THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND ABOUT HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
The policy of EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC is to protect the confidentiality, integrity and security of the protected health and personal information of our patients and to prevent unauthorized access to, or the use or disclosure of such information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and provide you with this notice of our duties and obligations. This policy applies to patients who are current or former patients of EASTALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC.
Individually identifiable health and personal information are any information obtained by EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC in connection with providing healthcare treatment, obtaining payment and related health care operations. This relates to past, present or future information that EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC receives from you as our patient.
EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC collects personal information in order to learn about your medical history, medical conditions, render treatment and collect payment for our services. We gather this information from your patient forms, health questionnaires and other forms you will be asked to complete from time-to-time, In addition, we will assemble information based on our discussions and conversations with you, your personal representative, and your family members. Your healthcare plan or insurance carrier may provide information to our office.
We will use this information to provide. caring and quality medical care to you, Examples include diagnosis, treatment and communications such as follow up and appointment reminders, as well as treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits that may be of interest to you or your medical condition. As part of our standard treatment and healthcare operations, we may share information with a facility such as a hospital, laboratory, diagnostic service, or healthcare provider to efficiently coordinate your treatment plan. We will obtain your written authorization before using your information for marketing purposes. For contracted insurers, your information will be used for claims management and to obtain payment from your insurance canier. We will exchange paper and electronic data with your insurance carrier for activities such as eligibility, benefit and coverage determinations, precertification, utilization review and related activities. For worker’s compensation, information about a work- related condition can be exchanged with the employer.
Your information is maintained in our office in our computer system. We also maintain information about you in your medical chart. EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC limits the access to your protected health information to those employees and business associates who need to know that information. With some limitations, you have the right to inspect amend copy and receive an accounting of disclosures of your medical and billing records.
We do not disclose personal information to third parties unless one of the following exceptions applies:
- We will receive an explicit authorization from you to release individually identifiable information. This authorization must be in writing and give exact details regarding to whom the disclosure applies, the nature of the data to be released, the applicable dates and signed by the patient (or guardian). You may revoke this authorization by providing a written statement to Dr. Ruby Powar, EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC, 1518 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL 36830.
- Federal, state or other applicable law requires us to share protected information or records. Your information may be disclosed to a health-agency for purposes such as licensure, certification, audits, investigations and inspections. As required for law enforcement purposes or in response to a valid subpoena or court order, your information may be disclosed. Other disclosures could be required by law for military duty, national security activities or for coroners/funeral directors to carry out their duties.
We are obligated to abide by the terms of this notice. We will obtain a signed, written authorization from you for permission to use and disclose your information for reasons not described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. The authorization will have an expiration date and a description of the purpose or the event you are authorizing. You will be provided with a copy of the signed authorization. You have the right to revoke the authorization in writing, at any time, and mail to Dr. Ruby Powar at EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC, 1518 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL 36830.
We will notify you in the event you are affected by an unsecured breach of information. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practice and to make new notice provisions effective for all health information that we maintain. The revised notice will be made available on our website/portal and any new notices will be distributed to you upon your return to the practice.
With some exceptions, you have the right to inspect, review or obtain a copy of your health information. This request must be in writing and there may be a reasonable charge to provide you with a copy of your information, You also have the right to request your records be amended, to request special accommodations and restrictions of your health information, including to your health plan, and to receive an accounting of the disclosures of your information. You have the right to request to receive communications of your information in a special manner or location. EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC is not obligated to agree to a requested restriction unless the disclosure to your heal plan is for payment or health care operations and is not otherwise required by law AND it pertains solely to a health care item or service has paid the health care provider/entity in full. We must receive a written request from you to administer these rights. Please ask to speak to the Privacy Officer or office Manager for further information or to begin the process to exercise any of these rights.
If you have a complaint about the management of your health information or believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact our Privacy/Security Officer, Dr. Ruby Powar at 334-321-0060 or you may file a complaint in writing to our Privacy Officer EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC., 1518 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL 36830.
You have the right to file a complaint with our office and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and there will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either entity.
Other optional uses of PHI:
- Your medical information may be reviewed by our medical staff for possible inclusion and referral in research studies. Yon will be contacted prior the use of your information in a research study. You will be required to sign and complete a written authorization. The authorization will have an expiration date and a description of the purpose or the event you are authorizing. You have the right to revoke the authorization in writing and then mail to Dr. Powar at EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC 1518 Professional Parkway, Auburn, AL 36830 or this may done at our office. You will be provided with a copy of the signed authorization.
- We may contact you for fundraising opportunities and you have the opportunity to opt out of such communications.
- In order to coordinate your care or service your account, EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC and our agents may contact you by telephone at any telephone number you provide, including wireless telephone numbers, which could result in charges. EAST ALABAMA PRIMARY CARE, LLC may also contact you by sending text messages or emails, using any e-mail address you provide. Methods of contacting may include prerecorded or artificial voice messages and or use of automatic dialing devices, as applicable.