Privacy Policy
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed (given to others outside our office) and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
We are required by law to provide you with this notice that explains our privacy practices with regard to your medical information and how we may use and disclose your protected health information for treatment, payment and for health care operations, as well as for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. You have certain rights regarding the priacy of your protected health information and we also describe them in this notice.
Ways in Which We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
The following paragraphs describe different ways that we use and disclose your protected health information. We have provided an example for each category. These examples are not meant to be exhaustive, but the ways we are permitted to use and disclose your health information should fall within one of these categories.
Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. We will also disclose your health information to doctors, nurses, technicians, and other personnel who are involved in your medical care. Additionally, we may from time to time disclose your health iinformation to another physician or health care personnel we have requested to be involved in your care. For example, we may send information to a specialist to whom we have referred you for a diagnosis to help in your treatment.
Payment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to obtain payment for the health care services we provide you. For example, we may include information with a bill to a third-party payer that identifies you, your diagnosis, procedures performed, and supplies used in rendering the service.
Health Care Operations: We will use and disclose your protected health information to support the business activities of our practice. For example, we may use medical information about you to review and evaluate our treatment and services or to evaluate our staff's performance while caring for you. In addition, we may disclose your health information to third party business associates who perform billing, accounting, laboratory or consulting services for our practice.
Other Ways We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
Appointment Reminder: We will use and disclose your protected health information to contact you as a reminder about scheduled appointments or treatment.
Others Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care. We will use and disclose your protected health information to a family member, a relative, a close friend, or any other person you identify that is involved in your medical care or payment for care.
Research. If you are involved in clinical research we will use and disclose your protected health information to researchers, provided the research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of our health information.
As Required by Law. We will use and disclose your protected health information when required by federal, state or local law. You will be notified of any such disclosures.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Public Health or Safety. We will use and disclose your protected health information to a public health authority that is permitted to collect or receive the information for the purpose of controlling disease, injury, or disability. If directed by that health authority, we will also disclose our health information to a foreign government agency that is collaborating with the public health authority.
Workers' Compensation. We will use and disclose your protected health information for workers' compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Inmates. We will use and disclose your protected health information to a correctional institution or law enforcement official if you are an inmate of that correctional institution or under the custody of the law enforcement official. This information would be necessary for the institution to provide you with health care, to protect the health and safety of others, or for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
Your Health Information Rights
Although your health record is the physical property of the health care practitioner or facility that compiled it, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
A paper copy of this notice. You have the right to receive a paper copy of this ntoice upon request. You may obtain a copy by asking our receptionist at your next visit or by calling and asking us to mail you a copy.
Inspect and Copy. You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of the protected health information that we maintain about you in our designated record for as long as we maintain that information. This designated record includes your medical and billing records as well as any other records we use for making decisions about you. Any psychotherapy notes that may have been included in records we received about you are not available for your inspection or copying by law. We may charge you a fee for the cost of copying, mailing or other supplies used in fulfilling your request.
If you wish to inspect or copy your medical information, you must submit your request in writing to: Privacy Officer, Drs. Katz, Kade, Hewitt & Anderson, 71 E. Hollister St., Cincinnati, OH 45219. You may mail your request or bring it to our office. We will have 30 days to respond to your request for information that we maintain at our practice. If the information is stored off-site, we are allowed up to 60 days to respond but must inform you of this delay.
Request Amendment. You have the right to request that we amend your medical information if you feel that it is incomplete or inaccurate. You must make this request in writing to our Privacy Officer, stating exactly what information is incomplete or inaccurate and your reasoning that supports your request.
We are permitted to deny your request if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. We may also deny your request if:
- We did not create the information
- The information is not part of the designated record kept by the practice, or
- If it is the opinion of the health care provider that the information is not inaccurate or incomplete.
Request Restriction. You have the right to request a restricted or limitation of how we use or disclose your medical information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. For example, you could request that we not disclose information about a prior treatment to a family member or friend who may be involved in your care or payment for care. Your request must be in writing to our Privacy Officer.
We are required to agree to your request if we feel that it is in your best interest to disclose that information. However, if we do agree, we will comply with your request unless that information is needed for emergency treatment.
An Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request a list of the disclosures of your health information we have made outside of our practice that were not for treatment, payment or health care operations. Your request must be made in writing and state the time period or the requested information. You may not request information for any dates prior to April 14, 2003 (the compliance date for the federal regulation), nor for a period of time greater than 10 years, (our obligation to retain information). Your first request for a list of disclosures within a 12-month period will be free. If you request an additional list within 12 months of the first request, we may charge you a fee for the costs of providing the subsequent list. We will notify you of such costs and afford you the opportunity to withdraw your request before any costs are incurred.
Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to request how we communicate with you to reserve your privacy. For example, you may request that we call you only at your work number, or by mail at a special address or postal box. Your request must be made in wriring and must specify how or where we are to contact you. We will make every effort to accommodate all reasonable requests.
File a complaint. If you believe we have violated your medical information privacy rights, you have the right to file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or directly to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
To file a complaint with our Privacy Officer, you must make it in writing. Provide as much detail as you can about the suspected violation and send it to: Privacy Officer, Drs. Katz, Kade, Hewitt & Anderson, Inc., 71 E. Hollister Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
Uses or Disclosures Not Covered
Uses or disclosures of your health information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us may only be made with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization in writing at any time and we will no longer disclose health information about you for the reasons stated in your written authorization prior to the revocation are not affected by the revocation.
For More Information
If you have any questions or would like additional information, you may contact our Privacy Officer at 513.723.0909.