NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, UNDER THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA), HAS MANDATED STANDARDS FOR PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION.  THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.  PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES: APRIL14, 2003

UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEALTH RECORD / INFORMATION:
Each time you visit a hospital, physician, or other healthcare provider, a record of your visit is made.  Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment.  This information, often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a basis for planning your care and treatment and serves as a means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care.  Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps to ensure its accuracy so that you may better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information, and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.

YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS:
Unless otherwise required by law your health record is the physical property of the healthcare practitioner or facility that compiled it, the information belongs to you.  You have the right to request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information and request amendments to your health record.  This includes the right to obtain a paper copy of the notice of information practices upon request and inspect and/or obtain a copy of your health record.  You may also obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information, request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations, or revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information (except to the extent that action has already been taken).

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES:
This organization is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information.  In addition, we can provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you.  This organization must abide by the terms of this notice, notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction, and accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.  We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain.  Should our information practices change, we will mail a revised notice to the address you’ve supplied us.  Our website provides information about our customer services and benefits, and any new notice will appear there as well.  We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REPORT A PROBLEM:
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our privacy officer, Audrey Freeman, at our Westchester or Downers Grove locations, or by email at info@besthearingcenter.com.  If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

EXAMPLES OF DISCLOSURES FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH OPERATIONS
We will use your health information for treatment.  For example:  Information obtained by a healthcare practitioner will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you.  By way of example, your physician will document in your record their expectations of the members of your healthcare team.  Members of your healthcare team will then record the actions they took and their observations.  We will also provide your other practitioners with copies of various reports that should assist them in treating you.           

WE WILL USE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION FOR PAYMENT
For example:  a bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer.  The information on or accompanying this bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.

BUSINESS ASSOCIATES:  
There may be some services provided in our organization through contracts with Business Associates.  Examples include hearing aid manufacturers, hearing aid repair laboratories, and ear-mold companies.  When these services are contracted, we may disclose some or all of your health information to our Business Associate; so that, they can perform the job we have asked them to do.  To protect your health information, we require the Business Associates to sign an agreement to appropriately safeguard your information.

NOTIFICATON:
We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, your location and hearing healthcare information.

COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILY:  
Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friends, or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS:  
We will use or disclose your health information to support our business functions.  These functions include, but are not limited to:  quality assessment and improvement, reviewing provider performance, licensing, business planning, and business development.

CORONERS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS, FUNERAL DIRECTORS, AND ORGAN DONATION:   
We may disclose protected health information to a coroner or medical examiner to perform duties authorized by law.  We also may disclose information to funeral directors, as authorized by law; so that, they may carry out their duties.  Further, we may disclose protected health information to organizations that handle organ donations.

MARKETING:
We may contact you to provide information about treatment alternatives, hearing healthcare information, newsletters, coupons, or services that may be of interest to you.  We will not sell your name to any other company or organization.

APPOINTMENT REMINDERS:  
We may contact you by telephone, answering machines, voice mail, or in writing about appointments needed or reminding you about an appointment made.

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA):  
As required by law, we may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse effects with respect to products, product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.

WORKERS COMPENSATION:  
We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.

PUBLIC HEALTH:  
As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities as required by law, as well as for preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

RESEARCH:  
We may disclose information to researchers when an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal, and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information has approved their research.

CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS:
Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.  An inmate does not have the right to the Notice of Privacy Practices.

LAW ENFORCEMENT:  
Under certain conditions, we may disclose your health information to law enforcement officials.  Some of the reasons for such a disclosure may include, but are not limited to:  (1) it is required by law or some other legal process; (2) it is necessary to locate or identify a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; and (3) it is necessary to provide evidence of a crime that occurred on our premises.

MILITARY ACTIVITY AND NATIONAL SECURITY, PROTECTIVE SERVICES:   
Under certain conditions, we may disclose your health information if you are or were enlisted in the Armed Forces for activities deemed necessary by appropriate military command authorities.  If you are a member of foreign military service, we may disclose, in certain circumstances, your information to the foreign military authority.  We may also disclose your protected health information to authorized federal officials for conducting national security and intelligence activities, and for the protection of the President, other authorized persons, or heads of state.

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES AVAILABILITY:  
This notice will be prominently posted in the office where registration occurs.  Patients will be provided a hard copy and the notice will be maintained on our website for downloading.