IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS OF HIPAA'S PRIVACY RULE, THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO IT. PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY!
Setting up or changing appointments including leaving messages with those at your home or office who may answer the phone or leaving messages on answering machines, voice mails, text messages or emails; calling your name out in a reception room environment; prescribing glasses, contact lenses, or medications as well as relaying this information to suppliers by phone, fax or other electronic means including initial prescriptions and requests from suppliers for refills; notifying you that your ophthalmic goods are ready, including leaving messages with those at your home or office who may answer the phone, or leaving messages on answering machines, voice mails, text messages or emails; referring you to another doctor for care not provided by this office; obtaining copies of health information from doctors you have seen before us; discussing your care with you directly or with family or friends you have inferred or agreed may listen to information about your health; sending you postcards or letters or leaving messages with those at your home who may answer the phone or on answering machines, voice mails, text messages or emails reminding you it is time for continued care; at your request, we can provide you with a copy of your medical records via email transmission.
• Disclosures to business associates who perform health care operations for Yankee Eye Clinic and who commit to respect the privacy of your information. We also require any business associate to require any sub-contractor to comply with our privacy policies.
• Unless you object, disclosure of relevant information to family members or friends who are helping you with your care or by their allowed presence cause us to assume you approve their exposure to relevant information about your health.
It is the policy of Yankee Eye Clinic for our staff to take phone calls from individuals on a patients behalf requesting information about making or changing an appointment; the status of eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other optical goods ordered by or for the patient. Yankee Eye Clinic staff will also assist individuals on a patient's behalf in the delivery of eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other optical goods. During a telephone or in person contact, every effort will be made to limit the encounter to only the specifics needed to complete the transaction required. No information about the patient's vision or health status may be disclosed without proper patient consent. Yankee Eye Clinic staff and doctors will also infer that if you allow another person in an examination room, treatment room, dispensary, or any business area within the office with you while testing is performed or discussions held about your vision or health care or your account that you consent to the presence of that individual.
We will not make any other uses or disclosures of your health information unless you sign a written Authorization for Release of Identifying Health Information. The content of this authorization is determined by federal law. The request for signing an authorization may be initiated by Yankee Eye Clinic or by you as the patient. We will comply with your request if it is applicable to the federal policies regarding authorizations. If we ask you to sign an authorization, you may decline to do so. If you do not sign the authorization, we may not use or disclose the information we intended to use. If you do elect to sign the authorization, you may revoke it at any time. Revocation requests must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer named at the beginning of this Notice.
Health care information you request copies of may be delivered to you in electronic format. The e-formats Yankee Eye Clinic has approved as secure and protects the integrity of your health care information include secure email, an authorized Electronic Health Information system and media supplied by Yankee Eye Clinic.
You may request a list of any non-routine disclosures of your health information that we might have made within the past six (6) years (or a shorter period if you wish). Routine disclosures would include those used your treatment, payment, and business operations of Yankee Eye Clinic. These routine disclosures will not be included in your list of disclosures. You are entitled to one such list per year without charge. If you want more frequent lists, you must pay for them in advance at a fee of $0.00 per list. We will usually respond to your written request (made to the Privacy Officer named at the beginning of this Notice) within thirty (30) days but we are allowed one thirty (30) day extension if we need the time to complete your request.
If you think that anyone at Yankee Eye Clinic has not respected the privacy of your health information, you are free to complain to the Privacy Officer named at the beginning of this Notice. We are more than happy to try to resolve any concern you may have in writing.
If we cannot resolve your concern at that level, you may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights or the state Attorney General's Office. We will not retaliate against you if you make such a complaint.