Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, please contact our Privacy officer at 732-349-5550 ext 156.

I. Introduction

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. This Notice also describes your rights regarding health information we maintain about you and a brief description of how you may exercise these rights. This Notice further states the obligations we have to protect your health information.

“Protected health information” means health information (including identifying information about you) we have collected from you or received from your health care providers, health plans, your employer or a health care clearinghouse. It may include information about your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of your health care, and payment for your health care services.

II. How We Will Use and Disclose Your Health Information

We will use and disclose your health information as described in each category listed below. For each category, we will explain what we mean in general, but not describe all specific uses or disclosures of health information.

A. Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made With Your Written Consent

1. For Treatment. Once you have signed our Consent to Use and Disclose Health Information, we will use and disclose your health information to provide your health care and any related services. We may also disclose your health information among our clinicians and other staff (including clinicians other than your therapist or principal clinician).

2. For Payment. We may use or disclose your health information so that the treatment and services you receive are billed to, and payment is collected from, your health plan or other third party payer.

3. For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose health information about you for our operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run our organization and make sure that our consumers receive quality care. These activities may include quality assessment and improvement, reviewing the performance or qualifications of our clinicians, training students in clinical activities, licensing, accreditation, business planning and development, and general administrative activities.

4. Health-Related Benefits and Services. We may use and disclose health information to tell you about health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

B. Uses and Disclosures That May be Made Without Your Consent or Authorization, But For Which You Will Have an Opportunity to Object.

Persons Involved in Your Care. We may provide health information about you to someone who helps pay for your care. We may use or disclose your health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death. But, if you are in an emergency situation, we may disclose your health information to a spouse, a family member, or a friend so that such person may assist in your care. In this case we will determine whether the disclosure is in your best interest and, if so, only disclose information that is directly relevant to participation in your care.

C. Uses and Disclosures That May be Made Without Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object.

1. Emergencies. We may use and disclose your health information in an emergency treatment situation. By way of example, we may provide your health information to a paramedic who is transporting you in an ambulance.

2. Communication Barriers. We may use and disclose your health information if one of our clinicians attempts to obtain Consent from you, but is unable to do so due to substantial communication barriers. However, we will only use or disclose your health information if the clinician determines in his/her professional judgment that, absent the communication barriers, you likely would have consented to use or disclose information under the circumstances.

3. As Required By Law. We will disclose health information about you when required to do so by federal, state or local law.

4. To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety. We may use and disclose health information about you when necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or to the health or safety of the public or another person.

5. Public Health Activities. We may disclose health information about you as necessary for public health reasons.

6. Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose health information about you to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. Oversight agencies include government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, other government programs regulating health care, and civil rights laws.

7. Disclosures in Legal Proceedings. We may disclose health information about you to a court or administrative agency when a judge or administrative agency orders us to do so.

8. Law Enforcement Activities. We may disclose health information to a law enforcement official for law enforcement purposes when a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process requires us to do so.

9. Medical Examiners or Funeral Directors. We may provide health information to a medical examiner.

10. Military and Veterans. If you a member of the armed forces, we may disclose your health information as required by military command authorities.

11. National Security and Protective Services for the President and Others. We may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter-intelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

12. Inmates. If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may disclose health information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official.

13. Workers’ Compensation. We may disclose health information about you to comply with the state’s Workers’ Compensation Law.
 

III. Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information with Your Permission.

Uses and disclosures not described in Section II of this Notice of Privacy Practices will generally only be made with your written permission, called an “authorization.” You have the right to revoke an authorization at any time.

IV. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information.

A. Right to Inspect and Copy.

You have the right to request an opportunity to inspect or copy health information used to make decisions about your care – whether they are decisions about your treatment or payment of your care. We may deny your request to inspect or copy your health information in certain limited circumstances.

B. Right to Amend.

For as long as we keep records about you, you have the right to request us to amend any health information used to make decisions about your care – whether they are decisions about your treatment or payment of your care. To request an amendment, you must submit a written document to our Privacy Officer and tell us why you believe the information is incorrect or inaccurate.

C. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures.

You have the right to request that we provide you with an accounting of disclosures we have made of your health information.

D. Right to Request Restrictions.

You have the right to request a restriction on the health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You may also ask that any part (or all) of your health information not be disclosed to family members or friends who may be involved in your care or for notification purposes.

E. Right to Request Confidential Communications.

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health care only in a certain location or through a certain method. For example, you may request that we contact you only at work or by e-mail.

F. Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice.

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.

V. Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with us, contact our Compliance Officer.

VII. Changes to this Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices. We also reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice of Privacy Practices effective for all health information we already have about you as well as any health information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice of Privacy Practices at our main office and at each site where we provide care. You may also obtain a copy of the current Notice of Privacy Practices by accessing our website at www.oceanmentalheatlh.org or by calling us at 732-349-5550 and requesting that a copy be sent to you in the mail or by asking for one any time you are at our offices.

VIII. Who will follow this Notice

This Notice of Privacy Practices will be followed by us and by all OMHS locations. In addition, these entities site or locations may share health information with each other for treatment, payment or health care operation purposes.