HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

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. This Privacy Practice Notice describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations (TPO) and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control your protected health information. “Protected health information” is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health services.

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information:

Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by your physician, our office staff and others outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care services to you, to pay your health care bills, to support the operation of the doctor’s practice, and any other use required by law.

Treatment:

We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your health with a third party. For example, we would disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to a home health agency that provides care to you. For example, your protected health information may be provided to a physician to who you have been referred to ensure that the physician has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.

Payment:

Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your health care services. For example, obtaining approval for hospital stay may require that your relevant protected health plan to obtain approval for the hospital admission.

Healthcare Operations:

We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of your physician’s practice. These activities include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, employee review activities, training of dental or dental assisting students, licensing and conducting or arranging for other business activities. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to dental school students that see patients in our office. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may also call you by name in the waiting room when your doctor is ready to see you. We may disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment.

We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your authorization. These situations include: as Required by Law, Public Health issues as required by law, Communicable Diseases: Health Oversight: Abuse or Neglect: Food and Drug Administration requirements: Activity: Military Activity and National Security: Workers’ Compensation: Inmates: Required Uses and Disclosures: Under the law, we must make disclosures to you when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of Section 164.500. Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures Will Be Made Only With Your Consent, authorization or Opportunity to Object unless required by law. You make revoke the authorization, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that your physician or the physician’s practice has taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosures indicated in the authorization.

Your Rights

Following is a statement of your rights with respect to your health information.

You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information. Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records: psychotherapy notes; information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding and protected health information that is subject to law that prohibits access to protected health information.

You have the right to request a restriction of your protected health information. This means you may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your protected health information for the purposes of treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You may also request that any part of your protected health information not to be disclosed to family members or friends who may be involved in care or for notification purposes as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. Your request must state the specific restriction and to whom you want the restriction to apply. Your doctor is not required to agree to a restriction that you may request. If your doctor believes it is in your best interest to permit use and disclosure of your protected health information, your protected health information will not be restricted. You then have the right to use another Healthcare Professional.

You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative location. You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us, upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this notice alternatively i.e. electronically.

You may have the right to have your physician amend your protected health information. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal.

You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made, if any, of your protected health information.

Complaints

You may file a complaint with us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. We will not retaliate against your for filing a complaint.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of and provide individuals with, this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.