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Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Is Important to Us

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.

Introduction

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations, and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights to access your protected health information.

This Notice Became Effective on September 01, 2013, and Was Revised, Effective November 27, 2017.

We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. We can change the terms of this Notice at any time, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.

Understanding Your Health Record Information

Each time you receive products or services from Gerould's Healthcare Center, a record of your transaction is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, test results, diagnoses, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment. We may use or share your information, often referred to as your health or medical records, as we:

  • Treat you
  • Run our organization
  • Bill for your services
  • Help with public health and safety issues
  • Do research
  • Comply with the law
  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
  • Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
  • Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
  • Work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we achieve

Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to: ensure its accuracy, better understand whom, what, when, where and why others may access your health information, and helps you make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.

Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an Electronic or Paper Copy of Your Medical Record
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this. We can provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask Us to Correct Your Medical Record

  • You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
  • We may say "no" to your request, but we'll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request Confidential Communications

  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
  • We will say "yes" to all reasonable requests. Ask us to limit what we use or share.
  • You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment or our operation.
  • We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say "no" if it would affect your care.
  • If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer.
  • We will say "yes" unless a law requires us to share that information. Get a list of those with whom we've shared information.
  • You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we've shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with and why.
  • We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations as well as certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We'll provide one accounting a year for free, but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

Get a Copy of This Privacy Notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose Someone to Act for You

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
  • We will make sure the person has the authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a Complaint if You Feel Your Rights Have Been Violated

You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information below.
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to:
                U.S. Department of Health and Human Services               
                Office for Civil Rights
                200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                Washington, D.C. 20201
                Or by calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints/index.html
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices Explained

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
  • Share information in a disaster relief situation
  • Include your information in a hospital directory

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example, if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases below, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

  • Marketing purposes
  • Sale of your information
  • Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

In the Case of Fundraising:

  • We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

Our Uses and Disclosures

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

Treat You: We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. For example, a doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run Our Organization: We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. For example, we use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for Your Services: We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. For example, we give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

Help with Public Health and Safety Issues: We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

  • Preventing disease
  • Helping with product recalls
  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications
  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Comply with the Law: We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if they need to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to Organ and Tissue Donation Requests: We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a Medical Examiner or Funeral Director: We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address Workers’ Compensation, Law Enforcement, and Other Government Requests: We can use or share health information about you:

  • For workers’ compensation claims
  • For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
  • With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
  • For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to Lawsuits and Legal Actions: We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

How Else Can We Use or Share Your Health Information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways—usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

Our Responsibilities

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
  • We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information see: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/notice-privacy-practices/index.html. Our website may contain links to other sites. Gerould's Healthcare Center is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites.

For More Information or to Report a Problem:

If you have any questions and would like additional information, you may contact Gerould's Healthcare Center Corporate Privacy Officer, Barbara MacBlane at (607) 734-7220. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the Secretary of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either the Privacy Officer or the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

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