HIPPA Disclaimer

Baron Medical Services - Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

This Notice of Privacy Practices (the "Notice") explains how we may use or disclose your protected health information, as well as your rights and our responsibilities regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information.

"We," "our," and "us" refer to Baron Medical Services, BARON MEDICAL  and its affiliated medical practices, providers, employees, contractors, and workforce members.

Summary

This section provides a summary of how we may use and disclose your protected health information and describes your rights and choices regarding your information. These matters are explained in greater detail throughout this Notice.

You Have the Right To

  • Obtain a paper or electronic copy of your protected health information.
  • Ask us to correct your protected health information.
  • Ask us to limit the information we use or share in certain situations.
  • Obtain a list of certain parties with whom we have shared your information.
  • Request confidential communications.
  • Obtain a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
  • Choose someone to act on your behalf.
  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

Your Choices

You have certain choices regarding how we use and share your information when we:

  • Communicate with you.
  • Share information with family members, close friends, or others involved in your care.
  • Provide assistance during a disaster-relief situation.
  • Use your information for marketing purposes.
  • Sell or otherwise receive compensation for disclosing your information.

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and disclose your information when we:

  • Provide treatment.
  • Bill for health care services.
  • Operate and manage our organization.
  • Conduct approved research.
  • Comply with applicable laws.
  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests.
  • Work with medical examiners, coroners, or funeral directors.
  • Address workers' compensation, law-enforcement, and government requests.
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal proceedings.

Purpose

We respect your privacy and are legally required to protect the privacy of your protected health information, also referred to as "PHI," under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA").

We also comply with applicable state privacy laws, including laws that provide greater protection for your PHI than federal law.

As part of our commitment to your privacy and our legal responsibilities, Baron Medical Services provides you with this Notice.

This Notice Describes

  • Our legal responsibilities and privacy practices regarding your PHI.
  • Our responsibility to notify you following a breach of your unsecured PHI.
  • The ways we may legally use and disclose your PHI.
  • Your rights regarding your PHI.

Contact

If you have questions about this Notice or our privacy practices, please contact:

Baron Medical Services Privacy Office

Protected Health Information Defined

Your protected health information is health-related information that:

  • Can be used to identify you; and
  • Is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by us in electronic, verbal, or written form.

Your PHI May Include Information Such As

  • Your name.
  • Your contact information.
  • Your past, present, or future physical or mental health conditions.
  • Medical diagnoses or treatment information.
  • Payment information related to health care products or services.
  • Prescription information.
  • Health insurance information.

Scope of This Notice

We create and maintain records of the health care and services you receive to:

  • Provide you with appropriate care.
  • Coordinate your treatment.
  • Process payments.
  • Operate our medical practice.
  • Comply with applicable legal requirements.

This Notice applies to all PHI created, received, maintained, or transmitted by Baron Medical Services.

Baron Medical Services, its employees, providers, contractors, and other workforce members are required to follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice, including any future changes once they take effect.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice. Any changes may apply to all PHI that we already maintain about you, as well as information we receive or create in the future.

An updated Notice will be made available upon request and posted on the Baron Medical Services website where applicable.

Data-Breach Notification

We will notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured PHI. Any required notification will be provided within the time frame required by applicable federal and state laws after we discover the breach.

Your Rights

You have certain rights regarding your health information. This section explains those rights and some of our responsibilities.

Obtain a Copy of Your PHI

You may ask to inspect or obtain an electronic or paper copy of the PHI that we maintain about you. This is known as the "right to request access."

Regarding access requests:

  • We may require you to submit your request in writing or through an electronically signed form.
  • We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copying, mailing, supplies, or other expenses associated with your request, as permitted by applicable law.
  • You may ask us to provide a copy of your PHI to a family member, another person, or a designated organization.
  • You may request that we send copies of your PHI directly to a third party of your choice.
  • We may deny access in certain limited circumstances permitted by law.

Ask Us to Correct Your Medical Record

You may ask us to correct or amend PHI that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

For these requests:

  • You may be required to submit your request in writing.
  • You must identify the information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
  • You must provide a reason supporting your request.
  • We may deny the request if the information was not created by us.
  • We may deny the request if the information is not part of our records.
  • We may deny the request if the information is not part of a designated record set.
  • We may deny the request if the information is already accurate and complete.

When required, we will add the material created or submitted in connection with your amendment request to your designated record.

Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share

You have the right to ask us to limit how we use or disclose your PHI. This is known as the "right to request restrictions." You may ask us not to use or share certain PHI for treatment, payment, health care operations, or with certain individuals involved in your care. We may require you to submit the request in writing.

For these requests:

  • We are generally not required to agree to your request.
  • We may decline the request if it could negatively affect your care.
  • We will agree not to disclose information to a health plan for payment or health care operations when the restriction relates to an item or service that you, or another person other than the health plan, paid for completely out of pocket, unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Obtain a List of Certain Disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures we have made involving your PHI.

Regarding these requests:

  • The accounting will generally not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
  • It may not include disclosures that you requested or authorized.
  • We will provide one accounting within a 12-month period at no charge.
  • We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you request an additional accounting within the same 12-month period.

Choose Someone to Act for You

If you have given another person medical power of attorney, or if someone has been legally appointed as your guardian or personal representative, that person may exercise your rights and make choices regarding your PHI. We may verify that the person has the necessary authority before taking action.

Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to ask us to communicate with you about health-related matters in a particular way or at a particular location.

