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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.

We respect our legal obligation to keep health information that identifies you private.  We are obligated by law to give you our Notice of Privacy Practices.  This Notice describes how we protect your health information and what rights you have regarding it.

TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA), we may use or disclose your protected health information for treatment, payment and health care operations without any special permission:
a) Treatment: for example, we may use of disclose your health information when setting up an appointment for you; testing or examining your eyes; prescribing glasses, contact lenses, or eye medications and faxing them to be filled; referring you to another doctor for eye care services; or getting copies of your health information from another professional that you may have seen before us.
b) Payment; For example, we may use or disclose your health information when asking you about your health or vision care plans, or other sources of payment; preparing and sending bills or claims; and collecting unpaid amounts (either ourselves or through a collection agency).
c) Health care operations; For example, we may use or disclose your health information for financial or billing audits; personnel decisions; participation in managed care plans; defense of legal matters.
Most uses and disclosures that do not fall under treatment, payment, health care operations will require you written authorization. We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization. Upon signing, you may revoke your authorization (in writing) through our practice at any time.
 
USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR OTHER REASONS WITHOUT PERMISSION
Emergency Situations-in the event of your incapacity or an emergency situation, we will disclose health information to a family member, or another person responsible for your care, using our professional judgment. We will only disclose health information that is directly relevant to the person's involvement in your healthcare.
Required by Law-We may also use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Abuse or Neglect-We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence or the victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to you or other people's health or safety.
National Security-We may disclose the health information of Armed Forces personnel to military authorities under certain circumstances. We may disclose health information to authorized federal officials required for lawful intelligence, counter intelligence and other national security activities. We may disclose health information of inmates or patients to the appropriate authorities under certain circumstances.
Business Associates-We may use or disclose your health information to 'business associates' who perform health care operations for us and who commit to respect the privacy of your health information.
Other-Unless you object, we will also share relevant information about your care with your family or friends who are helping you with your eye care. We may also access your personal health information in order to inform you about alternate services or products that might benefit you.
 
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders via phone, e-mail, postcard, or letter. This may involve leaving a message on e-mail, an answering machine or by postcard which could be received or intercepted by others.
 
YOUR RIGHTS AS A PATIENT
-You have the right to restrict the disclosure of your protected health information. The request for restriction may be denied if the information is required for treatment, payment or health care operations.
-Your have the right to ask us to communicate with you in a confidential way.
-You have the right to inspect and request a copy of your protected health information. you may have to pay for photocopies in advance.
-You have the right to amend your protected health information if you think that it is incorrect or incomplete. Your record will either be amended or a statement of your position included in your record.
-You have the right to receive an account of disclosures of your protected health information.
-You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
You may send a letter to the Public Information Officer at the address or fax number listed at the top of this Notice for any of the above requests. We will usually respond to your request within 30 days of receiving it.
 
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Dr Kaplan*Dr.Epstein, Optometrists, P.A. is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice as it is currently stated, and reserve the right to change this Notice. If we change our Notice of Privacy Practices, we will post the new Notice in our office, have copies available, and post it on our website.
 
COMPLAINTS
If you think we have not properly respected the privacy of your health information, you may submit a complaint in writing to our Public Relations Officer at the address or fax number listed at the top of this Notice, or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. you will not be retaliated against in any manner for a complaint.
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you want more information about our privacy practices, contact the Public Information Officer at the address or phone number shown at the top of this Notice.

Notice of Privacy...