NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE — USED OR DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
OUR POLICY
PT for Baby, in compliance with federal laws, has taken reasonable and comprehensive steps towards the protection of the privacy and security of your child’s personal health information (PHI). Such information may include oral, written, telephone, facsimile and/or other electronic communication of protected health information.
We understand that information about you and your child’s health is personal. Each time we provide services, we create a record of the care and services your child receives. We need this record to provide quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of your information and the records of your child’s health care generated by us or received by us from you or others.
Along with safeguarding your child’s personal health information, we must also make available this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and we must follow the terms of the notice currently in effect. This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose health information. We also describe your rights of access, amendment, control, and other rights concerning the use and disclosure of your child’s health information. PT for Baby is also required to notify you if your child’s health information is breached.
PT for Baby may change its policy at any time. When changes are made, a new Notice of Privacy Practices will be posted and will be provided to you at your next appointment. You may also request an updated copy at any time.
If you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient, the references herein such as “…your personal health information…” shall be understood to refer to that patient.
Complaints: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us in writing: Fax: (949) 215-1121 or by email: [email protected]. You can also file a complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services at www.hhs.gov. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
— USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
PT for Baby uses your child’s PHI primarily for treatment, obtaining payment for treatment and conducting practice operations. PT for Baby may disclose PHI, without prior authorization, to other health care professionals that may be participating in your child’s treatment or to any funding agencies that are paying for your child’s treatment.
PT for Baby may also use or disclose your child’s PHI without prior authorization for emergencies, auditing purposes, public health/statistical purposes or as required by law.
To the extent that we need to disclose PHI for a purpose other than treatment, payment or practice operations, PT for Baby will first seek your written consent each time we need to disclose information. If you choose to consent to the disclosure, you may later revoke your consent by notifying us in writing.
PATIENT’S INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
You have the right to review your child’s file at any time. In addition you have the right to obtain a copy of any document in your child’s file.
If you believe that any information contained in your child’s file is incorrect, you have the right to ask us to remove the information. If we do not agree to remove the information, you can ask that we insert, in the file, a statement indicating your disagreement with the information.
You have the right to request, in writing, a list of instances where we have disclosed your child’s PHI for reasons other than treatment, payment or other related administrative purposes.
This notice becomes effective March 1, 2014.