Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATAION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO US.
OUR LEGAL DUTY
We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This notice takes effect (Nov 8th, 2004) and will remain in effect until we replace it.
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all heath information we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and make the new Notice available upon request.
You may request a copy of this notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this Notice.
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USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION
We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, payment, and healthcare
operations. For example:
Treatment: We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.
Payment: We may use or disclose your health information to obtain payment for the services we provide to you.
Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities. We will continue to use your protected health information in some of these specific ways: by calling you by your first and last name from our waiting room, by emailing or texting you a reminder for your appointment with reason for visit, by calling you to confirm appointments and leaving a message if necessary.
Your Authorization: In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your healthcare information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us authorization, you may revoke it at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosure permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this Notice.
To Your Family and Friends: We must disclose your health care information to you, as described in the Patient Rights section of this Notice. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend, or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare, but only if you agree that we may do so.
Persons Involved in Care: We may use or disclose health information to notify or assist in the notification of (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representation or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. If you are present, the prior to use or disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses or disclosures. In the event or your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgment disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement in your healthcare. We will also use our professional judgment and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, x-rays, or other similar forms of health information.
Marketing Health Related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.
Required by Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your health information to the appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence or the possible victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.
National Security: We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials’ health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials having lawful custody of protected health information of inmate or patient under certain circumstances.
Patient Reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, text messages).
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PATIENT RIGHTS
Access: You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information. You may request that we provide you with a photocopy or email copy of your privacy act. You must make this request in writing to obtain access to your health information. You may obtain a form to request access by using the contact information listed at the end of this notice. You may also request access by sending us a letter to the address listed at the end of this notice.
Disclosure Accounting: You have a right to receive a list of instances in which our business associates disclose your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations and certain other activities, for the last six years, but not before Nov 8th, 2004. If you request this more than once in a 12-month period, we may charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for responding to these requests.
Restrictions: You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree to these restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in an emergency).
Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or to alternative locations. You must make your request in writing. Your request must specify the alternative means or location and provide a satisfactory explanation of how payments will be handled under the alternative means or location you request.
Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your health information (Your request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended.) We may deny your request under certain circumstances.
Electronic Notice: If you have received this Notice on our Website or by electronic mail (email), you are entitled to receive this Notice in written form.
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Questions or Complaints
If you want more information about our privacy practices or have any questions or concerns, please contact us. If you are concerned that we may have violated your privacy rights, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your health information or in response to amend or restrict the use or disclosure of your health information or to have us communicate with you by alternative means or alternative location, you may complain to us using the contact information listed at the end of this Notice. You may also summit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will provide you with the address to file your complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon request. We support your right to the privacy of your health information. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Klein Crossing Dental
6531 FM 2920 Rd.
Spring, Tx 77379