HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created a “Privacy Rule” which protects your personal health care information. I am required by law to protect the privacy of health information that may reveal your identity, and to give you a copy of this notice, which describes the privacy practices of my office and employees, and the ways we may use your health care information. Your Protected Health Information (PHI) is any health information about your condition, treatment or payment, which contains information which could identify you.

Generally, I will get your written authorization before sharing your health care information with anyone outside of the practice. However, my staff and I may use your health care information without your written consent for the purposes of treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. For example, we may have indirect treatment relationships with you (such as laboratories that only interact with doctors and not patients) and may have to disclose personal health information in order to provide health care that is in your best interest. In those cases, we will provide the minimum necessary information to only those entities that need this information in order to carry out treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

Our employees undergo training so that they understand and comply with the government rules and regulations regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) with particular emphasis on the “Privacy Rule.” We strive to achieve the very highest standards of ethics and integrity in performing services for our patients. If you feel that an event in any way compromises our policy of integrity, you have the right to complain without fear of reprisals about the care and services you are receiving.

We also want you to know that we support your full access to your personal medical records. More information about your patient rights can be found on the HHS website.

You may refuse to consent to the use or disclosure of your PHI, but this must be in writing. Under this law, we have the right to refuse to treat you should you choose to refuse to disclose your PHI. If you choose to give consent in this document, at some future time you may request to refuse all or part of your PHI. You may not revoke actions that have already been taken which relied on this or a previously signed consent.

Please feel free to ask your practitioner, if you have any questions about this notice or to receive additional privacy policy information.