Health Information Practices

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Notice of Health Information Practices

The Eye Centers

Introduction

The Eye Center is committed to treating and using personal health information about all our patients responsibly. This Notice of Health Information Practices describes the personal information we collect, and how and when we use or disclose that information. It also describes patient rights as they relate to personal health information. This applies to all personal health information as defined by federal regulations.

Understanding Health Records

Each time a patient visits or calls The Eye Center, a record of the visit or call is made. Typically, this record contains symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment. This information, often referred to as the health or medical record, can possibly serve as a:

• Basis for planning care and treatment,
• Means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to the care,
• Legal document describing the care received,
• Means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided,
• A tool in educating health professionals,
• A source of data for medical research,
• A source of information for public health officials charged with improving the health of this state and the nation,
• A source of data for our planning and marketing
• A tool with which we can assess and continually work to improve the care we render and the outcomes we achieve,
• Most likely uses of personal health information at The Eye Center.

Your Health Information Rights

Although your health record is the physical property of The Eye Center, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:

• Obtain a paper copy of this notice of information practices upon request.
• Inspect and copy the health record. There will be a charge for copying.
• Request an amendment of health record.
• Obtain a list of the disclosures of the health information not specifically authorized by you, for other than treatment, payment or operations.
• Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information. (We are not required to agree to a requested restriction.)
• Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken.

Our Responsibilities

We will not use or disclose health information without authorization, except as described in this notice. We will also discontinue to use or disclose health information after we have received a written revocation of the authorization. The following summary is to help you understand the specifics of how we use and disclose your information. If you would like to see more details, you may receive our HIPAA procedure manual.

We will disclose health information without authorization when necessary for treatment, payment or healthcare operations. For example, we will send your diagnosis to your insurance company to obtain payment for the services rendered. Another common example would be our sending background information regarding you to another doctor to whom we have referred you for consultation. We will assume that any person whom you bring into the consultation room with you has your permission to hear the discussion of your health information that will occur there.

The following are other specific exceptions where health information may be disclosed or used without specific authorization:

Appointment notification: We may contact you to provide appointment reminders and suggest follow-up or additional treatment in our office. Appointment reminders  may be provided by postcard.

Outside vendors: We may utilize outside vendors such as a computer company or transcriptionist who will have access to your health information in the course of providing services to us. These vendors are required by law to protect your information.

Workers compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.

Public health: As required by law, we may disclose health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

Correctional institution: Should a patient eventually become an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for healthcare and the health and safety of other individuals.

Law enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. (for example child protection, etc.)

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will provide the updated policy at the time of a future visit as well as the current policy on our website.

If you would like a copy of this notice, please contact us at our toll-free number: 1-888-378-2020.

For More Information or to Report a Problem

If you want additional information or if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can contact The Eye Center's Privacy Officer, or the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either the Privacy Officer or the Office for Civil Rights.

Office of Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Room 509F, HHH Building

Washington, D.C. 20201