This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or health care 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 health care services.


Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information

Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by your physician, our office staff and others outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care services to you, to pay your health care bills, to support the operation of the physician's practice, and any other use required by law.


Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your health care with a third party. For example, we would disclose your protected health information as necessary to a physician to whom you have been referred to ensure that the physician has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.


Payment: Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your health care services. For example, obtaining approval for a hospital stay (or scan, medication, etc.) may require that your relevant protected health information be disclosed to the health plan to obtain approval and/or payment.


Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in order to support the business activities of your physician's practice. These activities include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities, employee review activities, training of medical students, licensing, and conducting or arranging for other business activities. For example, we may disclose your protected health information to medical school students that see patients at our office. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may also call you by name in the waiting room when your physician 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 may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your authorization. These situations include: as Required By Law, Public Health issues as required by law, Communicable Diseases: Health Oversight: Abuse or Neglect: Food and Drug Administration requirements: Legal Proceedings: Law Enforcement: Coroners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation: Research: Criminal Activity: Military Activity and National Security: Workers' Compensation: Inmates: Required Uses and Disclosures: Under the law, we must make disclosures to you and when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of Section 164.500.


Other Situations


Other Permitted and Required Use and Disclosures Will Be Made Only With Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object unless required by law.


You may revoke this authorization, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that your physician or the physician's practice has taken on action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the authorization.


Pubic Health Risks. We may disclose medical information as appropriate for public health reasons such as:
- Preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.- Reporting victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.- Reporting reactions to medications.- To notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading the disease or condition.


Law Enforcement, Lawsuits and Disputes. If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we may be required to disclose medical information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute. We may release medical information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:
- Court ordered, subpoena, warrant, summons, etc.- To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person.- Regarding criminal conduct on our premises.- Regarding a death we believe may be the result of a criminal conduct.- In emergency circumstances to report a crime the location of the crime or victims or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.


Your Rights


Following is a statement of your rights with respect to your protected health information. Any of the following rights may be exercised only by written communication to us. Any revocation or other modification of consent must be in writing delivered to Oconee Primary Care.


You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information. Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records: psychotherapy notes information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, and protected health information that is subject to law that prohibits access to protected health information.


You have the right to request a restriction of your protected health information. This means you may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your protected health information for the purposes of treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You may also request that any part of your protected health information not be disclosed to family members or friends who may be involved in your care or for notification purposes as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. Your request must state the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.
Your physician is not required to agree to a restriction that you may request. If physician 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. You then have the right to use another Healthcare Professional.
You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative location. You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us, upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this notice alternatively i.e. electronically.
You may have the right to have your physician amend or correct your protected health information. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal.


Reasons for denial of amendments or corrections:- Was not created by us, unless you provide a reasonable basis to believe that the originator of protected health information is no longer available to act on the requested amendment.- Is not part of your medical or billing records.- Is not available for inspection or amendment as previously stated.- Is not accurate and complete.
Any agreed upon correction or amendment will be included as an addition to, and not a replacement of, already existing records. You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made, if any, of your protected health information. We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and will inform you by mail of any changes. You then have the right to object or withdraw as provided in this notice.

If a request for protected health information is denied by Oconee Primary Care for any of the following reasons, you have the right to have our denial reviewed in accordance with the requirements of applicable law.

If a request for protected health information is denied by a licensed healthcare professional at Oconee Primary Care, that decision was/is made using their professional judgment. In making such judgement, the licensed professional has determined that the access requested is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm to you and/or another person.

- The access requested is reasonably likely to endanger your life or physical safety or that of another person.- The protected health information requested references another identifiable person (not a health care professional).- Request for access is made by the individual’s personal representative and it is deemed that the provision of access to such personal representative is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm to you or another person.


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 retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

This notice was published, and becomes effective on/or after April 14, 2003.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of, and provide individuals with, this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. If you have any objections to this form, please ask to speak with our HIPAA Compliance Officer in person or by phone at our Main Phone Number.