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 carefully. If you have
any questions about this Notice, please contact out Privacy
Officer.
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes
how we may used and disclosed your protected health information
to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations
and for other purposes that are permitted or required
by law. It also describes your rights to access and control
your protected health information. We are required by
Federal Law to give you this Notice and to maintain the
privacy of your health information. We must also abide
by the terms of this Notice while it is in effect. We
reserve the right to change our privacy practices and
terms of this Notice at any time. Before we make significant
changes in our privacy practices, we will change this
Notice and make the new Notice available upon request.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health
Information
You will be asked to sign an Acknowledgement of Receipt
of Notice of Privacy Practices. Once you have received
our Notice of Privacy Practices, disclosure of your protected
health information will be used for treatment, payment
and health care operations. Your protected health information
may be used and disclosed by our office staff and others
outside of our office that are involved in your care and
treatment for the purpose of providing health care services
to you. Your protected health information may also be
used and disclosed to pay your health care bills and to
support the operation of our practice. Following are examples
if the types of uses and disclosures of your protected
health care information that our office is permitted to
make:
Treatment- We will use and disclose your
protected health care information to others dentist and
physicians to provide, coordinate, or manage your health
care. For example, your protected health care information
may be provided to another dentist to whom you have been
referred to ensure that the necessary information is available
to diagnose or treat you. In addition, we may disclose
your health information at times to a dental laboratory
or specialist.
Payment- Your protected health information
will be used to obtain payment for services we provide
to you. This may include certain activities that your
insurance plan may undertake before it approves or pays
for the services we recommend.
Healthcare Operations- We may use or disclose
your protected health information in order to support
the business activities of our practice. These activities
include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities,
employee review activities, licensing, credentialing activities,
conducting training and conducting other business activities.
For example, we may use a sign-in sheet at the front desk
where you will be asked to sign your name when you arrive.
We may also call you be name in the waiting room when
your doctor is ready to see you. We may use or disclose
your protected health information, as necessary, to contact
you to remind you of your appointment.
Business Associates- We will share your
protected health information with third party Business
Associates that perform various activities (billing or
laboratory services) for the practice. Whenever an arrangement
between our office and a business associate involves the
use or disclosure of your protected health information,
we will have a written contract that contains terms that
will protect the privacy of your protected health information.
We 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. We 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 we offer. We may also send you
information about products or services that we believe
may be beneficial to you. You may contact our Privacy
Officer to request that these materials not be sent to
you.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health
Information Based Upon Your Written Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information
will be made only with your written authorization, unless
permitted or required by law as described below. You may
revoke this authorization, at any time, in writing, except
to the extent that our practice has already taken an action
as provided for in the authorization.
Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures
the May be Made with Your Consent, Authorization or Opportunity
to Object
We may use and disclose your protected health information
in the following instances. You have the opportunity to
agree or object to the use or disclosure of all or part
of your protected health information. If you are not present
or able to agree or object to the use or disclosure of
the protected health information, then we may, using professional
judgment, determine whether the disclosure is in your
best interest. In this case, only the protected health
information that is relevant to your health care will
be disclosed.
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