Privacy Policy

The health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information are kept properly confidential. This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed by Dr. Hartt and her employees. If you have any questions, please, contact Dr. Hartt.

We are required by law to:

1. Maintain the privacy of protected health information.
2. Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
3. Abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect.

We reserve the right to change terms of this notice and make it effective for your protected health information we already have as well as new information.

Described further are the ways we may use and disclose you health information. Your written permission will be required for us to use or disclose your health information for any purposes other than described below. Such permission can be revoked at any time by writing to Dr. Hartt.

By signing this notice you authorize us to use and disclose your protected health information (e. g., name, address, SSN, medical records content) for the following areas:

TREATMENT

• To others involved in your treatment or care, such as other doctors, nurses, technicians or other personnel, including those outside our office, in order to provide you with treatment or coordinate your care

PAYMENT

• In order to bill and collect payment from you, your insurance company, or a third party payer
• If you don't pay your bill information may be given to a collection agency

HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS

• In order to evaluate and improve the quality of care and to operate and manage our office (e.g., to a health plan or a peer review organization)
• To contact you for an appointment reminder or to inform you about treatment alternatives and other health related benefits or services that may be of interest for you
• To contact you we may call the phone numbers you provide us with and leave a message (either on answering machine or with the person answering the phone), mail a letter or postcard; we may call you by name in the waiting room

INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE OR PAYMENT

• Your family or a close friend, who is involved in your care or helping you to pay for it

BUSINESS ASSOCIATES

• Outside services which we are contracted (e.g., a billing company); all business associates are obligated to protect the privacy of your health information

RESEARCH

• Research projects approved by Institutional Review Board, e.g. to compare treatment outcomes in patients received different treatments for the same condition

We may use and disclose your protected health information without your authorization when required by international, federal, state or local law in following circumstances:

• To avert a serious threat to health or safety of you, another person or the public
• To Public Agencies in order to prevent or control disease, injury or disability (e. g., reporting communicable disease, including someone who may be at risk for contracting a disease, adverse effects from drugs, child abuse or neglect, vital statistics)
• For health oversight activities as authorized by law (e.g., audit, investigations, and licensure)
• In case of work related illness to worker’s compensation programs as required by Texas Worker’s Compensation Law
• Upon request by a law enforcement official if: 1) there is a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process 2) if the request is limited to information needed to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person 3) the information is about the victim of a crime 4) the information is about a death that may be the result of criminal conduct 5) the information is relevant to criminal conduct on our premises 6) it is needed in an emergency to report a crime, the location of a crime or victims, or the identity, description, or location of the person who may have committed the crime
• In response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process if you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, but only after efforts are made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested
• To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors to identify deceased person or cause of death

If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release your health information as required by military command authorities.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION:

• To request restriction on your health information used for treatment, payment or health care operations; we are not obligated to agree with your request
• To request confidential communication (e.g., call only your cell phone or communicate only in writing)
• To inspect and copy your medical and billing records
• To request an amendment of your protected health information
• To receive an accounting of any disclosures that our office has made for non-routine purposes only (other than treatment, payment or health care operations)

You may request a paper copy of the current notice. All requests must be submitted to Dr. Lyudmila Hartt in writing.