Notice of Privacy Practices  
 
   

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

  
 

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

  
   
   
The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") is a federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, are kept properly confidential.  This Act gives you, the patient, significant new rights to understand and control how your health information is used. "HIPAA" provides penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information.

As required by "HIPAA", we have prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose your health information.

We may use and disclose your medical records only for each of the following purposes: treatment, payment, and health care operations.

  

  • Treatment means providing, coordinating, or managing health care and related services by one or more health care providers.
  • Payment means such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services, confirming coverage, billing or collection activities.
  • Health care operations include the business aspects of running our practice, such as conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, auditing functions, cost-management analysis, and customer service.
We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives.

Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization.  You may revoke such authorization in writing and we are required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.'

You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information, which you can exercise by presenting a written request to the Privacy Officer:

  
   
  • The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including those related to disclosures to family members, other relatives, close personal friends, or any other person identified by you.  We are, however, not required to agree to a requested restriction. If we do agree to a restriction, we must abide by it unless you agree in writing to remove it.
  • The right to reasonable requests to receive confidential communications of protected health information from us.
  • The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.
  • The right to amend your protected health information.
  • The right to receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information.
  • The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us upon request.
 
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.

This notice is effective as of April 14, 2003 and we are required to abide by the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. We will post and you may request a written copy of a revised Notice of Privacy Practices from this office.

You have recourse if you feel that your privacy protections have been violated.  You have the right to file written complaint with our office or with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights, about violations of the provisions of this notice or the policies and procedures of our office.  We will not retaliate against you for filling a complaint.

  
     
For more information about HIPAA or to file a complaint:         Dear Patient,
Please contact us for more information:     Thank you for allowing us the privilege of providing your dental care.  The security of your protected health information is an obligation and duty every member of our dental team takes very seriously. You have our pledge to be worthy of your trust.

Sincerely.

 
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services    
Office of Civil Rights    
200 Independence Ave., S.W.    
Washington, D.C. 20201    

Ronald Darden, D.D.S. / Bryce Darden D.D.S. 

 
Toll Free: 1 (877) 696-6775    

And Staff

  
     
 
   
   
   

Copyright © 2003 Darden D.D.S.  A Dental Corporation. 

 

All Rights Reserved.