NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

The HIPAA privacy rule gives individuals the right to determine how their Protected Health Information is used and to whom it may be disclosed. As a requirement of the Department of Health and Human Services, the purpose of this Notice of Privacy Practices is to disclose how our office is using patients’ Protected Health Information.

It is our policy not to disclose any of your Protected Health Information to anyone unless we are specifically authorized to do so by you, in writing, with a signed Authorization Form. We will notify you if we receive a Subpoena, Administrative Order, or Court Order for any of your Protected Health Information. So it is essential that we have a way to contact you. Our policy is to comply with legitimate and lawful court/administrative orders.

YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

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.

For Health Care Operations:  We may collect, use and communicate information by and about you for health care services when allowed by law to do so. This information is used in ordering tests, prescribing medication or therapy, coordinating care with consultants and other health care agencies.

We may also disclose information to an entity whom you have requested information be sent. For example:

• You apply for insurance benefits and a copy of the health information is authorized for the application process.
• Transfer of medical care and records at your request.
• An employer or school requires information, which allows you to return to or be excused from that activity.

For Payment:  We may use and disclose information about you to your health insurance carrier and/or guarantor to manage your account or benefits and to help you obtain reimbursement for health care services you received from our office.

When required by law:  Information about you may be shared with regulators for audits, licensure or other proceedings; for administrative or other legal proceedings; to public health authorities; or to law enforcement officers, such as to comply with a court order or subpoena.

By authorization:  We will obtain your written permission before we use or share your protected health information for any other purpose, unless required by law. You may withdraw this permission at any time, in writing. We will then stop using your information for that purpose. However, if we have already used your information based on your authorization, you can not take back your agreement for those past situations.

YOUR RIGHTS

Under privacy regulations effective April 14, 2003, you have the right to:

  • See or get a copy of information that we have about you, or correct your personal information that you believe is missing or incorrect. If someone else gave us the information, we will tell you who so that you can ask him or her to correct it.
  • Ask us not to use your health information for payment or health care operations activities. We are not required to agree to these requests.
  • Ask us to communicate with you about health matters using reasonable alternative means or at a different address, if communication to your home address could endanger you.
  • Receive a list of disclosures of your health information that we make on or after April 14, 2003, except when:
    • You have authorized the disclosure
    • The disclosure is made for treatment, payment or health care operations; or
    • The law otherwise restricts the accounting
INFORMATION WE DO NOT COLLECT

We do not use cookies on our website to collect date from our site visitors. We do not collect information about site visitors except for one hit counter on the main index page (www.DrVeronicaTilden.com) that simply records the number of visitors and no other data.

We do use some affiliate programs that may or may not capture traffic date through our site. To avoid potential data capture that you visited a diabetes website simply do not click on any of our outside affiliate links.

COMPLAINTS

If you believe we have not protected your privacy, you can file a complaint with us, or with appropriate authorities. We will not retalilate against you for filing a complaint.

COPIES AND CHANGES

You have the right to receive another copy of this notice at anytime. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy.

We reserve the right to change this notice. A revised notice will apply to information we already have about you as well as any information we may receive in the future. We are required by law to comply with whatever privacy notice is currently in effect. We will communicate any changes to our notice through our office.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you want to exercise your rights under this notice or if you wish to talk with us about privacy issues, please contact our office.