Notice of Privacy Practices
This notice describes how information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. It outlines your rights and our responsibilities. Please review it carefully.
Federal Regulations implemented by the government under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) are in effect as of April 14, 2003. These regulations require Waterfront Urgent Care to provide you with a privacy notice. This notice describes how your personal treatment information may be used and/or disclosed by Waterfront Urgent Care to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes how you can obtain access and control of this information. These regulations also require Waterfront Urgent Care to obtain your acknowledgement of receipt of this notice. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask our staff. This notice is in effect as of August 2, 2021.
PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
(PHI) means any patient information relating to treatment, diagnosis, or payment that identifies a person.
USES & DISCLOSURES OF PHI
We use PHI when we, within our organization, share, examine, or analyze your information. We disclose PHI when we release, transfer, or give access to PHI to other external persons or facilities. Except for the following circumstances we will not release your PHI without your written authorization.
Treatment: We will use and/or disclose your PHI to provide treatment services, coordinate care, and/or help manage your health care and other treatment services. We may also disclose PHI to external persons or facilities that will be involved in your treatment. Some disclosures may require a separate written authorization.
Payment: Your PHI will be used and/or disclosed, as needed, to help obtain payment for your services. These uses are often required to obtain payment from third parties. Many services require prior authorization and your PHI may be disclosed to obtain insurance authorization for such services before they are rendered.
Health Care Operations: Your PHI may be used and/or disclosed, as needed, to aid us in the everyday administration of Waterfront Urgent Care. We want to provide you with the highest quality of service . In order to help us do so, we may use your PHI for quality control reviews, internal investigations, performance reviews, training of new employees, and for other related activities.
Continuation of Treatment: We may use and/or disclose your PHI to ensure continuation of care by checking on your progress or notifying you of received test results, referrals to other providers, or follow up recommendations.
Treatment Options: We may use and/or disclose your PHI to inform you of various treatment options or programs that may be of benefit to you.
Medical Benefit Services: We may use and/or disclose your PHI to inform you of various medical benefit services in the community that may be of use to you.
OTHER PERMITTED/REQUIRED USES & DISCLOSURES
We may use and/or disclose your PHI to the appropriate authorities in the following situations without your authorization as required by federal, state or local law
- Public safety issues that require notification to the proper public or health authorities
- Issues of National Security or Military Activity
- Health Oversight Agencies
- Court Ordered Legal Proceedings
- Law Enforcement
- Correctional Institutions at which you may be an inmate
- Approved research projects
- Coroners, organs donations services and funeral directors
- Workers’ Compensation
- Change in ownership of Waterfront Urgent Care
- The Food & Drug Administration
PERMITTED USES & DISCLOSURES THAT MAY BE USED WITH YOUR AUTHORIZATION & OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT
We may use and/or disclose your PHI to the appropriate authorities in certain situations. You have the opportunity to consent or object to the use and/or disclosure of all or part of your PHI in the following situations:
Emergencies or Disaster Relief Situations: If an emergent situation exists where it is impossible to obtain your consent for PHI uses and/or disclosures, we may share your PHI. We will make every effort to obtain consent and inform you of the use and/or disclosure once the emergent situation is resolved.
Marketing: We will not use and/or disclose your PHI for any marketing purposes without your written consent. Waterfront Urgent Care will not sell any protected health information.
Other Persons Involved in Your Care: We may disclose your PHI to notify a family member or another responsible person of your care or condition. You will be given the opportunity to agree or object to the disclosure of this PHI before we will communicate with other persons involved in your care. We may share your information when we need to lessen an imminent threat to health and safety.
Your Rights Regarding Your PHI
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI in your designated record set. This designated record set is any records that Waterfront Urgent Care may have about you used for making treatment decisions. Under federal law, you may not inspect a copy of psychotherapy notes, information being used in anticipation of legal proceedings, or PHI that is otherwise prohibited.
You have the right to ask for corrections to your medical record if you believe they are inaccurate or incomplete. Waterfront Urgent Care has the right to deny your request if the record is found to be accurate and complete. We will inform you of our decision in writing within thirty days.
You have the right to request restrictions be placed on certain uses and/or disclosures of your PHI. You may ask us not to use and/or disclose part of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You may also request that any part of your PHI not be disclosed to any of your family members. You must state the specific restriction request and to whom it applies. Please submit these requests in writing to the Center Manager. Waterfront Urgent Care has the right not to agree with your request, if the organization determines it is in your best health interest to allow use and/or disclosure of your PHI. We are unable to approve a request to restrict disclosure of health information to a health plan where the individual utilizes their health insurance. Individuals who pay out of pocket and in full for services may request we not disclose certain health information to their health plan. Waterfront Urgent Care has the right to not agree with your request, if the disclosure is required by law.
You have the right to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternative location. Please notify our staff in writing of this request.
You have the right to request a listing (accounting) of certain disclosures for six years prior to the date you make the request that Waterfront Urgent Care has made of your PHI. Disclosures you requested or that were made for treatment, payment, and health care operations will not be included in the accounting. Please request an accounting list from the Center Manager. You have the right to be notified promptly following the discovery of a data breach.
You have the right to make changes to the disclosure decisions you have previously communicated to our office. Please notify our staff in writing of this request.
You have a right to receive a copy of this Privacy Notice.
Waterfront Urgent Care has the right to change the terms of this notice. We will inform current patients of any changes made to this Privacy Notice.
You have the right to choose someone to act on your behalf. If you have designated a medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
Please contact the Center Manager if you have questions or need assistance regarding your records or our privacy policy.
If you feel your privacy rights have been violated you have the option to file a formal complaint. Please contact the Center Manager at (304) 322-2077, by email at [email protected], or by mail at 215 Don Knotts Blvd Morgantown, WV 26501 or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Ave, SW Washington, DC 20201 or by calling 1-877-696-6775, or by visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.