11/21/2024

Country Name: USA

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices (rev 9.23.13)

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES AND AUTHORIZATION TO DISCLOSE 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.

In the course of receiving services from AHF Healthcare Centers, we will be provided with health information about you. We have a duty under the law to maintain the privacy of this information, and to inform you of our legal obligations. This notice may change from time to time, and we will inform you of any changes. We will abide by this Notice or the most recent Notice. AHF will use this information, and/or disclose it to other people, for the following purposes:



Even if we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to submit a written addendum, not to exceed 250 words, with respect to any item or statement in your record you believe is incomplete or incorrect. If you clearly indicate in writing that you want the addendum to be made part of your medical record we will attach it to your records and include it whenever we make a disclosure of the item or statement you believe to be incomplete or incorrect.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures.” This is a list of the disclosures we made of medical information about you other than our own uses for treatment, payment and health care operations (as those functions are described above) and with other exceptions provided by law.


To request this list or accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to Member Services. Your request must state a time period, which may not be longer than six years and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. Your request should indicate in what form you want the list (for example, on paper or electronically). The first list you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a surgery you had.

We are not required to agree to your request, unless you request that we restrict your medical information to a health plan as long as (a) the disclosure is for the purpose of carrying out payment or health care operations and is not otherwise required by law, and (b) the medical information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which you have paid us in full. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment.


To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to Member Services. In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail.


To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to Member Services. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.


Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice. To obtain a paper copy of this notice, please contact Member Services.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. If we make an important change to this notice, we will send it to you. You may also obtain a copy of our current notice at any time by contacting Member Services. The notice will contain the effective date on the first page, in the top right-hand corner.

Concerns about Our Use of Your Medical Information

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Plan or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with the Plan, contact Member Services at the telephone number listed on the back of your member ID card. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

Other Uses of Medical Information

Other uses and disclosures of medical information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission. If you provide us permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, this will stop any further use or disclosure of your medical information for the purposes covered by your written authorization, except if we or others have already acted in reliance on your permission. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission, and that we are required to retain our records of the care that we provided to you.

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