Bad River Health and Wellness Center: 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.

I. Understanding Your Health Record/Information

Each time you visit the Bad River Health and Wellness Center for services, a record of your visit is created. If you are referred by your Bad River Health and Wellness Center provider to an outside facility, we also receive and keep a record of that visit. This record, known as your health record, typically contains your symptoms, examination findings, test results, diagnoses, and treatment plan.

Your health record is a:

• Plan for your care and treatment.
• Communication tool for health care professionals.
• Means to verify services billed to insurance companies like Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurers.
• Source of information for public health authorities.
• Source of data for medical research and facility planning.
• Legal document describing the care you receive.

Understanding what's in your health record helps you ensure its accuracy and make informed decisions about who can access your information.

II. Your Health Information Rights

The physical property of your health record belongs to the Bad River Health and Wellness Center, but the information within it belongs to you. You have the right to:

• Inspect your record by visiting the Bad River Health and Wellness Center under the supervision of the Privacy Officer or through a patient portal.
• Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical records. You can get a copy of your health information by submitting a written request. We will provide a copy or summary, usually within 30 days, for a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. For example, you may ask us not to share your health information with a family member. We will comply with your request unless the information is needed for emergency services. You may also request that we restrict information from going to your health insurance company, but you must pay for all services in full.
• Request a correction or amendment to your health record if you believe the information is incorrect or incomplete. This request must be made in writing and approved by the provider who rendered the service. We will respond within 60 days.
• Request confidential communications about your health information. You can ask us to communicate with you at a different location or through a specific method (e.g., cell phone, text message, email).
• Request and receive a list of disclosures of your health information from the last six years, including who received it and why. We will provide one list per year for free, but a reasonable, cost-based fee will be charged for any additional requests within 12 months.
• Revoke your written authorization to use or disclose health information. This does not apply to information that has already been disclosed or used based on your prior authorization.
• Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• Obtain a paper copy of the Bad River Health and Wellness Center Notice of Privacy Practices upon request.
• File a complaint if you feel your rights have been violated. You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

III. Bad River Health and Wellness Center Responsibilities

The Bad River Health and Wellness Center is required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy of your health information.
• Inform you about our privacy practices.
• Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction.
• Accommodate reasonable requests for alternative communication methods or locations.
• Adhere to the terms of this notice.

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and make new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. If any significant changes are made, we will send you a copy within 60 days and post the revised notice in public areas of our facility and on our website.

We will not use or disclose your health information without your permission, except as described in this notice and as permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

IV. Bad River Health and Wellness Center Authorized Uses and Disclosures

We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes:

• Treatment: We will use and disclose your health information to provide you with treatment. For example, your personal information will be recorded in your health record to determine your course of treatment.
• Payment: We will use and disclose your health information for payment purposes. For example, we may send a bill to your health plan, which includes information to identify you, your diagnosis, and the procedures and supplies used for your treatment.
• Health Care Operations: We will use and disclose your health information for health care operations. For example, we may use your health information to evaluate your care and treatment outcomes with our quality improvement team to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of our services.
• Business Associates: We may share your health information with business associates who perform services on our behalf (e.g., medical testing). We require our business associates to protect and safeguard your health information in accordance with all HIPAA Privacy Rule requirements.
• Notification: We may use or disclose your health information to notify or assist in the notification of a family member or other authorized person responsible for your care, if you authorize a release of information to those designated persons.
• Communication with Family: We may use or disclose your health information to others involved in your care, such as family members, relatives, or close friends, unless you object.
• Interpreters: To provide proper care, we may use an interpreter, which may require the use or disclosure of your personal health information to them.

V. Other Authorized Uses and Disclosures

We may also use or share your information in the following ways:

• Decedents: We may disclose health information to a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person or determine a cause of death. We may also disclose information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law.
• Organ Procurement: We may use or disclose your health information to organ procurement organizations to facilitate organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation.
• Treatment Alternatives: We may contact you to provide information about treatment alternatives or other health-related services that may be of interest to you.
• Appointment Reminders: We will contact you via phone call, text, or email with reminders for your appointments or to advise you of a missed appointment.
• Facility Closures: We will contact you to inform you if the facility or a department will be closed due to holidays, staff training, or weather.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA): We may use or disclose your health information to the FDA in connection with a regulated product or activity.
• Workers' Compensation: We may use or disclose your health information for workers' compensation purposes as authorized by law.
• Public Health: We may use or disclose your health information to public health authorities to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability, or as authorized by law to report abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
• Correctional Institution: If you are an inmate, we may use or disclose health information to the institution as necessary for your health and the health and safety of others.
• Law Enforcement: We may use or disclose your health information for law enforcement activities as authorized by law or in response to a court order.
• Members of the Military: If you are a member of the military, we may use or disclose your health information to the appropriate military command authorities as authorized by law.
• Health Oversight Authorities: We may use or disclose your health information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as investigations and audits.
• Compelling Circumstances: We may use or disclose your health information in certain situations to prevent or lessen a serious threat to the health or safety of a person. We may also disclose information in judiciary and administrative proceedings or to report a crime.

VI. Non-Violation of this Notice

The Bad River Health and Wellness Center is not in violation of this Notice if any of its employees or contractors discloses protected health information under the following circumstances:

• Disclosures by Whistleblowers: If an employee or contractor in good faith believes the Bad River Health and Wellness Center has engaged in unlawful conduct or violated professional standards and discloses this information to a public health or health oversight authority, or to an attorney for the purpose of seeking legal options.

Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time in writing.

To exercise your rights under this Notice, ask for more information, or report a problem, contact the Bad River Health and Wellness Center Health Administrator or Certified HIPAA Privacy Officer at: (715)-682-7133.