specified purposes that are permitted or required by law. This notice also describes your rights with respect to your Protected Health Information, as well as our responsibilities concerning the use and disclosure of your PHI. We are required to provide this notice to you by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
As used in this Notice, the terms “Protected Health Information” and “PHI” refer to your individually identifiable health information. It is the policy of the practice that all physicians, staff, and business associates preserve the integrity, security, and confidentiality of PHI. In conducting our business, we will create records relating to you and the treatment and services we provide to you.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of your Protected Health Information, and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and the privacy practices that we maintain in our practice concerning your PHI. By federal and state law, we must follow the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices that we have in effect at the time.
Hollon Spine Center, LLC is required to follow the terms of this notice. We will not use or disclose your Protected Health Information without your written authorization, except as described or otherwise permitted by this notice. We reserve the right to change our practices and this notice, and to make the new notice effective for all Protected Health Information we maintain. Upon request, we will provide any revised notice to you.
Normally, the privacy of a patient’s personal health information is protected. However, under certain circumstances, government rules and regulations supersede the patient’s right of privacy. For instance, doctors are required by law to report certain communicable diseases to the appropriate governmental agencies. Child abuse is another area where government regulations supersede the patient’s right to privacy.
Effective April 14, 2003, all physicians are required by law to provide their patients with a written notice listing the situations in which the patient’s right of privacy may be superseded by, or secondary to, other government regulations and/or Hollon Spine Center, LLC’s privacy practices. The following is our notice, which we are required to provide to every patient, and also to have each patient acknowledge that they received the notice.
PERMITTED USES AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Treatment
We may use and disclose PHI about you to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services. We may consult with other healthcare providers regarding your treatment and coordinate and manage your healthcare with others. We may use and disclose PHI about you when referring you to another healthcare provider. We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. For example, a doctor treating you for an injury may ask another doctor about your overall health condition. We may also provide other healthcare providers with your information to assist them in treating you.
Payment
We are permitted to use and disclose your health information to obtain or provide compensation or reimbursement for providing your healthcare from health plans or other entities. For example, a bill sent to your insurance company may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used in your treatment. As another example, we may disclose information about you to your health plan so that the health plan may determine your eligibility for payment for certain benefits.
Health Care Operations
We are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information during our healthcare operations, including but not limited to quality assurance, auditing, licensing, or credentialing activities, and for educational purposes. For example, we can use your Health Information to internally assess our quality of care provided to patients.
Workers’ Compensation
We may disclose your health information as necessary to comply with state Workers’ Compensation laws.
Appointment Reminders / Treatment Alternatives
We may use or disclose your PHI to remind you of an appointment for treatment and care at our office or to provide you with information regarding treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Other Relevant Practices – Communication Consent
We will use your email address, phone number, and cellular number to contact you. By providing your email and phone number(s), you are consenting to contact by email, phone call, and/or text message (message and data rates may apply). Our office may contact you to remind you of an appointment, to obtain feedback on your experience with our healthcare team, and to provide general health and wellness reminders.
We may leave a reminder on your voicemail. No personal health information will be disclosed during this recording or message other than the date and time of your scheduled appointment, along with a request to call our office if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment.
Your consent acknowledges that you understand the privacy risks involved with these methods of communication. To cancel this consent, you must notify us in writing of your objections. You may opt out from receiving contact by email or text at any time by writing the Privacy Officer, Dr. Hollon at Hollon Spine Center, LLC, 503 Greystone Way, Suite. F
Prattville, AL 36066.
Request for Records to Be Sent
Except as otherwise specified above with regard to disclosures of PHI required or permitted by law, you will be required to sign a release if you want copies of your PHI sent outside our office or released directly to you. You have the right to request that your PHI be sent to you via electronic mail, so long as you acknowledge in writing that you are aware of the risk of unauthorized disclosure and assume all risk related to your request. You have the right to revoke any authorization to disclose this information at any time.
In the event the practice converts to Electronic Medical Records, you have the right to request and obtain an electronic copy of your medical record in a comparable format.
Business Associates
We are permitted to disclose your Health Information to our business associates who provide services to us. However, our business associates are required to protect your Health Information.
Fundraising
It is our practice to participate in charitable events (such as Patient Appreciation Days) to raise awareness, food donations, gifts, money, etc. In doing so, we may send you a letter, postcard, invitation, or call your home to invite you to participate in the charitable activity. We will provide you with information about the type of activity, the dates and times, and invite you to participate. It is not our policy to disclose any PHI about your condition for the purpose of Hollon Spine Center, LLC sponsored or co-sponsored events.
Lab and Test Results
We may notify you of the availability of lab or test results by calling your home or office. If you are not available, we will leave a message stating that your results are available and asking you to return the call.
Emergency Purposes
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.
Coroner, Medical Examiner, Funeral Director
Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose Health Information to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors to help them carry out their duties. This may be necessary, for example, to determine a cause of death.
Organ Procurement Organizations
Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose your Health Information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.
Research
Under certain circumstances, we may disclose your Health Information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Use and Disclosures Required by Law
We may use or disclose your Health Information when required to do so by law, including, but not limited to: reporting abuse, neglect, and domestic violence; in response to judicial and administrative proceedings; in responding to a law enforcement request for information; or in order to alert law enforcement to criminal conduct on our premises or a death that may be the result of criminal conduct.
Public Safety Purposes
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 the general public, or when necessary for law enforcement to identify or apprehend an individual.
Public Health
As required by law, we may disclose your Health Information for purposes related to, but not limited to: reporting child abuse and neglect, reporting domestic violence, preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, reporting communicable diseases, reporting to the FDA problems with products and reactions to medications, adverse events, and reporting infection exposure.
