HIPAA Privacy Notice

Our practice is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your individually identifiable health information (IIHI). In conducting our business, we will create records regarding you and the treatment and services we provide to you. We are required by law to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identifies you. We also are required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and the privacy practices that we maintain in our practice concerning your IIHI. By federal and state law, we must follow the terms of the notice of privacy practices that we have in effect at the time.

We realize that these laws are complicated, but we must provide you with the following important information:

• How we may use and disclose your IIHI
• Your privacy rights in your IIHI
• Our obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your IIHI

The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your IIHI that are created or retained by our practice. We reserve the right to revise or amend this Notice of Privacy Practices. Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of your records that our practice has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your records that we may create or maintain in the future. Our practice will post a copy of our current Notice in our offices in a visible location at all times, and you may request a copy of our most current Notice at any time.

The Office Manager at 727-820-7800

The following categories describe the different ways in which we may use and disclose your IIHI.

1. Treatment. Our practice may use your IIHI to treat you. For example, we may ask you to have laboratory tests (such as blood or urine tests), and we may use the results to help us reach a diagnosis. We might use your IIHI in order to write a prescription for you, or we might disclose your IIHI to a pharmacy when we order a prescription for you. Many of the people who work for our practice – including, but not limited to, our doctors and nurses – may use or disclose your IIHI in order to treat you or to assist others in your treatment. Additionally, we may disclose your IIHI to others who may assist in your care, such as your spouse, children or parents. Finally, we may also disclose your IIHI to other health care providers for purposes related to your treatment.
2. Payment. Our practice may use and disclose your IIHI in order to bill and collect payment for the services and items you may receive from us. For example, we may contact your health insurer to certify that you are eligible for benefits (and for what range of benefits), and we may provide your insurer with details regarding your treatment to determine if your insurer will cover, or pay for, your treatment. We also may use and disclose your IIHI to obtain payment from third parties that may be responsible for such costs, such as family members. Also, we may use your IIHI to bill you directly for services and items. We may disclose your IIHI to other health care providers and entities to assist in their billing and collection efforts.
3. Health Care Operations. Our practice may use and disclose your IIHI to operate our business. As examples of the ways in which we may use and disclose your information for our operations, our practice may use your IIHI to evaluate the quality of care you received from us, or to conduct cost-management and business planning activities for our practice. We may disclose your IIHI to other health care providers and entities to assist in their health care operations.
4. Appointment Reminders. Our practice may use and disclose your IIHI to contact you and remind you of an appointment.
5. Treatment Options. Our practice may use and disclose your IIHI to inform you of potential treatment options or alternatives.
6. Health-Related Benefits and Services. Our practice may use and disclose your IIHI to inform you of health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.
7. Release of Information to Family/Friends. Our practice may release your IIHI to a friend or family member that is involved in your care, or who assists in taking care of you. For example, a parent or guardian may ask that a babysitter take a child to the pediatrician’s office for treatment of a cold. In this example, the babysitter may have access to this child’s medical information.
8. Disclosures Required By Law. Our practice will use and disclose your IIHI when we are required to do so by federal, state or local law.

The following categories describe unique scenarios in which we may use or disclose your identifiable health information:

1. Public Health Risks. Our practice may disclose your IIHI to public health authorities that are authorized by law to collect information for purposes such as: maintaining vital records, reporting child abuse or neglect, preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability, notifying a person regarding potential exposure to a communicable disease, and other public health-related activities.
2. Health Oversight Activities. Our practice may disclose your IIHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure.
3. Lawsuits and Similar Proceedings. Our practice may use and disclose your IIHI in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.
4. Law Enforcement. We may release IIHI if asked to do so by a law enforcement official under specific circumstances, such as in response to a warrant or to identify a suspect.
5. Deceased Patients. We may release IIHI to a medical examiner or coroner to identify a deceased individual or to determine the cause of death.
6. Organ and Tissue Donation. We may release your IIHI to organizations that handle organ procurement or transplantation.
7. Research. We may use and disclose your IIHI for research purposes under certain limited circumstances and with specific protections in place.
8. Serious Threats to Health or Safety. We may use and disclose your IIHI when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.
9. Military, National Security, and other Specialized Government Functions. We may disclose your IIHI for military, national security, and other specialized government functions as required by law.
10. Inmates. Our practice may disclose your IIHI to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials if you are an inmate.
11. Workers' Compensation. We may release your IIHI for workers' compensation and similar programs.

You have the following rights regarding the IIHI that we maintain about you:

1. Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location.
2. Requesting Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction on our use or disclosure of your IIHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
3. Inspection and Copies. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information.
4. Amendment. You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete.
5. Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information.
6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You are entitled to receive a paper copy of this notice at any time.
7. Right to File a Complaint. You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
8. Right to Provide an Authorization for Other Uses and Disclosures. Our practice will obtain your written authorization for uses and disclosures that are not identified by this notice.