Privacy Policy - HIPAA Privacy Notice
THIS PRIVACY POLICY AND HIPAA PRIVACY NOTICE ("PRIVACY POLICY") DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT PATIENTS MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY IS DECEMBER 1, 2010.
Purpose
Dr. Donald S. Corenman is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information, laboratory test results, and other protected health information. This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the neckandback.com site ("Website"), as well as patients, employees, management and contractors of Dr. Donald S. Corenman.
Our Privacy Obligations
We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") to maintain the privacy of patients' health information ("Protected Health Information") and to provide our patients with this Privacy Policy, outlining our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to their Protected Health Information. Users of the Website and patients are referred to as "you" or "your" throughout this Privacy Policy.
Responsibilities of Dr. Donald S. Corenman
Dr. Donald S. Corenman has established this Privacy Policy, including implementing and maintaining the various policies and procedures described herein, as an overall program in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.
Use and Disclosure Of Health Information
Your Protected Health Information may be used and disclosed for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and other purposes permitted or required by law.
We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information for the following purposes:
1. Treatment. We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information for treatment purposes. For example, we may use your Protected Health Information to perform our testing services and disclose your Protected Health Information, including laboratory test results, to physicians and other health care providers involved in your care.
2. Payment. We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information to obtain payment for health care services we provide. For example, we may disclose your information to your health plan to receive payment for the services provided to you.
3. Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information for our health care operations. These activities include, for example, monitoring the quality of our testing services, reviewing the competence or qualifications of laboratory professionals, conducting training programs, performing accreditation, certification, licensing and credentialing activities, and other business and administrative functions.
4. Personal Representatives; Minors; Persons Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care. We may disclose Protected Health Information about you to your authorized personal representative, as defined by applicable law, or to an administrator, executor, or other authorized person responsible for your estate. As permitted by federal and state law, we may disclose Protected Health Information about minors to their parents or guardians. We may disclose your Protected Health Information to a person involved in your care or payment for your care, such as a family member or close friend. We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information for disaster relief efforts or to notify a family member or close friend of your location or general condition. If you do not want us to use or disclose your Protected Health Information in these ways, you must notify us using the contact information at the end of this Privacy Policy.
5. Communications About Our Products and Services. We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information to contact you about our products and services which we believe may be of interest to you where you have signed an authorization or release which permits use of medical information.
6. As Required by Law. We must disclose your Protected Health Information when required to do so by any applicable federal, state or local law.
7. Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose your Protected Health Information to a health care oversight agency for activities that are authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure activities. For example, we may disclose your Protected Health Information to agencies responsible for ensuring compliance with the rules of government health programs such as Medicare or Medicaid.
8. Research. Under certain conditions, we may use or disclose Protected Health Information for research purposes. We may allow researchers to look at Protected Health Information to develop a study, identify prospective research participants, or for similar purposes provided that the information is not removed from our premises.
9. Disclosures to Business Associates. We may disclose your Protected Health Information to other companies or individuals, known as "business associates," who need your information to provide services to us. For example, we may use another company to perform billing services on our behalf. Our business associates are required to protect the privacy of your Protected Health Information.
10. Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. Under certain circumstances, we may disclose your Protected Health Information in the course of a judicial or administrative proceeding in response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful process.
11. Law Enforcement; Threats to Health or Safety. We may disclose your Protected Health Information to the police or other law enforcement officials as required by law or in compliance with a court order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or similar process authorized by law. Under certain circumstances, we also may disclose Protected Health Information to law enforcement officials when the information is needed to: identify or locate a missing person or a suspect, fugitive, or material witness; determine whether an individual has been a victim of a crime; determine if a death resulted from criminal conduct; or investigate suspected criminal activity on our premises. We may also disclose Protected Health Information if necessary to prevent or reduce the risk of a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of an individual or the general public.
12. Workers Compensation. We may disclose your Protected Health Information as necessary to comply with requirements of workers' compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness without regard to fault.
13. All Other Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information. We will ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing your Protected Health Information for any purpose not described above. You may revoke your authorization, in writing, at any time, except that a revocation will not affect any use or disclosures we have made in reliance on your authorization.
Your Rights
You have the following rights with respect to your Protected Health Information. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us.
• Access to Protected Health Information. You or your authorized or designated personal representative have the right to inspect and copy your Protected Health Information and billing information maintained by us. We may deny access to certain information for specific reasons, for example, where state law prohibits such patient access. PLEASE NOTE THAT FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS REGULATING LABORATORIES GENERALLY PROHIBIT US FROM DISCLOSING TEST RESULTS DIRECTLY TO A PATIENT.
• Restrictions on Uses and Disclosures. You have the right to request restrictions on our use and disclosure of your Protected Health Information. While we will consider all requests for additional restrictions carefully, we are not required to agree to a requested restriction. If we do agree to a requested restriction, we will notify you in writing.
• Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your Protected Health Information by alternative means or to an alternative address. Your request must be in writing and must specify the alternative means or location. We will accommodate reasonable requests for confidential communications.
• Correct or Update Information. If you believe the Protected Health Information or billing information we maintain about you contains an error, you may request that we correct or update your information. Your request must be in writing and must explain why the information should be corrected or updated. We may deny your request under certain circumstances. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written explanation for the denial.
• Accounting of Disclosures. You may request in writing a list, or accounting, of certain disclosures of your Protected Health Information made by us or our business associates for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and certain other activities.
Questions And Complaints
If you want more information about our privacy practices pertaining to Protected Health Information, or have general questions or concerns, please contact us at the below:
The Steadman Clinic, Professional LLC
Attn: Dr. Donald S. Corenman
181 West Meadow Drive, Suite 400
Vail, Colorado 81657
Fax: 970.479.5835
Changes To Our HIPAA Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Privacy Policy at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. If we change this Privacy Policy, we may make the new notice terms effective for all Protected Health Information that we maintain, including any information created or received prior to issuing the new Privacy Policy.
If we make changes to this Privacy Policy, we will promptly post a copy of the updated Privacy Policy on the Website. Please review the Website periodically to ensure that you are aware of any updates.
