We must use and disclose your health information to provide that information:
To you or someone who has the legal right to act for you (your personal representative) in order to administer your rights as described in this notice; and
To the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, if necessary, to make sure your privacy is protected.
We have the right to use and disclose health information for your treatment, to bill for your health care and to operate our business. For example, we may use or disclose your health information:
For Payment. We may use or disclose health information to obtain payment for health care services. For example, we may disclose your health information to your health plan in order to obtain payment for the medical services we provide to you. We may ask you for advance payment.
For Treatment. We may use or disclose health information to aid in your treatment or the coordination of your care. For example, we may disclose information to your physicians or hospitals to help them provide medical care to you.
For Health Care Operations. We may use or disclose health information as necessary to operate and manage our business activities related to providing and managing your health care. For example, we might analyze data to determine how we can improve our services. We may also de-identify health information in accordance with applicable laws. After that information is deidentified, it is no longer subject to this notice and we may use it for any lawful purpose.
To Provide You Information on Health Related Programs or Products such as alternative medical treatments and programs or about health-related products and services, subject to limits imposed by law.
For Reminders. We may use or disclose health information to send you reminders about your care, such as appointment reminders with providers who provide medical care to you or reminders related to medicines prescribed for you.
We may use or disclose your health information for the following purposes under limited circumstances:
As Required by Law. We may disclose information when required to do so by law.
To Persons Involved With Your Care. We may use or disclose your health information to a person involved in your care or who helps pay for your care, such as a family member, when you are incapacitated or in an emergency, or when you agree or fail to object when given the opportunity. If you are unavailable or unable to object, we will use our best judgment to decide if the disclosure is in your best interests. Special rules apply regarding when we may disclose health information to family members and others involved in a deceased individual’s care. We may disclose health information to any persons involved, prior to the death, in the care or payment for care of a deceased individual, unless we are aware that doing so would be inconsistent with a preference previously expressed by the deceased.
For Public Health Activities such as reporting or preventing disease outbreaks to a public health authority. We may also disclose your information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or persons under the jurisdiction of the FDA for purposes related to safety or quality issues, adverse events or to facilitate drug recalls.
For Reporting Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence to government authorities that are authorized by law to receive such information, including a social service or protective service agency.
For Health Oversight Activities to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as licensure, governmental audits and fraud and abuse investigations.
For Judicial or Administrative Proceedings such as in response to a court order, search warrant or subpoena.
For Law Enforcement Purposes. We may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for purposes such as providing limited information to locate a missing person or report a crime.
To Avoid a Serious Threat to Health or Safety to you, another person, or the public, by, for example, disclosing information to public health agencies or law enforcement authorities, or in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
For Specialized Government Functions such as military and veteran activities, national security and intelligence activities, and the protective services for the President and others.
For Workers’ Compensation as authorized by, or to the extent necessary to comply with, state workers compensation laws that govern job-related injuries or illness.
For Research Purposes such as research related to the evaluation of certain treatments or the prevention of disease or disability, if the research study meets federal privacy law requirements.
To Provide Information Regarding Decedents. We may disclose information to a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person, determine a cause of death, or as authorized by law. We may also disclose information to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.
For Organ Procurement Purposes. We may use or disclose information to entities that handle procurement, banking or transplantation of organs, eyes or tissue to facilitate donation and transplantation.
To Correctional Institutions or Law Enforcement Officials if you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, but only if necessary (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
To Business Associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. Our business associates are required, under contract with us and pursuant to federal law, to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract and permitted by law.
Additional Restrictions on Use and Disclosure. Certain federal and state laws may require special privacy protections that restrict the use and disclosure of certain health information, including highly confidential information about you. Such laws may protect the following types of information:
- 1. Alcohol and Substance Abuse
- 2. Biometric Information
- 3. Child or Adult Abuse or Neglect, including Sexual Assault
- 4. Communicable Diseases;
- 5. Genetic Information
- 6. HIV/AIDS
- 7. Mental Health
- 8. Minors Information
- 9. Prescriptions
- 10. Reproductive Health
- 11. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
If a use or disclosure of health information described above in this notice is prohibited or materially limited by other laws that apply to us, it is our intent to meet the requirements of the more stringent law.
Except for uses and disclosures described and limited as set forth in this notice, we will use and disclose your health information only with a written authorization from you. This includes, except for limited circumstances allowed by federal privacy law, not using or disclosing psychotherapy notes about you, selling your health information to others, or using or disclosing your health information for certain promotional communications that are prohibited marketing communications under federal law, without your written authorization. Once you give us authorization to release your health information, we cannot guarantee that the recipient to whom the information is provided will not disclose the information. You may take back or “revoke” your written authorization at any time in writing, except if we have already acted based on your authorization. To find out how to revoke an authorization, use the contact information below under the section titled “Exercising Your Rights.”