Uses and Disclosures

Here are some examples of how we might have to use or disclose your healthcare information:

• Your chiropractor or a staff member may have to disclose your health information including all of your clinical records to another health care provider or a hospital if it is necessary to refer you to them for diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of your health condition.
• Our insurance billing staff may have to disclose your examination and treatment records and your billing records to another party, such as insurance carrier, an HMO, a PPO, or your employer, if they are potentially responsible for the payment of your services.
• Your chiropractor and members of the staff may need to use your health information, examination and treatment records and your billing records for quality control purposes or for other administrative purposes to effectively run his/her practice.
• Your chiropractor and members of the practice staff may need to use your name, address, phone number, and your clinical records to contact you to provide appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives, or other health related information that may be of interest to you.  If you are not at home to receive an appointment reminder, a message will be left on your answering machine.

You have the right to refuse to give us authorization to contact you to provide appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives, or other health related information. If you do not give us authorization, it will not affect the treatment we provide to you or the methods we use to obtain reimbursement for your care.

You may inspect or copy the information that we use to contact you to provide appointment reminders, information about treatment alternatives, or other health related information at any time.

 

Uses and Disclosures WITHOUT patient consent...

Under federal law, we are also permitted or required to use or disclose your health information without your consent or authorization in these following circumstances:

• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information to the extent that we are required to do so by applicable federal or state laws.
• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information to a public health authority for a wide range of public health activities when the public health authority is authorized to collect or receive your health information under state or federal law.
• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information to an appropriate government authority if we reasonably believe you are the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information  for state and federal health oversight activities of the health care system and government benefit programs.
• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information in response to a court order or, in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful purpose.
• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information to a law enforcement official as required by laws that require us to report certain types of wounds or physical injuries or, to comply with court orders, a grand jury subpoena, or administrative requests authorized by the law.
• We are permitted to use or disclose your health information to an appropriate law enforcement authority if the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.