Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information (HIPAA)
This Notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully!
• Introduction
• Responsibilities of Dr. Figueroa and His Staff
• Your Health Information Rights
• Primary Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information
• Other Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information
• Requesting More Information or Filing a Complaint
• Effective Date of This Notice
Introduction
My staff and I have always taken utmost care to protect the privacy of my patients’ medical records and health information. New federal laws were enacted in 2003, known as “HIPAA,” which are designed to ensure that virtually all health care providers maintain high standards regarding the privacy of health information. The Notice you are now reading specifies the minimum standards you can expect from me and my office staff regarding the handling of your health information.
Responsibilities of Dr. Figueroa and His Staff
Your health information includes records that I create and obtain when I provide you care, such as a record of your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatments and referrals for further care. It may also include notes I take during psychotherapy sessions. Finally, it also includes bills, insurance claims, or other payment information that my staff maintains related to your care.
We are required to:
- Maintain the privacy of your health information as required by law.
- Provide you with this Notice of our duties and privacy practices regarding the health information about you that we collect and maintain.
- Follow the terms of our Notice currently in effect.
- Notify you if we cannot accommodate a requested restriction or request.
- Accommodate your reasonable requests regarding methods to communicate health information with you.
We reserve the right to amend, change, or eliminate provisions in our privacy practices and access practices and to enact new provisions regarding the protected health information we maintain. If our information practices change, we will amend our Notice. You are entitled to receive a revised copy of the Notice by calling and requesting a copy of our Notice or by visiting our office and picking up a copy.
