Severity: Notice
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The privacy of your medical information is important to us. We understand that your medical information is personal and we are committed to protecting it. We create a record of the care and service you receive at our organization. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice will tell you about the way we may use and share medical information about you. We also describe your rights and certain duties we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information.
The following section describes different ways that we use and disclose medical information. Not every use will be listed. However, we have listed all of the different ways we are permitted to use and disclose medical information. We will not use or disclose your medical information for any purpose not listed below, without your specific written authorization. Any specific written authorization you provide may be revoked at any time by writing to us.
We may use medical information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose medical information about you to doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, or other people who are taking care of you. We may also share medical information about you to other health care providers to assist them in treating you.
We may use and disclose your medical information for payment purposes. A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include your medical information.
We may use and disclose your medical information for our health care operations. This might include measuring and improving quality, evaluating the performance of employees, conducting training programs, and getting the accreditation, certificates, licenses and credentials we need to serve you.
In addition to using and disclosing your medical information for treatment, payment, and health care operation we may use and disclose medical information for the following purposes.
Unless you notify us that you object, the following medical information about will be placed in our facility directories: your name, your location in our directory, your condition described in general terms; your condition described in general terms; your religious affiliation, if any. We may disclose this information to members of the clergy or, except for your religious affiliation, to other who contact us and ask for information about you by name.
We may use and disclose medical information to notify: a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care. We will share information about your location, general condition, or death. If you are present, we will get your permission if possible before we share, or give you the opportunity to refuse permission. In case of emergency, and if you are not able to give or refuse permission, we will share only the health information that is directly necessary for your health care, according to our professional judgment. We will also use our professional judgment to make decisions in your best interest about allowing someone to pick up medicine, medical supplies, x-ray or medical information for you.
We may share medical information with a public or private organization or person who can legally assist in disaster relief efforts.
We may provide medical information to one of our affiliated fundraising foundations to contact you for affiliated fundraising to contact you for fundraising purposes. We will limit our use and sharing to information that describes you in general, not personal, terms and the dates of your health care. In any fundraising materials, we will provide you a description of how you may choose not to receive future fundraising communications.
We may use medical information for research purposes in limited circumstances where the research has been approved by a review board that has reviewed the research proposal and establish protocols to ensure the privacy of medical information.
To help them carry out their duties, we may share the medical information of a person who has died with a coroner, medical examiner, funeral director, or an organ procurement organization.
Subject to certain requirements, we may disclose or use health information for military personnel and veterans, for national security and intelligence activities, for protective services for the President and others, for medical suitability determinations for the Department of State, for correctional institutions and other law enforcement custodial situations, and for government programs providing public benefits.
We may disclose medical information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other law process, under certain circumstances. Under limited circumstances, such as a court order, warrant, or grand jury subpoena, we may share limited information with law enforcement officials. We may share limited information with a law enforcement official concerning the medical information of a suspect, fugitive, material witness, crime victim, or missing person. We may share the medical information of an inmate or other person in lawful custody with a law enforcement official or correctional institution under certain circumstances.
As required by law, we may disclose your medical information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability, including child abuse or neglect. We may also disclose your medical information to persons subject to jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration for purposes of reporting adverse events associated with product defects or problems, to enable product recalls, repairs or replacements, to track products, or to conduct activities required by the Food and Drug Administration. We may also, when we are authorized by law to do so, notify a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
We may use and disclose medical information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence or the possible victim of other crimes. We may share your medical information if it is necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others. We may share medical information when necessary to help law enforcement officials capture a person who has admitted to being a part of a crime or has escaped from legal custody.
We may disclose health information when authorized or necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs.
We may disclose medical information to an agency providing health oversight for oversight activities authorized by law, including audits, civil, administrative, or criminal investigations or proceedings, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, or other authorized activities.
Under certain circumstances, we may disclose health information to law enforcement officials. These circumstances included reporting required by certain laws (such as the reporting of certain types of wounds), pursuant to certain subpoenas or court orders, reporting limited information concerning identification and location at the request regarding suspected victims of crimes at the request of a law enforcement official, reporting death, crimes on our premises, and crimes in emergencies.
We may use and disclose medical information for purposes of sending you appointment postcards or otherwise reminding you of your appointments.
We may use and disclose medical information to furnish you with information about health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you, and to describe or recommend treatment alternatives.
You Have a Right to:
If you wish to receive a paper copy of this privacy notice then you have the right to obtain a paper copy by making a request in writing to our Privacy Officer.
If you have any questions about this notice, please ask the receptionist to speak to our Privacy Officer.
If you think that we may have violated your privacy rights, you may speak to our Privacy Officer and submit a written complaint. To take either action, please inform the receptionist that you wish to contact the Privacy Officer or request a complaint form. You may submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; we will provide you with the address to file your complaint. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint.
We believe that all client/patients receiving services from K.C.'s Medical Home Care Supplies, Inc. should be informed of their rights. Therefore, you are entitled to: