Privacy Policy

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES FOR ARKANSAS CARDIOLOGY, P.A.

As required by Privacy Standards Created as a Result of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION (AS AN ARKANSAS CARDIOLOGY, P.A. PATIENT) MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR INDIVIDUAL IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION.

PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY

A. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Arkansas Cardiology is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your individually identifiable health information as protected by law, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). In conducting our business, we will create records about 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 are also required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal obligations and the privacy practices we maintain in our practice with respect to your PHI. By federal and state law, we must follow the terms of our then-current notice of privacy practices.

We are aware 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 Regarding 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 modify this Notice of Privacy Practices. Any revisions or amendments 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. You may request a copy of our most recent Notice at any time.

B. I

  • IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NOTICE, PLEASE CONTACT:

Arkansas Cardiology, P.A., Privacy Officer at 501 227-7596.

C. WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (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 have lab tests (such as blood or urine tests) and we may use the results to help us reach a diagnosis. We may use your PHI to write you a prescription, or we may 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 to treat you or assist others in your treatment. In addition, 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.
  2. Payment. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for 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 about your treatment to determine whether your insurer will cover or pay for your treatment. We may also use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment from third parties who may be responsible for such costs, such as family members. In addition, 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 them in their billing and collection efforts.
  3. 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 perform business planning and cost management activities for our practice. We may disclose your PHI to other health care providers and entities to assist in their health care operations.
  4. Appointment Reminders. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to contact you and remind you of an appointment.
  5. Treatment Options. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to inform you of possible treatment options or alternatives.
  6. Benefits and Services Related to Your Health. Our practice may use and disclose your PHI to inform you of health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.
  7. Disclosure of Information to Family/Friends. Our practice may disclose your PHI to a friend or family member who is involved in your care or who helps care for you. For example, a parent or guardian may ask a babysitter to drive their child to the pediatrician’s office for treatment for 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 PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.

D. 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 who are authorized by law to collect information in order to:
    • Keeping vital records, such as births and deaths
    • reporting child abuse or neglect
    • prevent or control disease, injury, or disability
    • notifying a person of possible exposure to a communicable disease
    • Notify a person of a potential risk of spreading or contracting a disease or condition
    • report reactions to medications or problems with products or devices
    • Notify people if a product or device they may be using has been recalled
    • notify the appropriate government agency(s) and authority(ies) regarding possible abuse or neglect of an adult patient (including domestic violence); However, we will only disclose this information if the patient agrees or if we are required or authorized by law to disclose this information.
    • Notify your employer in limited circumstances primarily related to workplace injuries or illnesses or medical surveillance.
  2. Health Surveillance Activities. Our practice may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. Oversight activities may include, for example, investigations, inspections, audits, surveys, licensing and disciplinary action; civil, administrative and criminal proceedings or actions; or other activities necessary for the government to monitor government programs, compliance with civil rights laws, and the health care system as a whole.
  3. Similar Trials and Procedures. 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 may also disclose your PHI in response to a discovery request, subpoena, or other legal process from another party involved in the dispute, but only if we have made an effort to inform you of the request or obtain an order protecting the information the party has requested.
    1. Compliance with Law. We may disclose PHI if requested to do so by a law enforcement official:
    • With respect to a victim of a crime in certain situations, if we are unable to obtain the consent of the person
    • With respect to a death that we believe has resulted from criminal conduct
    • About criminal conduct in our offices
    • In response to a court order, subpoena, court order, subpoena, or similar legal process
    • To identify/locate a suspect, material witness, fugitive or missing person
    • In case of emergency, to report a crime (including the location or victim(s) of the crime, or the description, identity, or location of the perpetrator)
  5. Deceased patients. Our practice may disclose PHI to a medical examiner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person or to identify the cause of death. If necessary, we may also disclose information for funeral directors to perform their work.
  6. Organ and Tissue Donation. Our practice may disclose your PHI to organizations that handle the procurement or transplantation of organs, eyes, or tissues, including organ donation banks, as necessary to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation if you are an organ donor.
  7. 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 where the Internal or Review Board or the Privacy Board has determined that the waiver of your authorization complies with the following: (i) the use or disclosure poses no more than a minimal risk to your privacy based on the following: (A) an adequate plan to protect identifiers from improper use and disclosure; (b) an adequate plan to destroy the identifiers as soon as possible in accordance with the investigation (unless there is a health or research justification for retaining the identifiers or such retention is required by law); and (C) adequate written guarantees that PHI will not be reused, 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 use or disclosure to the contrary is permitted; (ii) the investigation could not be carried out in practice without the exemption; and (iii) research could not be conducted in practice without access to and use of PHI.
  8. 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 person or the public. In these circumstances, we will only make disclosures to a person or organization that can help prevent the threat.
  9. Military. Our practice may disclose your PHI if you are a member of the U.S. or foreign military (including veterans) and if required to do so by appropriate law enforcement.
  10. National security. Our practice may disclose your PHI to federal officials for intelligence and national security activities authorized by law. We may also disclose your PHI to federal officials to protect the president, other foreign officials or heads of state, or to conduct investigations.
  11. Inmates. Our practice may disclose your PHI to correctional institutions or law enforcement officers if you are an inmate or in the custody of a law enforcement officer. Disclosure for these purposes would be necessary: (a) for the institution to provide you with health care services, (b) for the safety of the facility, and/or (c) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of other individuals.
  12. Workers’ Compensation. Our practice may disclose your PHI for workers’ compensation and similar programs.

