Practice Privacy Policy

This notice contains important information about CBHA s privacy practices which were revised pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and related regulations. This notice describes how your Protected Health Information may be used and disclosed, and indicates how you get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

CBHA’S COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY

Summary

1. CBHA is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your medical information. In conducting our business, we will create records regarding the treatment and services we provide to you.
2. Your medical records are CBHA’s property. However, CBHA is required by law:
   • To maintain the confidentiality of your medical information.
   • To provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices concerning your medical information called Notice of Privacy Practices
   • To follow the terms of our notice of privacy practices in effect at the time
3. This notice provides you with the following important information:
   • How CBHA may use and disclose your medical information
   • Your privacy rights regarding your medical information
   • CBHA’s obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your medical information

Changes to this Notice

The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your medical information that are created or retained by CBHA. CBHA reserves the right to revise, change or amend our notice of privacy practices. Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of the information that CBHA already has about you, as well as any medical information that we may receive, create, or maintain in the future. You may request a copy of CBHA’s most current notice during any visit to the practice.

HOW CBHA MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR

Medical Information

The following categories describe the different ways in which CBHA may use and disclose your Protected Health Information. Please note that each particular use or disclosure is not necessarily listed below. However, the different ways we are permitted to use and disclose your medication information do fall within one of the listed categories.

Treatment

CBHA may use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your health care with a third party that has already obtained your permission to have access to your protected health information. For example, CBHA would disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to a home health agency that provides care to you. CBHA may also disclose protected health information to their physicians who may be treating you when we have the necessary permission from you to disclose your protected health information. For example, your protected health information may be provided to a physician to whom you have been referred to ensure that the physician has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.

In addition, CBHA may disclose your protected health information from time-to-time to another physician or health care provider (e.g., a specialist or laboratory) who, at the request of your physician, becomes involved in your care by providing assistance with your health care diagnosis or treatment to your physician.

Payment

CBHA may use and disclose your medical information in order to bill and collect payment for the services and items you may receive from CBHA. For example, CBHA may contact your health insurer to certify that you are eligible for benefits and may provide your insurer with details regarding your treatment to determine if your insurer will cover, or pay for your treatment. CBHA also may use and disclose your medical information to obtain payment from other third parties who may be responsible for such costs. Also, CBHA may use your medical information to bill you directly for services and items under applicable law.

Health Care Operations

CBHA may use and disclose your medical information to operate our business. These uses and disclosures are important to ensure that you receive quality care and that our organization is well run. An example of the way in which CBHA may use and disclose your information for our operations would be to evaluate the quality of care you received from us. CBHA may also disclose your information to doctors, nurses and students for review and learning purposes. CBHA maintain safeguards to protect your Protected Health Information against unauthorized access and uses. CBHA may share your protected health information with third party “business associates” that perform various activities (e.g., billing, transcription services) for the practice. Whenever an arrangement between the office and a business associate involves the use or disclosure of your protected health information, CBHA will have a written contract that contains terms that will protect the privacy of your protected health information. CBHA may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. CBHA may also use and disclose your protected health information for other marketing activities. For example, your name and address may be used to send you a newsletter about our practice and the services CBHA offers. CBHA may also send you information about products or services that we believe may be beneficial to you.

Appointment Reminders

Our organization may use and disclose your protected health information to remind you that you have any appointment.

Disclosure

CBHA shall only disclose protected health information as permitted by law or with your permission. In addition, CBHA shall make every effort to prevent unintentional disclosure although the regulations consider such disclosure legal. When necessary for your care or treatment, our operations and related activities, CBHA uses protected health information internally and may disclose such information to other healthcare providers (doctors, dentists, hospitals, nursing homes or other covered healthcare providers, insurers, third party administrators, payers, and others who may be financially responsible for payment for services and benefits you receive, vendors, consultants, government authorities and other surveying entities and their respective agents). These parties are required to keep your protected health information confidential, as provided by law. Some examples of what CBHA does with the information we collect and the reasons:

1. Administration of health benefits policies or contracts which may involve claims payment and management, utilization review and management, medical necessity review, and coordination of care and benefits
2. Quality assessment and improvement activities, such as peer review and credentialing of participating providers, program development and accreditation
3. Performance measurement and outcomes assessment and health claims analysis
4. Data and Information systems management
5. Performing regulatory compliance/reporting, and public health activities; responding to requests for information from regulatory authorities, responding to government agency or court subpoenas as required by law, reporting suspected or actual fraud or other criminal activity, conducting litigation, arbitration and performing third-party liability, subrogation and related activities.

OTHERS

Involved in Your Healthcare

Unless you object, CBHA may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, your protected health information that directly relates to that person’s involvement in your health care. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, CBHA may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment. CBHA may use or disclose protected health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death. Finally, CBHA may use or disclose your protected health information to an authorized public or private entity to assist in disaster relief efforts and to coordinate uses and disclosures to family or other individuals involved in your health care.

Emergencies

CBHA may use or disclose your protected health information in an emergency treatment situation. If this happens, your physician shall try to obtain your consent as soon as reasonably practicable after the delivery of treatment. If your physician or another physician in the practice is required by law to treat you and the physician has attempted to obtain your consent but is unable to obtain your consent, he or she may still use or disclose your protected health information to treat you.

Communication Barriers

CBHA may use and disclose your protected health information if your physician or another physician in the practice attempts to obtain consent from you but is unable to do so due to substantial communication barriers and the physician determines, using professional judgment, that you intend to consent to use or disclosure under the circumstances.

Treatment Alternatives/Health-Related

CBHA may use and disclose your medical information to inform you of treatment alternatives and/or health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Other Permitted, Required Uses & Disclosures That May Be Made Without Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity to Object

CBHA may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without your consent or authorization. These situations include:

1. Required by law – CBHA will use or disclose medical information about you when required by applicable law.
2. Public Health Activities – our organization may disclose your medical information for public health activities, including;
   • To prevent or control disease, injury or disability
   • To maintain vital records, such as births and deaths
   • To report child abuse or neglect
   • To notify a person regarding potential exposure to a communicable disease
   • To notify a person regarding a potential risk for spreading or contracting a disease or condition
   • To report reactions to drugs or problems with products or devices
   • To contact public health surveillance, investigation or intervention
   • To notify individuals if a product or device they may be using has been recalled
   • To notify appropriate government agencies and authorities regarding the potential abuse or neglect of an adult patient including domestic violence; however, we will only disclose this information if the patient agrees or we are required or authorized by law to disclose this information
   • To notify your employer under limited circumstances related primarily to workplace injury or illness or medical surveillance
3. Abuse, Neglect and Domestic Violence – CBHA may disclose your medical information to a government authority if we believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. If CBHA makes such a disclosure, we will inform you of it, unless we think informing you place you at risk of serious harm or if we were to inform your personal representative is otherwise not in your best interest.
4. Communicable Diseases – CBHA may disclose your protected health information, if authorized by law, to a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading the disease or condition.
5. Health Oversight Activities – https://www.anthem.com/machine-readable-file/search