Notice of Privacy Practices, Guarneri Integrative Health, Inc.

Notice of Privacy Practices

 

Guarneri Integrative Health, Inc.

Pacific Pearl La Jolla |6919 La Jolla Blvd. La Jolla, CA 92037

858-459-6919

858-459-6933 fax

 

As required by the privacy regulations created as a result of the Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This notice describes how health information about you (as a

patient of this practice) may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to your individually

identifiable health information. Please review this notice carefully; a copy will be provided to you if you

wish.

  1. Our commitment to your privacy:

Our practice is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your individually identifiable health information

(also called protected health information, or PHI). 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 PHI. 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 PHI,
  • Your privacy rights in your PHI,
  • Our obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your PHI.

The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your PHI 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.

  1. If you have questions about this Notice, please contact:

Rauni Prittinen King, RN

Executive Director

Guarneri Integrative Health Inc.

6919 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037

858-459-6919 phone, 858-459-6933 fax

 

  1. We may use and disclose your PHI in the following ways:

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

  1. Treatment. Our practice may use your PHI to treat you. For example, we may ask you to hav

laboratory tests (such as blood or urine tests), and we may use the results to help us reach a diagnosis.

We might use your PHI in order to write a prescription for you, or we might disclose your PHI 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 PHI in order to treat you

or to assist others in your treatment. Additionally, we may disclose your PHI to others who may assist in

your care, such as your spouse, children or parents. Finally, we may also disclose your PHI to other

health care providers for purposes related to your treatment.

  1. Payment. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI 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 PHI to obtain payment from third parties that may be responsible for

such costs, such as family members. Also, we may use your PHI to bill you directly for services and items.

We may disclose your PHI to other health care providers and entities to assist in their billing and

collection efforts.

  1. Health care operations. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI 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 PHI 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 PHI to other health

care providers and entities to assist in their health care operations.

  1. Appointment reminders. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to contact you and remind you

of an appointment.

  1. Treatment options. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to inform you of potential treatment

options or alternatives.

  1. Health-related benefits and services. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to inform you of

health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

  1. Release of information to family/friends. Our practice may release your PHI 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 baby sitter take their child to the pediatrician’s office for treatment of a cold. In

this example, the baby sitter may have access to this child’s medical information.

  1. Fundraising. We may contact you as part of a fundraising effort. If we do contact you, we will also

provide you with a way to opt out of receiving future fundraising requests.

  1. Disclosures required by law. Our practice will use and disclose your PHI when we are required to do

so by federal, state or local law.

  1. Use and disclosure of your PHI in certain special circumstances:

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 PHI to public health authorities that are authorized

by law to collect information for the purpose of:

  • Maintaining vital records, such as births and deaths,
  • Reporting child abuse or neglect,
  • Preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability,
  • Notifying a person regarding potential exposure to a communicable disease,
  • Notifying a person regarding a potential risk for spreading or contracting a disease or condition,
  • Reporting reactions to drugs or problems with products or devices,
  • Notifying individuals if a product or device they may be using has been recalled,
  • Notifying appropriate government agency (ies) and authority(ies) regarding the potential abuse

or neglect of an adult patient (including domestic violence); however, we will only disclose this

information if the patient agrees or we are required or authorized by law to disclose this information,

  • Notifying your employer under limited circumstances related primarily to workplace injury or

illness or medical surveillance.

  1. Health oversight activities. Our practice may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for

activities authorized by law. Oversight activities can include, for example, investigations, inspections,

audits, surveys, licensure and disciplinary actions; civil, administrative and criminal procedures or

actions; or other activities necessary for the government to monitor government programs, compliance

with civil rights laws and the health care system in general.

  1. Lawsuits and similar proceedings. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI in response to a court

or administrative order, if you are involved in a lawsuit or similar proceeding. We also may disclose your

PHI in response to a discovery request, subpoena or other lawful process by another party involved in

the dispute, but only if we have made an effort to inform you of the request or to obtain an order

protecting the information the party has requested.

  1. Law enforcement. We may release PHI if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:
  • Regarding a crime victim in certain situations, if we are unable to obtain the person’s

agreement,

  • Concerning a death we believe has resulted from criminal conduct,
  • Regarding criminal conduct at our offices,
  • In response to a warrant, summons, court order, subpoena or similar legal process,
  • To identify/locate a suspect, material witness, fugitive or missing person,
  • In an emergency, to report a crime (including the location or victim(s) of the crime, or the

description, identity or location of the perpetrator).

  1. Our practice may release PHI to a medical examiner or coroner to identify a deceased individual or to

identify the cause of death. If necessary, we also may release information in order for funeral directors

to perform their jobs.

  1. Our practice may release your PHI to organizations that handle organ, eye or tissue procurement or

transplantation, including organ donation banks, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and

transplantation if you are an organ donor.

