| Notice
of Privacy Practices
This
Notice describes how medical information about you may be used and
disclsed and how you can get access to this information. Please
review it carefully.
You
have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice upon request.
Patient
Health Information
Under federal law, your patient health information is protected
and confidential. Patient health information includes information
about your symptoms, test results, diagnosis, treatment, and related
medical information. Your health information also includes payment,
billing, and insurance information.
How
We Use Your Patient Health Information
We use health information about you for treatment, to obtain payment,
and for health care operations, including administrative purposes
and evaluation of the quality of care that you receive. Under some
circumstances, we may be required to use or disclose the information
even without permission.
Examples
of Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations
Treatment: We will use and disclose your health information to provide
you with medical treatment or services. For example, nurses, physicians,
and other members of your treatment team will record information
in your record and use it to determine the most appropriate course
of care. We may also disclose the information to other health care
providers who are participating in your treatment, to pharmacists
who are filling your prescriptions, and to family members who are
helping with your care.
Payment:
We will use and disclose your health information for payment purposes.
For example, we may need to obtain authorization from your insurance
company before providing certain types of treatment. We will submit
bills and maintain records of payments from your health plan.
Health
Care Operations:
We will use and disclose your health information to conduct our
standard internal operations, including proper administration of
records, evaluation of the quality of treatment, and to assess the
care and outcomes of your case and others like it.
Special
Uses
We may use your
information to contact you with appointment reminders. We may also
contact your to provide informatin about treatment alternatives
or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest
to you.
Other
Uses and Disclosures
We may use or
disclose identifiable health information about you for other reasons,
even without your consent. Subject to certain requirements, we are
permitted to give out health information without your permission
for the following reasons:
- Required
by Law:
We may be required by law to report gunshot wounds, suspected
abuse or neglect, or similar injuries and events.
- Public
Health Activities:
As required by law, we may disclose vital statistics, diseases,
information related to recalls of dangerous products, and similar
information to public health authorities.
- Health
oversight:
We may be required to disclose information to assist in investigations
and audits, eligibility for government programs, and similar activities.
- Judicial
and administrative proceedings:
We may disclose information in response to an appropriate subpoena
or court order.
- Law
enforcement purposes:
Subject to certain restrictions, we may disclose information required
by law enforcement officials.
- Deaths:
We may report information regarding deaths to coroners, medical
examiners, funeral directors, and organ donation agencies.
- Serious
threat to health or safety:
We may use and disclose information when necessary to prevent
a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety
of the public or another person.
- Military
and Special Government Functions:
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release information
as required by military commanc authorities. We may also disclose
information to correctional institutions or for national security
purposes.
- Research:
We may use or disclose information for approved medical research.
- Workers
Compensation:
We may release information about you for workers compensation
or similar programs providing benefits for work-related injuries
or illness.
In any other
situation, we will ask for you written authorization before using
or disclosing any identifiable health information about you. If
you choose to sign an authorization to disclose information, you
can later revoke that authorization to stop any future uses and
disclosures.
Individual
Rights
You have the
following rights with regard to your health information. Please
contact the person listed below to obtain the appropriate form for
exercising these rights.
Request
Restrictions:
You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of
your health information. We are not required to agree to such restrictions,
but if we do agree, we must abide by those restrictions.
Confidential
Communications:
You may ask us to communicate with you confidentially by, for example,
sending notices to a special address or not using postcards to remind
you of appointments.
Inspect
and Obtain Copies:
In most cases, you have the right to look at or get a copy of your
health information. There may be a small charge for the copies.
Amend
Information:
If you believe that information in your record is incorrect, or
if important information is missing, you have the right to request
that we correct the existing information or add the missing information.
Accounting
of Disclosures:
You may request a list of instances where we have disclosed health
information about your form reasons other than treatment, payment,
or health care operations.
Our
Legal Duty
We are required
by law to protect and maintain the privacy of your health information,
to provide this Notice about our legal duties and privacy practices
regarding protected health information, and to abide by the terms
of the Notice currently in effect.
Changes
in Privacy Practices
We may change
our policies at any time. Before we make a significant change in
our policies, we will change our Notice and post the new Notice
in the waiting area and each examination room. You can also request
a copy of our Notice at any time. For more information about our
provacy practices, contact the person listed below.
Complaints
If you are concerned
that we have violated your privacy rights, or if you disagree with
a decision we made about your records, you may contact the person
listed below. You also may send a written complaint to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. The person listed below
will provide you with the appropriate address upon request. You
will not be penalized in any way for filing a complaint.
Contact
Person
If you have
any questions, requests, or complaints, please contact:
Cheryl
B. Doss, Administrator
Nashville Oncology Associates, PC
2011 Church Street, Suite 701
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 284-2310
Effective
Date:
The effective date of this Notice is April 14, 2003 |
