English
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. If you have any questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices please contact our HIPAA Officer:
Li Sheng Kong, M.D.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how this facility may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations 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 or condition and related healthcare services.
We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. We may change the terms of our notice, at any time. The new notice will be effective for all protected health information that is maintained at that time. Upon your request, this facility will provide you with any revised Notice of Privacy Practices by calling the practice and requesting that a revised copy be sent to you in the mail or asking for one at the time of your next appointment.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information Based Upon Your Written Consent
You will be asked by this facility to sign a consent form. Once you have consented to use and disclosure of your protected health information for treatment, payment and healthcare operations by signing the consent form, this facility will use or disclose your protected health information as described in this Section. Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by this facility, the office staff and others outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing medical care services to you. Your protected health information may also be used and disclosed to pay your medical care bills and to support the operation of this facility practice.
Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate or manage your medical care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your medical care with a third party that has already obtained your permission to have access to your protected health information. In addition, this facility may disclose your protected health information to another physician or healthcare provider (e.g., a specialist or laboratory) who, at the request of this facility becomes involved in your care by providing assistance with your medical care diagnosis or treatment to this facility.
Payment: Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your medical care services. This may include certain activities that your health insurance plan may undertake before it approves or pays for the medical care services this facility recommends for you
Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of this facility’s practice. In addition, this facility may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name. We may also call you by name in the waiting room when the staff 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.
We will share your protected health information with third party “business associates” that perform various activities for the practice. Whenever an arrangement between our office and a business associate involves the use or disclosure of your protected health information, this facility will have a written contract that contains terms that will protect the privacy of your protected health information.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information Based upon Your Written Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information will be made only with your written authorization, unless otherwise permitted or required by law as described below. You may revoke this authorization, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that this facility or the practice has taken an action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the authorization.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made With Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object
We may use and disclose your protected health information in the following instances. You have the opportunity to agree or object to the use or disclosure of all or part of your protected health information. If you are not present or able to agree or object to the use or disclosure of the protected health information, then this facility may, using professional judgment, determine whether the disclosure is in your best interest. In this case, only the protected health information that is relevant to your medical care will be disclosed.
Others Involved in Your Healthcare:
Unless you object, this facility may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, your protected health information that directly relates to that person’s involvement in your medical care. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, this facility may disclose such information as necessary if it determines that it is in your best interest based on its professional judgment. We may use or disclose protected health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death.
Emergencies: We may use or disclose your protected health information in an emergency treatment situation. If this happens, this facility will try to obtain your consent as soon as reasonably practicable after the delivery of treatment. If this facility is required by law to treat you and it has attempted to obtain your consent but is unable to obtain your consent, it may still use or disclose your protected health information to treat you.
Communication Barriers: We may use and disclose your protected health information if this facility attempts to obtain consent from you but is unable to do so due to substantial communication barriers and it determines, using professional judgment, that you intend to consent to use or disclosure under the circumstances.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made Without Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object
We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your consent or authorization. These situations include:
This facility may also disclose your protected health information to authorized federal officials for conducting national security and intelligence activities, including for the provision of protective services to the President or others legally authorized.
Your Rights
The following is a statement of your rights with respect to your protected health information and a brief description of how you may exercise these rights.
Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records:
Depending on the circumstances, a decision to deny access may be reviewable. In some circumstances, you may have a right to have this decision reviewed. Please contact our HIPAA Officer if you have questions about access to your medical record.
This facility is not required to agree to a restriction that you may request. If it believes it is in your best interest to permit use and disclosure of your protected health information, your protected health information will not be restricted. If this facility does agree to the requested restriction, it may not use or disclose your protected health information in violation of that restriction unless it is needed to provide emergency treatment. With this in mind, please discuss any restriction you wish to request with this facility. You may request a restriction by contacting our HIPAA Officer.
alternative address or other method of contact. We will not request an explanation from you as to the basis for the request. Please make this request in writing to our HIPAA Officer.
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 privacy contact of your complaint. We will not retalíate against you for filing a complaint. You may contact our HIPAA Officer, for further ¡nformation about the complaint process.
Effectiveness
This notice was published and becomes effectiveon April 14, 2003.