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Privacy

Lawrence Family Practice Notice of Privacy Practices

As Required by the Privacy Regulations Created as a Result of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU (AS A PATIENT OF THIS PRACTICE) MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.

  1. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY
    Our practice is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your protected health information (PHI). We are required by law to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identifies you and provide you with this notice of our legal duties and the privacy practices that we maintain in our practice. We realize that these laws are complicated, but we must provide you with the following important information:

    • How we may use and disclose your PHI
    • Your privacy rights in your PHI
    • Our obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your PHI

    The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your PHI that are created or retained by our practice. We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices. Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of your records that our practice has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your records that we may create or maintain in the future. Our practice will post a copy of our current Notice in our offices in a visible location at all times, and you may request a copy of our most current Notice at any time.

  2. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NOTICE, PLEASE CONTACT:
          Business Office

  3. WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI) IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:
    1. Treatment. Our practice may use your PHI to treat you or assist others in your treatment. For example, we may ask you to have laboratory tests (such as blood or urine tests), and we may use the results to help us reach a diagnosis. We might disclose your PHI to a pharmacy when we order a prescription for you. Additionally, we may disclose your PHI to others who may assist in your care, such as your spouse, children or parents.
    2. Payment. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI in order to bill and collect payment for the services and items you may receive from us. For example, we may contact your health insurer to certify that you are eligible for benefits (and for what range of benefits), and provide your insurer with details regarding your treatment to determine if your insurer will cover, or pay for, your treatment. We also may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment from third parties that may be responsible for such costs, such as family members. Also, we may use your PHI to bill you directly for services and items.
    3. Health Care Operations. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to operate our business, to evaluate the quality of care you received from us, or to conduct cost-management and business planning activities for our practice.
    4. Appointment Reminders. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to contact you and remind you of an appointment by mail or by phone including leaving a message on your answering machine.
    5. Health-Related Benefits and Services. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to inform you of health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.
    6. Release of Information to Family/Friends. Our practice may release your PHI to a friend or family member that is involved in your care, or who assists in taking care of you. For example, a parent or guardian may ask that a babysitter take their child to the pediatrician's office for treatment of a cold.
    7. Disclosures Required By Law. Our practice will use and disclose your PHI when we are required to do so by federal, state or local law.


  4. USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PHI IN CERTAIN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
    The following categories describe unique scenarios in which we may use or disclose your protected health information:
    1. Public Health Risks. Our practice may disclose your PHI to public health authorities that are authorized by law to collect information such as maintaining vital birth and death statistics, reporting potential exposure to communicable disease, or reporting child abuse or neglect.
    2. Health Oversight Activities. Our practice may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law including investigations, inspections, audits, surveys, licensure and disciplinary actions; civil, administrative, and criminal procedures or actions.
    3. Lawsuits and Similar Proceedings. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order, if you are involved in a lawsuit or similar proceeding, but only if we have made an effort to inform you of the request or to obtain an order protecting the information the party has requested.
    4. Law Enforcement. We may release PHI if asked to do so by a law enforcement official regarding a crime victim in certain situations, if we are unable to obtain the person's agreement.
    5. Deceased Patients. Our practice may release PHI to a medical examiner, coroner, or funeral directors to perform their jobs.
    6. Organ and Tissue Donation. Our practice may release your PHI to organizations that handle organ, eye, or tissue procurement or transplantation, including organ donation banks, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation if you are an organ donor.
    7. Research. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes in certain limited circumstances. We will obtain your written authorization to use your PHI for research purposes except when: (a) our use or disclosure was approved by an Institutional Review Board or a Privacy Board; (b) we obtain the oral or written agreement of a researcher that (i) the information being sought is necessary for the research study; (ii) the use or disclosure of your PHI is being used only for the research and (iii) the researcher will not remove any of your PHI from our practice; or (c) the PHI sought by the researcher only relates to decedents and the researcher agrees either orally or in writing that the use or disclosure is necessary for the research and, if we request it, to provide us with proof of death prior to access to the PHI of the decedents.
    8. Serious Threats to Health or Safety. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to reduce or prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another individual or the public.
    9. Military. Our practice may disclose your PHI if you are a member of U.S. or foreign military forces (including veterans) and if required by the appropriate authorities.
    10. National Security. Our practice may disclose your PHI to federal officials for intelligence and national security activities authorized by law.
    11. Inmates. Our practice may disclose your PHI to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials if you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official..
    12. Workers' Compensation. Our practice may release your PHI for workers' compensation and similar programs.


  5. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI
    You have the following rights regarding the PHI that we maintain about you:
    1. Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that our practice communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location. For instance, you may ask that we contact you at home, rather than work. In order to request a type of confidential communication, you must make a written statement specifying the requested method of contact, or the location where you wish to be contacted. Our practice will accommodate reasonable requests.
    2. Requesting Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment or health care operations. Additionally, you have the right to request that we restrict our disclosure of your PHI to only certain individuals involved in your care or the payment for your care, such as family members and friends. We are not required to agree to your request; however, if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except when otherwise required by law, in emergencies, or when the information is necessary to treat you. Your written request must describe in a clear and concise fashion:
    3. Inspection and Copies. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the PHI that may be used to make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records, but not including psychotherapy notes. You must submit your request in writing. Our practice may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, labor, and supplies associated with your request. Our practice may deny your request to inspect and/or copy in certain limited circumstances; however, you may request a review of our denial. Another licensed health care professional chosen by us will conduct reviews.
    4. Amendment. You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and you may request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our practice. Your request must be made in writing and you must provide us with a reason that supports your request for amendment. Our practice will deny your request if you fail to submit your request (and the reason supporting your request) in writing. Also, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that is in our opinion: (a) accurate and complete; (b) not part of the PHI kept by or for the practice; (c) not part of the PHI which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (d) not created by our practice, unless the individual or entity that created the information is not available to amend the information.
    5. Accounting of Disclosures. All of our patients have the right to request an "accounting of disclosures." An "accounting of disclosures" is a list of certain non-routine disclosures our practice has made of your PHI for non-treatment or operations purposes. Use of your PHI as part of the routine patient care in our practice is not required to be documented You must submit your request in writing and request a time period, which may not be longer than six (6) years from the date of disclosure and may not include dates before April 14, 2003. The first list you request within a 12-month period is free of charge, but our practice may charge you for additional lists within the same 12-month period. Our practice will notify you of the costs involved with additional requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur any costs.
    6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You are entitled to receive a paper copy of our notice of privacy practices.
    7. Right to File a Complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our practice or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
    8. Right to Provide an Authorization for Other Uses and Disclosures. Our practice will obtain your written authorization for uses and disclosures that are not identified by this notice or permitted by applicable law. Any authorization you provide to us regarding the use and disclosure of your PHI may be revoked at any time in writing. After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your PHI for the reasons described in the authorization. Please note: we are required to retain records of your care.
All requests regarding your rights outlined above must be in writing and addressed to:
     Lawrence Family Practice Center, P.A.
     4951 W. 18th St.
     Lawrence, KS 66047