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 Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or health care 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 condition and related health care 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 physician’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 care with a third party. For example, your protected health information may be provided to a physician to whom you have been referred to ensure that the physician has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.

Payment: We may use and disclose health information about your treatment and services to bill and collect payment from you, your insurance company or a third party payer including business associates. For example, we may need to give your insurance company information about your appointment so they will pay us or reimburse you for the visit. We may also tell your health plan about treatment you are going to receive to determine whether your plan will cover it. We may also use PHI in other collection efforts for bills related to your care.

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, employee review, training of medical students, licensing, fundraising, and conducting or arranging for other business activities. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to medical school students that see patients at 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 physician is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment, and inform you about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

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, legal proceedings, law enforcement, coroners, funeral directors, organ donation, research, criminal activity, military activity and national security, workers’ compensation, and other required uses and disclosures. Under the law, we must make disclosures to you upon your request. Under the law, we must also disclose your protected health information when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements under 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 may 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 disclosure indicated in the authorization.

YOUR RIGHTS

The following are statements of your rights with respect to your protected health information.

You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information (fees may apply) – Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records: Psychotherapy notes, information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or used in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, protected health information restricted by law, information that is related to medical research in which you have agreed to participate, information whose disclosure may result in harm or injury to you or to another person, or information that was obtained under a promise of confidentiality.

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 and by law we must comply when the protected health information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which the health care provider involved has been paid out of pocket in full. You may also request that any part of your protected health information not be disclosed to family members or friends who may be involved in your care or for notification purposes as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. Your request must state the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

You have the right to request to receive confidential communications – You have the right to request confidential communication 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 have the right to request an amendment to 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 – You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures. This is a list of certain disclosures we make of your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment or healthcare operations where an authorization was not required.

COMPLAINTS

You may complain to us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. You may file a complaint with us by notifying our Compliance Officer of your complaint. We will not retaliate against you 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. We are also required to abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect. If you have any questions in reference to this form, please ask to speak with our HIPAA Compliance Officer in person or by phone at our main phone number.

Please sign the accompanying “Acknowledgment” form. Please note that by signing the Acknowledgment form you are only acknowledging that you have received or been given the opportunity to receive a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices.

HIPAA (Notice of Privacy Practices)

PATIENT AUTHORIZATION FORM

Our Notice of Privacy Practices provides information about how we may use and disclose protected health information about you. The Notice contains a Patient Rights section describing your rights under the law. You have the right to review our Notice before signing this Authorization you may also request a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices from our Office Manager. By signing this form, you consent to our use and disclosure of protected health information about you for treatment, payment and health care operations. You have the right to revoke this Authorization in writing, signed by you. However, such a revocation shall not affect any disclosures we have already made in reliance to your prior Authorization. The Practice provides this form to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

I, the patient, understand that:

• Protected health information may be disclosed or used for treatment, payment or health care operations.

• The Practice has a Notice of Privacy Practices and the patient has the opportunity to review this Notice. ?The Practice reserves the right to change the Notice of Privacy Practices.

• The patient has the right to restrict the uses of their information but the Practice does not have to agree to those restrictions.

• The patient may revoke this Authorization in writing at any time. Revocation must be in writing and submitted to the Office Manager.

• If I have any questions about this authorization, I may contact the Office Manager at (801) 685-7246.