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.
This notice tells you how we may use and share your health information. We must follow federal privacy laws. These laws protect your privacy. This notice also tells you about your rights regarding your health information.
Your Health Information
When you come to us for care, we collect information about you. This includes your name, address, and health history. It also includes details about your health and the care you get. We call this your Protected Health Information, or PHI. We keep your PHI private.
How We May Use and Share Your Health Information
We can use and share your health information for certain important reasons. Here are some of them:
For Your Treatment: We can use and share your health information to give you medical care. For example, a doctor may share your information with a nurse or another specialist to help treat your wound.
For Payment: We can use and share your health information to get paid for your care. For example, we may send your information to Medicare. This helps us bill them for the services we provide.
For Our Health Care Operations: We can use and share your health information to run our office and make sure you get good care. For example, we might use your records to review the quality of our services. Or we might use them to train new staff.
Other Times We May Share Your Health Information (You Have Choices)
For the uses below, you have the right to agree or disagree. If you disagree, we may not be able to share your information.
Sharing with Family and Friends: We may share your information with family members or friends involved in your care. We will only do this if you agree or if you cannot object (like in an emergency).
Appointment Reminders: We may contact you to remind you about your appointments. This might be by phone call, text, or mail.
Other Times We May Share Your Health Information (When Required by Law)
We may share your health information without your permission in specific situations. We are allowed or required by law to do this. These include:
Public Health: To prevent or control disease, injury, or disability.
Reporting Abuse or Neglect: To report child abuse, elder abuse, or neglect.
Law Enforcement: If a law requires it, such as for a court order or to help police.
Legal Proceedings: If we get a court order or subpoena.
Health Oversight Activities: For audits, investigations, and inspections by government agencies.
Workers’ Compensation: For workers’ compensation claims.
Special Government Functions: For national security or military needs.
Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors: To help with their duties.
Organ and Tissue Donation: To help with organ donation.
Serious Threat to Health or Safety: To prevent a serious threat to your health or safety, or the safety of others.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have rights about your health information. Here’s what they are:
Get a Copy of Your Health Information: You can ask to see and get a copy of your health information. This includes medical and billing records. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
Ask Us to Correct Your Health Information: If you think your health information is wrong or missing something, you can ask us to change it. We may say no, but we will tell you why in writing.
Ask for Confidential Communications: You can ask us to contact you in a certain way or at a certain place to keep your information private. For example, you can ask us to call your cell phone instead of your home phone. We will say yes if it’s reasonable.
Ask to Limit How We Use or Share Your Information: You can ask us to limit how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We do not have to agree, unless you pay for a service fully out-of-pocket and ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan.
Get a List of When We’ve Shared Your Information: You can ask for a list of certain times we’ve shared your health information. This list will not include uses for treatment, payment, or operations, or information you authorized us to share.
Get a Copy of This Notice: You can get a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to get it electronically.
Choose Someone to Act for You: If you have given someone medical power of attorney or they are your legal guardian, that person can use your rights and make choices about your health information.
File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will not punish you for filing a complaint.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to keep your health information private.
We must give you this Notice of Privacy Practices.
We must follow the rules written in this notice.
If we make changes to this notice, the new notice will apply to all your health information. We will post the new notice in our office and on our website. You can ask for a new copy at any time.
We are required to tell you if there is a breach (a privacy or security problem) that affects your unsecured health information.
For More Information or to File a Complaint
If you have questions about this notice or want to complain about how your health information was handled, please contact:
Compassionate Wound Care Privacy Officer
4041 MacArthur Blvd. Ste. 290
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: 949-423-4597
Email: Complaints@cwoundcare.com
You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201 1-877-696-6775 (toll-free) www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/