Health Concepts, Ltd.
Nursing, Subacute, Rehabilitation
& Alzheimer's Care Facilities
Privacy Policies
HIPAA Notice of Privacy
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.
Effective Date: April 14, 2003
This Health Concepts Facility is required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to such information. This Health Concepts Facility will abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect; however, this Health Concepts Facility reserves the right to change the terms of this notice as well as make the new provisions effective from all protected health information maintained. If there is a change, this Health Concepts Facility will inform you of this change at your next scheduled appointment or upon your request. In addition, a copy of the effective notice will be posted at all times in the office with a date notifying you of the most recent update.
As a patient of this Health Concepts Facility, information about you must be used and disclosed to other parties for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. These uses and disclosures do not require your consent and include, but are not limited to, a releases of information contained in financial records, medical records, laboratory test results, medical history, treatment progress or any other related information to:
1) Your insurance company, self-funded or third-party health plan, Medicare, Medicaid, or any other person or entity that may be responsible for paying or processing for payment any portion of your bill for services;This Health Concepts Facility is also permitted to use or disclose information about you without consent or authorization in the following circumstances;
1) Where the use or disclosure is required by another law, but only to the extent that it is required and complies with such other law;
2) For certain public health activities;
3) Where this Health Concepts Facility reasonably believes you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, but will only report to a government authority authorized to receive abuse, neglect, or domestic violence reports;
4) Health care oversight activities;
5) Certain judicial and administrative proceedings;
6) Certain law enforcement purposes;
7) To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors, in certain circumstances;
8) For cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purposes as it may apply to an individual;
9) For certain research purposes regardless of source of funding;
10) To avert a serious threat to health and safety;
11) For specialized government functions, including military and veterans’ activities, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, medical suitability determinations, correctional institution and custodial situations; and
12) For workers’ compensation purposes.
This Heath Concepts Facility is permitted to use or disclose information about you without consent or authorization provided you are informed in advance and given the opportunity to agree to or prohibit or restrict the disclosure in the following circumstances:
1) For use in a directory of individuals served by this Health Concepts Facility (such information is limited to the individual’s name, location within the facility, condition in general terms, and religious affiliation);]
2) To a family member, other close relative, close personal friend, or other identified person, the information relevant to such person’s involvement in your care or payment for care.
3) To a public or private entity authorized by law or charter to assist in disaster relief efforts, but only for the purposes of coordinating with such entities.
Other uses and disclosures not specifically addressed earlier in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. In addition, Rhode Island law requires an authorization to disclose highly sensitive information, including communicable diseases such as Human Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drug/alcohol abuse, psychiatric diagnosis and treatment records, and genetic testing information. Examples of when authorization is required for this Health Concepts Facility to use or disclose your protected health information include;
1) Psychotherapy notes (notwithstanding the provisions that allow the use and disclosure of protected health information without consent and authorization for treatment, payment and healthcare operations, the law specifically requires an authorization to use or disclose psychotherapy notes); andThese authorizations may be revoked, in writing, at any time, except in limited situations.
The Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act gives you certain rights with regard to your protected health information. Any of these rights may be exercised by contacting this Health Concepts Facility and in some situations, may require you to fill out a written request.
You have the right, subject to certain conditions, to:
1) Request restrictions on the use and disclosure of information about you for treatment, payment and healthcare operations, and to friends and family involved to the individual’s care. However, this Health Concepts Facility is not required to agree to the requested restriction;