Regulatory Agencies
Our practice may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. Oversight activities include, for example, investigations, inspections, audits, surveys, licensure and disciplinary actions, civil, administrative, and criminal procedures or actions, or other activities necessary for the government to monitor government programs, compliance with civil rights laws, and the healthcare system in general.
Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence
We may disclose your Health Information to appropriate governmental authorities that are authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. In addition, we may disclose your PHI if we believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to the governmental entity or agency authorized to receive such information. In this case, the disclosure will be made consistent with the requirements of applicable federal and state laws.
Inmates
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release Health Information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be necessary:
- for the institution to provide you with healthcare,
- to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others, or
- for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
Specialized Government Agencies Purposes
We may disclose your Health Information for military, national security, prisoner, and government benefits purposes.
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose your Health Information in response to requests made during judicial and administrative proceedings, as well as in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal, or in response to a subpoena, summons, warrant, discovery request, or similar legal request.
Law Enforcement Purposes
We may disclose your Health Information to law enforcement officials when required to do so by law. These circumstances include reporting required by certain laws (such as the reporting of certain types of wounds), pursuant to subpoenas or court orders, reporting limited information concerning identification and location at the request of a law enforcement official, reporting deaths, crimes on our premises, and crimes in emergencies.
Uses and Disclosures Which Require Patient Opportunity to Verbally Agree or Object
Under the Privacy Rules, we are permitted to use and disclose your Health Information:
- for the creation of facility directories,
- to disaster relief agencies, and
- to family members, close personal friends, or any other person identified by you, if the information is directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or treatment.
Except in emergency situations, you will be notified in advance and have the opportunity to verbally agree or object to this use and disclosure of your Health Information.
Uses and Disclosures Which Require Written Authorization
- Other than those uses and disclosures made in the course of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, and those required by law without your authorization or consent, we will not make other uses or disclosures of your PHI without your written authorization. This includes most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes, and disclosures that constitute a sale of protected health information. Authorizations must contain, in plain language, a description of the information to be disclosed, the recipient, the purpose, and the duration of the authorization. Any written authorization may be revoked by you at any time in writing, except to the extent that we have taken action in reliance on it.
- You also have the right to restrict certain disclosures of PHI to a health plan when you pay out of pocket in full for the healthcare item or service.
Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care
We may disclose PHI about you to your spouse, family member, adult sibling, close friend, or any other person identified by you if the information is directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment for your care. If you are not present or unable to consent or object, we may exercise professional judgment in determining whether the use or disclosure of PHI is in your best interest.
Incidental Use and Disclosures
The Privacy Rule does not require that every risk of incidental use or disclosure of Protected Health Information be eliminated. A use or disclosure that occurs as a result of, or is incidental to, an otherwise permitted use or disclosure is allowed, provided reasonable safeguards are in place and the information shared is limited to the “minimum necessary.”
Inadvertent Disclosures
In our clinic, some treatment areas may be used to provide care to more than one patient at a time. For this reason, we attempt to speak quietly; however, it is possible that other patients may occasionally overhear portions of conversations. If you require additional privacy, you may request it, and we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate you.
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS
You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. However, Hollon Spine Center, LLC is not required to agree to the restriction you request.
You have the right to request that your health information be communicated through an alternative method or sent to an alternative location.
You have the right to inspect and request a copy of your health information. In most cases, you have the right to access and copy the Protected Health Information we maintain about you. To do so, you must submit a written request to:
Privacy Officer
Hollon Spine Center, LLC
503 Greystone Way, Suite. F
Prattville, AL 36066
We may charge a reasonable fee for copying, mailing, and supplies. By law, we have 30 days to respond to your request, with a one-time 30-day extension allowed in limited circumstances. In certain situations, we may deny your request. You may request a review of the denial by a licensed healthcare professional chosen by us.
You have the right to request an amendment to your Protected Health Information. However, Hollon Spine Center, LLC is not required to amend your records. If your request is denied, you will receive a written explanation and information on how to disagree. We will respond within 60 days.
You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your Protected Health Information. This is a list of certain non-routine disclosures made for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. Requests must specify a time period not exceeding six (6) years from the date of disclosure. Routine uses are not required to be listed.
Requests must be submitted in writing to:
Privacy Officer
Hollon Spine Center, LLC
503 Greystone Way, Suite. F
Prattville, AL 36066
The first accounting in a 12-month
period. Our practice will notify you of the costs involved with additional requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur any costs.
You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Privacy Notice upon request.
You have the right to be informed of a breach. You are entitled to receive notification of your unsecured Protected Health Information under certain circumstances.
You have the right to appoint someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will verify that the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
You have the right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of your Health Information for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, as well as disclosures to persons involved in your care or payment for your care, such as family members or close friends. We will consider such requests but are not required to agree to them.
COMPLAINTS
Complaints about your privacy rights or how Hollon Spine Center, LLC has handled your Health Information should be directed to our Privacy Officer by calling this office at (334) 430-9560. If our Privacy Officer is not available, you may make an appointment for a personal conference in person or by telephone within two (2) working days.
If you are not satisfied with how this office handles your complaint, you may submit a formal complaint to:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
CHANGES TO THE TERMS OF THIS NOTICE
Hollon Spine Center, LLC reserves the right to change our privacy practices and to apply the revised practices to health information about you that we already have. We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices, and the revised Notice will be effective as of the date it is issued.
Any revision or amendment to this notice will apply to all of your records that our practice has created or maintained in the past, as well as any records we may create or maintain in the future. Our practice will post a copy of our current notice in our offices, and you may request a copy of the most current Notice at any time. Any revision to our privacy practices will be available upon request and in our office.
Hollon Spine Center, LLC 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 Privacy Officer by calling this office at (334) 430-9560. If the Privacy Officer is not available, you may make an appointment for a personal conference in person or by telephone within two (2) working days.