There are state and federal laws that may require or allow us to release your health information to others. We may be required to provide information for the following reasons:

Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose your PHI to a government agency authorized to oversee the health care system or government programs, or its contractors (e.g., state insurance department, U.S. Department of Labor) for activities authorized by law, such as audits, examinations, investigations, inspections and licensure activities.

Legal Proceedings: We may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, under certain circumstances.

Law Enforcement: We may disclose your PHI to law enforcement officials under limited circumstances. For example, in response to a warrant or subpoena, or for the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, witness, or missing person, or to provide information concerning victims of crimes.

For Public Health Activities: We may disclose your PHI to a government agency that oversees the health care system or government programs for activities such as preventing or controlling disease or activities related to the quality, safety, or effectiveness of an FDA regulated product or activity.

Required by Law: We may disclose your PHI when we are required to do so by law.

Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your PHI when required by workers’ compensation laws.

Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence: We may disclose your PHI to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, domestic violence or other crimes.

Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation: In certain instances, we may disclose your PHI to coroners or funeral directors, and in connection with organ donation.

Research: We may disclose your PHI to researchers, if certain established steps are taken to protect your privacy.

Threat to Health or Safety: We may disclose your PHI to the extent necessary to avert a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.

For Specialized Government Functions: We may disclose your PHI in certain circumstances or situations to a correctional institution if you are an inmate in a correctional facility, to an authorized federal official when it is required for lawful intelligence or other national security activities, or to an authorized authority of the Armed Forces.

For Cadaveric Organ, Eye, or Tissue Donation: We may disclose your PHI for the purpose of facilitating organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation.

You have the following rights regarding the protected health information (PHI) we maintain about you.

You have the right to ask us to restrict our use and disclosure of protected health information for the purposes of treatment, payment or health care operations. This includes uses and disclosures to family members, relatives, close personal friends, or other persons identified by you who may be involved with your care or payment for your care. We will consider your request, but we are not required to agree to restrict the information.

You have the right to ask to receive confidential communications.  You may request that when we send communications to you that contain PHI, we send them to you by alternative means or to an alternative location. You must request this in writing and clearly state that our disclosure of all or part of that communication could endanger you. You must also tell us the alternative location (e.g., fax number, address, etc.) to which you would like us to send the information.

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the protected health information (PHI) that we maintain about you in a designated record set. A designated record set contains PHI that we collect, maintain or use to administer or make decisions regarding your enrollment, payment, claims adjudication, or case/medical management. If we do not maintain the PHI, but we know who does, we will tell you. Requests to access the information must be made in writing, and we will respond within 30 days of receipt of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee to provide you with the information. There are exceptions as to what information can be accessed. For example, information compiled for legal proceedings cannot be accessed. If we deny access to your information, in part or in whole, we will notify you in writing. Our denial will include the reason for the denial, your review rights (if applicable), and information on how to file a complaint.

You have the right to ask us to amend protected health information about you that is contained in a designated record set (as described above). All amendment requests must be in writing and include a reason for the request. We will respond within 60 days of receiving the request. If the request is approved, we will amend the information in our records and notify any other individual(s) whom we know and/or whom you have told us have received the information, and we will provide them with the amendment as well. In certain cases, your request may be denied. For example, we may deny a request if the information we have on file is accurate or if we did not create the information. We will notify you in writing of any denial. You may respond by filing a written statement of disagreement with us, and we have the right to rebut the disagreement statement. Should this occur, you have the right to request that your original request, our denial, and any statement of disagreement, along with our rebuttal, be included in future disclosures of the PHI.

You have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures of protected health information. An accounting will show you to whom we provided your PHI. The first accounting request in a 12-month period of time will be provided free of charge. Subsequent requests are subject to a reasonable, cost-based fee, of which you will be made aware of in advance. All requests for disclosures must be made in writing, and we will respond within 60 days of receipt. There are some accountings we are not required to provide. For example, we are not required to account for disclosures made for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations. Also, we will not provide accountings for disclosures that you have authorized, and certain other disclosures such as for national security purposes.

For more information, or to begin the formal process connected with these rights, please contact Mr. Thomas Foley at 708.222.4248.