Notice of privacy practices

We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, to let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised your PHI, to follow the current notice in effect, and to give you a copy of this notice on request. We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we may in writing.

For home health care, we typically use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

• Treatment. To coordinate your care — for example, sharing wound-care notes, therapy progress or medication updates between our nurses, therapists, social workers and your physician.
• Payment. To bill Medicare, Medicaid or your insurance for skilled nursing visits, therapy sessions and medical social work, including confirming eligibility and coverage.
• Health care operations. For quality assessment, staff training, accreditation activities (such as Joint Commission reviews), and internal care coordination.
• Communication with family. To share information with a family member, friend or caregiver involved in your care, when you do not object or in a professional judgment it is in your best interest.

The law permits us to use or share your PHI without written authorization in certain situations, including:

• Public health and safety purposes, such as reporting communicable diseases or adverse events.
• Compliance with legal requirements, such as court orders or reporting abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
• Workers’ compensation, organ donation, and limited research purposes approved by a privacy board.
• To avert a serious threat to your health or safety or that of others.

Any other use or disclosure — for example, for marketing or to sell your information — requires your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time.

When it comes to your health information, you have the right to:

• Get a paper or electronic copy of your medical record, and ask us to correct it if you believe something is inaccurate.
• Request confidential communications — for example, asking us to call you at a specific number.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share (we are not required to agree to all requests).
• Get a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information.
• Choose someone to act for you if you are unable to make decisions about your care.
• File a complaint if you feel your rights have been violated.

We can change the terms of this notice at any time. The new notice will apply to all protected health information we maintain. The effective date will appear at the top, and a current copy will be available on request and posted at our office.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint. To file with us, call 956.725.AIDE (2433) or email info@firstaidehomecare.com.