To our patients: This notice describes how health information about you (as a patient of this practice) may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to your health information. This is required by the Privacy Regulations created as a result of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Our commitment to your privacy: Our practice is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your health information. We are required by law to maintain the confidentiality of your health information. We realize that these laws are complicated, but we must provide you with the following important information:
We may use and disclose your health information in the following ways The following categories describe the different ways in which we may use and disclose your health information.
1. Treatment. Physicians and staff may use or disclose your health information in order to treat you or to assist others in your treatment. Additionally, we may disclose your health information to others who may assist in your care, such as your spouse, children or parents.
2. Payment. Our practice may use your health information to bill and collect payment for the services you receive from us. We may provide your insurer with details regarding your treatment to determine if your insurer will cover, or pay for, your treatment. We also may use and disclose this information to obtain payment from third parties that may be responsible for such costs, such as family members. Also, we may use your health information to bill you directly for services and items.
3. Healthcare operations. We may need to use and disclose your health information to be able to run our practice at the highest level of clinical standards and as effectively as possible. This could be used to evaluate the performance of our physicians and staff, to determine if our treatment plans are effective, or determine if there are other services we should be offering. We may also compare our clinical data with other practices, review it with medical students, medical faculty, technicians and others for teaching and learning purposes. We will strive to remove information that identifies you from this medical information.
4. Disclosures required by law. Our practice will use and disclose your health information when we are required to do so by federal, state or local law.
5. Appointment Reminders and Sign-In Sheets. We may want to call you by phone for reminder purposes and leave a message on your answering machine at home, work or with a family member. We will also use a sign in sheet at the front desk for purposes of logging our patients as they arrive. We will require your name only on this sign in sheet. Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center will conduct patient group educational sessions for our patients. Specific questions relating to your individual medical issues will be addressed in private.
You can request that our practice communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner. For instance, you may wish to be contacted at work during business hours rather than home. We will accommodate reasonable requests. We will enlist the help of a translator (including ASL) if needed. This person may be your own family member, neighbor or friend who accompanies you. This person would be privy to some of your health information.
You can request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your health information for treatment, payment or health care operations. Additionally, you have the right to request that we restrict our disclosure of your health information to only certain individuals involved in our care or the payment for your care, such as family members and friends. We are not required to agree to your request; however, if we do agree, we are bound by our agreement except when otherwise required by law, in emergencies or when the information is necessary to treat you.
Any restrictions need to be given to Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center in writing. Use and disclosure of your health information in certain special circumstances The following circumstances may require us to use or disclose your health information:
Your rights regarding your health information
If you have any questions regarding this notice or our health information privacy policies, please contact the Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center Compliance Officer at (602) 508-4837.
Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact our compliance officer, (602) 508-4837, 711 / Arizona State Relay.
The doctors of Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center may be also owners of Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center.