Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO US.

NOTICE OF HIPAA PRIVACY POLICIES FOR PATIENTS AND CLIENTS OF ANACORTES MIDWIFERY CARE, LLC.

(Date of Revision: December 1st, 2021)

OUR LEGAL DUTY

Anacortes Midwifery care LLC is required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This Notice took effect January 1, 2019, and will remain in effect until it is replaced.

Anacortes Midwifery care LLC reserves the right to change privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created and received before we made the changes.  Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and make a new Notice available upon request.

You may request a copy of our Notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this Notice.

Any significant changes to this Notice will be posted on our website. You then have the right to object or withdraw as provided in this Notice.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION

We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, payment and healthcare operations. For example:

Treatment: We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare providers providing treatment to you.

Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.

Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing, or credentialing activities.

Your authorization: In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose.  If you give us authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this Notice.

To your family and friends: We must disclose your health information to you, as described in the Patient Rights section of this Notice. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare, but only if you agree in writing that we may do so.

Persons Involved in Care: We may use or disclose health information to notify, or assist in the notification of (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death.  If you are present, then prior to the disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses or disclosures.  In the event of your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgement disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person's involvement in your healthcare.  We will also use our professional judgement and our experience with common practice to make responsible inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, x-rays, or other similar forms of health information.

Marketing Health-related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.

Required by Law: We may 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 or your children are a possible victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence or the possible victim of other crimes. Adult consent is obtained prior to reporting abuse.  Reporting of pediatric abuse is required by law.  We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your health or safety of others.

National Security: We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities.  We may disclose to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials having lawful custody of protected health information of inmate or patient under certain circumstances.

Appointment Reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voice-mail messages, postcards or letters).

PATIENT RIGHTS

Access: You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information. You have the right to request and receive timely responses to your requests for protected health information. Unless otherwise protected by law we may not withhold this information from you. You may request access to or an amendment of your protected health information. You may request that we provide copies in a format other than photocopies.  We will use the format you request unless we cannot practically do so. (You must make a request in writing to obtain access to your health information.  You may obtain a form to request access by using the contact information at the end of this Notice. You may also request access by sending us a letter to the address at the end of this Notice.)

Disclosure Accounting: You have the right to receive a list of instances in which we or our business associates disclose your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations and certain other activities, for the last 6 years.  If you request this accounting more than once in a 12 month period, we may charge you a reasonable, cost based fee for responding to these additional requests.

Restrictions: You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree with these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in an emergency).

Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or to alternate locations.  (You must make your request in writing.) Your request must specify the alternative means or location you request.

Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your health information. (Your request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended.) We may deny your request under certain circumstances.

Electronic Notice: If you receive this Notice by electronic (email), you are entitled to receive this Notice in written form.

BREACH OF HEALTH INFORMATION

You have the right to be notified in the event that we (or one of our business associates) discovers a breach of unsecured health information.

QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact us.  If you have any disagreement with this Notice you may complain to us using the information below. You may also submit a written complaint to the US Department of Health and Human Services.  We will supply you with their address upon request.

We support your right to privacy of your health information.  We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.