For example, you may ask us to contact you:

  • Only at work.
  • At a specific mailing address.
  • Through a specific phone number.
  • Through another reasonable method.

For these requests:

  • You must clearly tell us how or where you would like to be contacted.
  • We will accommodate reasonable requests.

File a Complaint

You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. Baron Medical Services will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Submit a complaint directly to Baron Medical Services:

Complaints submitted directly to Baron Medical Services should be provided in writing.

Submit a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights: You may also file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights of the United States Department of Health and Human Services by visiting: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html

Your Choices

For certain types of health information, you may tell us how you would like your information to be shared. When you clearly communicate your preference in the situations described below, we will make reasonable efforts to follow your instructions.

You may choose whether we:

  • Share information with your family members, close friends, or others involved in your care.
  • Share information during a disaster-relief situation.

When you are unable to communicate your preference, we may share information when we believe, based on our professional judgment, that doing so is in your best interest. We may also disclose your information when necessary to prevent or reduce a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you or another person.

Written Authorization Is Required For

Unless otherwise permitted by law, we will not use or disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:

  • Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
  • Marketing purposes.
  • Selling your PHI or receiving compensation for disclosing it.
  • Certain research activities.
  • Other uses and disclosures not described in this Notice.

You may revoke your written authorization at any time by submitting a written request. Revoking your authorization will not affect information that we already used or disclosed based on your previous authorization.

Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI

The law permits or requires us to use or disclose your PHI for various reasons. This Notice provides examples, but it does not describe every situation in which a use or disclosure may be legally permitted or required.

When using, disclosing, or requesting your PHI, we will make reasonable efforts to limit the information to the minimum amount necessary to accomplish the intended purpose, except where the minimum-necessary requirement does not apply.

PHI legally disclosed to another party may, in certain circumstances, be further disclosed by the recipient and may no longer be protected by the same privacy laws, safeguards, or restrictions that applied while the information was in our possession.

Treatment

We may use or disclose your PHI and share it with health care professionals who are involved in your treatment, including:

  • Physicians.
  • Nurses.
  • Technicians.
  • Pharmacies.
  • Laboratories.
  • Other health care providers.

For example, we may provide information about your overall health condition to a physician treating you for a specific medical condition.

Billing and Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to bill for health care services and receive payment from health plans, insurance companies, or other responsible parties.

For example, we may share relevant information with your health insurance provider so it can process and pay for services you receive.

Running Our Organization

We may use and disclose your PHI to:

  • Operate and manage Baron Medical Services.
  • Improve the quality of your care.
  • Coordinate treatment and services.
  • Train our workforce.
  • Monitor the quality and performance of our health care services.
  • Contact you when necessary.
  • Conduct administrative and business activities.

For example, we may use your PHI to manage the treatment and services you receive or to review the quality of care provided by our organization.

Other Uses and Disclosures

We may use or disclose your information in other ways, usually to support public health activities, legal compliance, research, or other public-interest purposes. More information about permitted HIPAA uses and disclosures is available at: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

Business Associates

We may disclose your PHI to outside individuals or organizations that provide services on our behalf. These parties are known as "business associates."

Business associates may provide services such as:

  • Billing.
  • Auditing.
  • Legal support.
  • Technology services.
  • Data storage.
  • Transcription.
  • Administrative support.

Applicable law requires our business associates and their subcontractors to protect your PHI. We also require these parties through written agreements to use and disclose your PHI only as permitted and to maintain appropriate safeguards.

Complying With the Law

We may disclose your PHI when required by federal, state, or local law. For example, we may share your PHI with the United States Department of Health and Human Services when it is investigating our compliance with HIPAA or other privacy laws.

Public Health and Safety Activities

We may disclose your PHI for public health and safety purposes, including to:

  • Report injuries, births, or deaths.
  • Prevent or control disease.
  • Report adverse reactions to medications.
  • Report medical-device defects.
  • Report suspected child abuse or neglect.
  • Report suspected domestic violence or elder abuse.
  • Prevent or reduce a serious threat to public health or safety.

Responding to Legal Proceedings

We may disclose your PHI in response to:

  • A court order.
  • An administrative order.
  • A subpoena.
  • A discovery request.
  • A warrant.
  • Another lawful legal process.

Research

We may use or disclose your PHI for certain health-related research activities when permitted by law. For example, information may be used or disclosed when an Institutional Review Board ("IRB") or privacy board has approved the research and waived the requirement for written authorization because the activity presents minimal privacy risk.

Medical Examiners, Coroners, and Funeral Directors

We may disclose PHI to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors when an individual dies and the information is needed for them to perform their legal duties.

Organ and Tissue Donation

We may disclose your PHI to organizations involved in:

  • Organ procurement.
  • Eye banking.
  • Tissue banking.
  • Transplantation.
  • Organ or tissue donation.

The information may be disclosed when necessary to facilitate an authorized donation or transplant.

Workers' Compensation, Law Enforcement, and Government Requests

We may use or disclose your PHI for:

  • Workers' compensation claims.
  • Health-oversight activities conducted by federal or state agencies.
  • Law-enforcement purposes.
  • Requests from authorized law-enforcement officials.
  • Military and veterans' activities.
  • National-security and intelligence activities.
  • Presidential protective services.
  • Medical-suitability determinations.
  • Other specialized government functions permitted by law.

More Protective Privacy Laws

The privacy laws of a particular state or other federal laws may provide greater protection for your health information than HIPAA. When a more protective law applies and is not overridden by federal law, Baron Medical Services will comply with the more protective requirement.