  1. Research: Our practice may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes in certain limited

circumstances. We will obtain your written authorization to use your PHI for research purposes except

when an Internal Review Board or Privacy Board has determined that the waiver of your authorization

satisfies all of the following conditions:

 

(A) The use or disclosure involves no more than a minimal risk to your privacy based on the

following: (i) an adequate plan to protect the identifiers from improper use and disclosure; (ii) an

adequate plan to destroy the identifiers at the earliest opportunity consistent with the research (unless

there is a health or research justification for retaining the identifiers or such retention is otherwise

required by law); and (iii) adequate written assurances that the PHI will not be re-used or disclosed to

any other person or entity (except as required by law) for authorized oversight of the research study, or

for other research for which the use or disclosure would otherwise be permitted;

(B) The research could not practicably be conducted without the waiver,

(C) The research could not practicably be conducted without access to and use of the PHI.

  1. Serious threats to health or safety. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to

reduce or prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another

individual or the public. Under these circumstances, we will only make disclosures to a person or

organization able to help prevent the threat.

  1. Military. Our practice may disclose your PHI if you are a member of U.S. or foreign military forces

(including veterans) and if required by the appropriate authorities.

  1. National security. Our practice may disclose your PHI to federal officials for intelligence and national

security activities authorized by law. We also may disclose your PHI to federal and national security

activities authorized by law. We also may disclose your PHI to federal officials in order to protect the

president, other officials or foreign heads of state, or to conduct investigations.

  1. Inmates. Our practice may disclose your PHI to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials

if you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official. Disclosure for these purposes

would be necessary: (a) for the institution to provide health care services to you, (b) for the safety and

security of the institution, and/or (c) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of other

individuals.

  1. Workers’ compensation. Our practice may release your PHI for workers’ compensation and similar

programs.

 

  1. Your rights regarding your PHI:

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

 

  1. Confidential communications. You have the right to request that our practice communicate with you

about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location. For instance, you

may ask that we contact you at home, rather than work. In order to request a type of confidential

communication, you must make a written request to Rauni Prittinen King, Executive Director, 858-459-

6919 specifying the requested method of contact, or the location where you wish to be contacted. Our

practice will accommodate reasonable requests. You do not need to give a reason for your request.

  1. Requesting restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your PHI

for treatment, payment or health care operations. Additionally, you have the right to request that we

restrict our disclosure of your PHI to only certain individuals involved in your care or the payment for

your care, such as family members and friends. We are not required to agree to your request; however,

if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except when otherwise required by law, in emergencies

or when the information is necessary to treat you. In order to request a restriction in our use or

disclosure of your PHI, you must make your request in writing to Rauni Prittinen King, Executive

Director. Your request must describe in a clear and concise fashion:

  • The information you wish restricted,
  • Whether you are requesting to limit our practice’s use, disclosure or both,
  • To whom you want the limits to apply.

 

  1. Inspection and copies. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the PHI that may be used to

make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records, but not including

psychotherapy notes. You must submit your request in writing to Rauni King, Executive Director in

order to inspect and/or obtain a copy of your PHI. Our practice may charge a fee for the costs of

copying, mailing, labor and supplies associated with your request. Our practice may deny your request

to inspect and/or copy in certain limited circumstances; however, you may request a review of our

denial. Another licensed health care professional chosen by us will conduct reviews.

  1. Amendment. You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or

incomplete, and you may request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our

practice. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to Rauni

Prittinen King, Executive Director. You must provide us with a reason that supports your request for

amendment. Our practice will deny your request if you fail to submit your request (and the reason

supporting your request) in writing. Also, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information

that is in our opinion: (a) accurate and complete; (b) not part of the PHI kept by or for the practice; (c)

not part of the PHI which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (d) not created by our

practice, unless the individual or entity that created the information is not available to amend the

information.

  1. Accounting of disclosures. All of our patients have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures.”

An “accounting of disclosures” is a list of certain non-routine disclosures our practice has made of your

PHI for purposes not related to treatment, payment or operations. Use of your PHI as part of the routine

patient care in our practice is not required to be documented – for example, the doctor sharing information with the nurse;

or the billing department using your information to file your insurance

claim. In order to obtain an accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to Rauni

Prittinen King, Executive Director. All requests for an “accounting of disclosures” must state a time

period, which may not be longer than six (6) years from the date of disclosure and may not include dates

before January 1, 2014. The first list you request within a 12-month period is free of charge, but our

practice may charge you for additional lists within the same 12-month period. Our practice will notify

you of the costs involved with additional requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur

any costs.

  1. Right to a paper copy of this notice. You are entitled to receive a paper copy of our notice of privacy

practices. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. To obtain a paper copy of this

notice, contact Rauni Prittinen King, Executive Director, 858-459-6919.

  1. Right to file a complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a

complaint with our practice or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To

file a complaint with our practice, contact Rauni Prittinen King, Executive Director, 858-459-6919. All

complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

  1. 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 or permitted by

applicable law. Any authorization you provide to us regarding the use and disclosure of your PHI may be

revoked at any time in writing. After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose

your PHI for the reasons described in the authorization. Please note: we are required to retain records of your care.

Again, if you have any questions regarding this notice or our health information privacy policies,

please contact Rauni Prittinen King, Executive Director, 858-459-6919.

This notice is effective as of January 1, 2014.

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