Step 4: Read Important Information about your Privacy (HIPAA)
Maimonides Chiropractic is committed to maintaining the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”), which includes information about your medical condition and the care and treatment you receive from our practice and other health care providers. As a patient of Maimonides Chiropractic, your PHI may be used and disclosed to third parties for purposes of your care, payment for your care, health care operations of the practice, and for other purposes permitted or required by law.
Maimonides Chiropractic may use and/or disclose your PHI for purposes related to your care, payment for your care, and health care operations of the practice. The following are examples of the types of uses and/or disclosures of your PHI that may occur. These examples are not meant to include all possible types of use and/or disclosure.
Care – In order to provide care to you, Maimonides Chiropractic will provide your PHI to those health care professionals directly involved in your care so they may understand your medical condition and needs and provide advice or treatment. For example, your physician may need to know how your condition is responding to the treatment provided by Maimonides Chiropractic.
Payment – In order to get paid for some or all of the health care provided by Maimonides Chiropractic, we may provide your PHI, directly or through a billing service, to appropriate third party payers, pursuant to their billing and payment requirements. For example, we may need to provide your health insurance carrier with information about health care services you received from the Practice so the Practice may be properly reimbursed.
Health Care Operations – In order for Maimonides Chiropractic to operate in accordance with applicable law and insurance requirements and in order that we may provide quality and efficient care, it may be necessary for us to compile, use and/or disclose your PHI. For example, we may use your PHI in order to evaluate the performance of our personnel in providing care to you.
Your name, address, telephone number and your healthcare records may be used to contact you regarding appointment reminders, information about alternatives to your present care, or other health-related information that may be of interest to you. If you are not at home to receive an appointment reminder, a message may be left on your answering machine.
You have the right to inspect or obtain a copy of the information we will use for these purposes. You also have the right to refuse to provide authorization for this office to contact you regarding these matters. If you do not provide us with this authorization, it will NOT affect the care provided to you or the reimbursement avenues associated with your care.
Under federal law, we are also permitted and/or required to use or disclose your health information without your consent or authorization in these circumstances: if we are providing healthcare services to you based on the orders of another healthcare provider; if we provide healthcare services to you in an emergency; if we are required by law to provide care to you and we are unable to obtain your consent after attempting to do so; if there are substantial barriers to communicating with you but in our professional judgment we believe that you intend for us to provide care; if we are ordered by the courts or another appropriate agency. Any use or disclosure of your protected health information other than as outlined above will only be made upon your written authorization.
A complete copy of our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices is available on our website at www.MaimonidesChiropractic.com.