E. YOUR RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI

You have the following rights with respect to PHI 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 way or in a particular location. For example, you can request that we contact you at home, instead of work. To request a confidential type of communication, you must make a written request to the Privacy Officer specifying the requested contact method or the location where you wish to be contacted. Our office will accommodate reasonable requests. You do not need to give a reason for your request.
  2. Request for Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction on our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. In addition, you have the right to request that we restrict the disclosure of your PHI only to certain persons involved in your care or payment for your care, such as family and friends. We are not obliged to agree to your request; However, if we agree, we are bound by our agreement, except where otherwise required by law, in cases of emergency or when information is necessary to process it. To request a restriction on our use or disclosure of your PHI, you must make your request in writing to the Privacy Officer. Your application should clearly and concisely describe:
    • the information you want to restrict;
    • if you are asking to limit the use of our practice, disclosure, or both; and
    • To whom you want the limits to apply.
  3. 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 the Privacy Officer 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.
  4. Amendment. You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and you may request an amendment while the information is maintained by or for our practice. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and sent to the Privacy Officer. You must provide us with a reason to support your request for modification. Our practice will deny your request if you do not submit your request (and the reason supporting your request) in writing. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that, in our opinion, is: (a) accurate and complete; (b) is not part of PHI maintained by or for practice; (c) you are not part of the PHI that you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (d) not created by our practice, unless the person or entity that created the information is not available to modify the information. You may ask us to amend your health information if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete, and you may request an amendment while the information is maintained by or for our practice.
  5. Accounting for Disclosures. All of our patients have the right to request a “record of disclosures.” A “disclosure accounting” is a list of certain non-routine disclosures that our practice has made of your PHI for purposes other than processing, payment, or operations. It is not necessary to document the use of your PHI as part of routine patient care in our practice. For example, the doctor sharing information with the nurse; or the billing department using your information to file your insurance claim. In addition, we are not required to document disclosures made pursuant to an authorization signed by you. To obtain a report of the disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to the Privacy Officer. All requests for “accounting for disclosures” must indicate a period of time, which may not exceed six (6) years from the date of disclosure and may not include dates prior to April 14, 2003. The first list you request within 12 months is free, but our practice may charge 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 application before incurring costs.
  6. Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice. You have the right to receive a paper copy of our notice of privacy practices. You can ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. To obtain a paper copy of this notice, please contact the front desk.
  7. 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, please contact the Privacy Officer. We urge you to first file your complaint with us and give us the opportunity to address your concerns. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
  8. Right to Provide 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 that we are required to retain records of your care.
  9. 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 the Privacy Officer, at Arkansas Cardiology, P.A., 9501 Lile Dr. Suite 600, Little Rock, AR 72205.