THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU MAY ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
In the process of providing medical care, Pulmonary Consultants collects and retains personal information about our patients. Pulmonary Consultants respects the privacy of your personal information and appreciates the importance of protecting this information by keeping this confidential and stored in a secure manner. Pulmonary Consultants is committed to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of your protected health information, and wishes to provide you with notice of our policies and procedures about privacy and confidentiality. This Notice describes how Pulmonary Consultants has taken steps in accordance with Federal and State confidentiality and privacy laws to protect the confidentiality of the protected health information you entrust to us. This notice also describes how we may use and disclose 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.
Protected Health Information
"Protected Health Information" is information that identifies you and relates to your identity and your past or present medical history. It includes demographic information about you, information about your health including any diagnosis you might have, any treatment or medications, and your health care coverage. Protected health information does not include information about you that is public information, or available through public access. Pulmonary Consultants has established a Privacy Plan which describes the implementation and enforcement of policies and procedures designed to safeguard your protected health information against inappropriate access, use, and disclosure, consistent with state and federal law.
Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information that Require Patient Consent
The law allows Pulmonary Consultants to use or disclose your protected health information in order to provide health care services to you, or to bill and collect payments for the health care services provided to you. Pulmonary Consultants may use or disclose your protected health information to facilitate referrals or transmit critical information to other treating physicians or specialists, home health care or nursing facilities, laboratories, radiology, or related facilities that provide care or perform diagnostic tests ordered by your physician.
Your protected health information may be disclosed to health plans to confirm your health care coverage or to receive payment for services provided by your physician. This information might be shared with hospitals, insurance carriers or Medicare to determine eligibility for insurance coverage. Certain government agencies are entitled to receive this information in order to monitor the activities of physicians or other providers such as hospitals, health plans, or insurance companies. Your protected health information may be disclosed in conjunction with disease management programs, court orders, or subpoenas. This information may be used in connection with training of medical students, on in the review of the quality of care provided by your physician. Pulmonary Consultants might use your protected health information in connection with any grievance or appeal that you file.
Uses and Disclosures of Personal Information that Do Not Require Patient Consent
There are circumstances when Pulmonary Consultants is allowed to disclose your personal information without your consent. In some cases, State or Federal law requires the release of information with or without consent. Child abuse, domestic violence, or neglect, may require that public health entities be notified. A court order or subpoena, or court proceedings or proceedings before administrative agencies, or requests from coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors, may require that information be released without specific consent.
Where public health issues may be at stake, or to avert serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, or for national security and intelligence activities, consent may not be required. Some communicable diseases or work related health issues might be reported to the appropriate public health agencies without your consent.
In the absence of an objection on your part, your physician may use or disclose protected health information to family members or other third parties without your consent, if in his or her professional judgment disclosure is in your best interest. In that case, only the information that is essential to your care will be disclosed.
In the case of a medical emergency, we may use or disclose your protected health information. If this happens, only the necessary information will be disclosed and the involved physician will attempt to obtain your consent as soon as possible. Health oversight activities such as reports to governmental agencies that are responsible for licensing physicians or other health care providers may not require consent.
Your Individual Rights - Access to Personal Information
You have a right to review and copy your protected health information. If you wish to do so, you must notify Pulmonary Consultants in writing. A mutually convenient time and place will be established, and you may inspect the protected health information available to Pulmonary Consultants. You may have a copy of the information if you wish, although in some circumstances access or reproduction may be denied if it is in violation of public law. There may be an administrative fee for copying protected health information.
Right to Amend Protected Health Information
State and federal law allows you to amend the protected health information held by Pulmonary Consultants. You must submit a request in writing, and the amendment can be no longer than two hundred and fifty words in length. This amendment will be attached to the record of your protected health information.
Right to Receive an Accounting of Disclosures
State and federal law allows you the right to request an accounting of all disclosures of your personal information made by Pulmonary Consultants that are not directly related to your treatment, payment for your treatment, or our health care operations as outlined above. You may request an accounting in writing. Pulmonary Consultants will provide this accounting to you within a reasonable period after your request and in accordance with the policies and procedures established by Pulmonary Consultants.
Right to Receive This Notice
You have the right to request and receive a copy of this notice in written or electronic form. You may contact Pulmonary Consultants for a copy, and one will be provided to you at no charge.
Right to Request Restriction on Disclosure of Personal Information
You may request restrictions of the use of your protected health information by Pulmonary Consultants. All requests must be in writing. Upon receipt, Pulmonary Consultants will review the request and notify you of its decision to either accept or reject the request. All requests to restrict the use of protected health information must comply with state and federal law in order to be approved by Pulmonary Consultants. All requests for restrictions which are agreed to will be made a permanent part of your personal information. If Pulmonary Consultants does honor the request, Pulmonary Consultants reserves the right to reverse its decision at a later date, after providing notice to you that it intends to do so.
Right to Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that your protected health information be provided to you in a confidential manner. You may request that your protected health information be sent in writing, or by telephone, or by fax, either to your home address or to a different address, open or by sealed envelope if you wish.
Right to Complain
If you believe that Pulmonary Consultants has violated this privacy policy, you have the right to file a complaint with the Privacy Office of Pulmonary Consultants, or with the Medical Quality Assurance Commission of Washington, or with the United States Department of Health and Human Service.
Contact Regarding Your Rights
If you have questions regarding your rights or wish to make any of the above requests or complaints, contact:
Pulmonary Consultants, PLLC
Attention: Privacy Office
316 Martin L. King Jr. Way, Ste 401
Tacoma, WA 98405
Rights reserved by Pulmonary Consultants
Pulmonary Consultants reserves the right to amend or change the terms of this notice at any time, and to make the provisions of the new notice effective for a personal information we maintain. Updates to this notice may be found on this website.
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