Rice County, KS
NOTICE
OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
This notice of
Privacy Practices is effective as of April 14, 2003
THIS
NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED
AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Privacy Officer
Rice
County Emergency Medical Service (EMS)
Terry L.
David
1488
Highway 56
Lyons,
KS 67554
Phone
620-257-5200
Understanding
your medical information its uses and disclosures:
Certain laws
require that you be provided “Notice” of our privacy practices that relate to
your medical information. Our privacy practices are contained with this
“Notice.” This “Notice” applies to the protected health records of your care
provided by Rice County and its employees, staff and volunteers. Your primary
care physician, other health care or treatment providers, or your health
insurance plan may have different privacy policies or “Notices” regarding the
doctor’s, other provider’s, or the plan’s use and disclosure of your health
information that are created outside of Rice County.
This
“Notice” contains information in the following general categories:
What is
your health record/information?
What are
your health information rights?
What are the responsibilities of Rice County when it comes to your
health information?
How will
Rice County use and disclose your medical information?
Other Uses and Disclosures revoking previous permission to use or
disclose your health information.
What
should you do if you have a complaint concerning your medical records?
Rice County, Kansas
If changes are made to this “Notice” how to obtain a
revised copy.
What is your health
record/information?
Each time you receive
health-related treatment or care from a health department or another healthcare
provider, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains a
history of your illnesses or injuries, symptoms, exam and laboratory results,
treatment plans and treatments provided, and notes on future care. Depending on
your health care situation, your record with each healthcare provider may
contain more or different information. How your health information is used, is
described on the following pages.
What are the
responsibilities of Rice County when it comes to your health information?
Rice County is required by law to:
• Keep your health information private and only
disclose it when required to do so by law;
• Explain Rice County’s legal duties and
privacy practices in connection with your health records;
• Obey the rules found in this “Notice”
• Inform you when Rice County is unable to
agree to a requested restriction that you have given us;
• Accommodate your reasonable request for an
alternative means of delivery, regarding destination, when sending your health
information. Rice County will not use
or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as
explained in this “Notice” or as required by law. Certain laws may require Rice
County to disclose your health information without your authorization. Rice
County is obligated to follow those laws.
What are your health
information rights?
Although your health record
is the physical property of Rice County, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
Inspect and Copy
Your Records. You
have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of certain health information that
may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes medical
and billing records, but does not include psychotherapy notes, information
compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use in, civil, criminal, or
administrative actions or proceedings, information that is subject to special
laws or other information not contained in the medical or billing records. To inspect and obtain a copy of your
protected health information maintained in the designated record set by Rice
County, you must submit your request in writing. This request should include
name, address, and description of records to be copied, and phone number, if
necessary for contact or follow up. Information should include personal identification
for requester and that of the client who’s protected health information is
being requested. Personal identifiers include Social Security number and date
of birth. A written request must be completed prior to Rice County providing
the requested information. You must submit your request in writing to a Rice
County Privacy Officer listed on page one. If you request a copy of the
information, we may charge a reasonable fee for copying, including labor,
supplies, and the cost of postage.
Rice County
may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited
circumstances.
Certain reasons for the denial are not review able and some are review able. If you are denied access to health information, you will be told in writing. In certain circumstances, however, you may request that the denial be reviewed. If the original denial of access to the medical records was made by a licensed health care provider as allowed by law, another licensed healthcare professional chosen by Rice County will review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. Rice County will comply with the outcome of the review. You will be advised in writing of this reviewing official’s decision.
Request an Amendment
of Your Records. If you feel that health
information Rice County has
about you is incorrect or
incomplete, you may ask us to correct or supplement the information. You have
the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or
for Rice County. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing
and submitted to a Rice County Privacy Officer listed on page one. In addition,
you must provide a reason that supports your request.
Rice County
may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not
include a reason to support the request. If your request for an amendment is
denied, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement that will be
included with any future disclosures of your health information. Rice County may deny your request if you ask
us to amend information that:
• Was not created by Rice County, unless the
person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make
the amendment;
• Is not part of the health information kept by
or for Rice County;
• Is not part of the information which you
would be permitted to inspect and copy, or is accurate
and complete.
Accounting of
Disclosures. You
have the right to request, in certain circumstances, an “accounting of
disclosures.” An “accounting” is a list of the disclosures Rice County has
regarding your health information. An “accounting” will not include:
• Internal uses of information for treatment,
payment, or operations;
• Disclosures made to you or made at your
request, or
• Disclosures made to family members or friends
in the course of providing care.
To request this list or
“accounting” of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to a Rice
County Privacy Officer listed on page one. Your request must state a time
period, (which may not be longer than six years and may not include dates
before April 14, 2003.) Your request should indicate in what form you want the
list (e.g., on paper or electronically.) Rice County may charge you for the
costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the costs involved and you
may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are
incurred.
Right to Request
Restrictions. You
have the right to request a restriction on the health information that Rice
County uses or discloses about you for treatment, payment or healthcare
operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the health
information Rice County discloses about you to someone who is involved in your
care or the payment for your care (i.e., a family member or friend.) For
example, you could ask that:
• Rice County not use or disclose
information about a procedure you had done, or
• Rice County not share specific information
with certain people.
Rice County is
not required to agree to your request. Only the Privacy Officer can
agree to your request. If the Privacy Officer does agree, Rice County will
notify you in writing and comply with your request. If Rice County agrees to a
restriction we may:
• Terminate any
restriction with or without your agreement, or
• Inform you that
Rice County is terminating our agreement to the restriction.
You may also
terminate any restriction.
How to
make a request.
To request
restrictions, you must make your request in writing to a Rice County Privacy
Officer
listed on page
one. In your request, you must tell us:
• What information
you want to limit;
• Whether you want
to limit our use, disclosure or both;
• To whom you want
the limits to apply (e.g., disclosures to your spouse).
Request
Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that Rice
County
communicates
with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For
example, you can ask that Rice County only contact you at work or by mail. To
request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to a
Rice County Privacy Officer listed on page one. Rice County will not ask you
the reason for your request. Rice County may ask you for clarification so we
can understand your request. You are not required to give an explanation. Rice County will accommodate all reasonable
requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
A Paper
Copy of This “Notice”. You have the right to a paper copy of this “Notice”.
You may ask Rice County to give you a copy of this “Notice” at any time. Even
if you have agreed to receive this “Notice” electronically, you are still
entitled to a paper copy of this “Notice”. To obtain a paper copy of this
“Notice” you may contact a Rice County Privacy Officer listed on page one. You
may also obtain a copy of this “Notice” at our website, www.oocities.org/ricecoems
How will
Rice County use and disclose your health information?
For
Treatment. Rice County may use
health information about you to provide you with health related treatment or
care. Rice County may disclose health information about you to other treatment
providers who are involved in your care. For example:
• A nurse caring
for you during your pregnancy will need to know if you have diabetes because
diabetes affects
the growth of the baby during the pregnancy. The nurse may need to tell the
dietitian that
you have diabetes so that your nutritional needs during pregnancy are
considered in
your care.
• CDDO staff may disclose
treatment information to a Business Associate or Affiliate to request
services on your
behalf.
• Department on
Aging staff may disclose treatment information to a Business Associate or
Affiliate to
request services on your behalf.
Different
departments of Rice County also may share health information about you in order
to
coordinate the
different services you need (i.e., medications, lab work, x-rays, etc.) Rice
County
also may
disclose health information about you to people outside Rice County who may be
involved in your medical care while you are a client of Rice County (e.g.,
other doctors, nurses, advanced registered nurse practitioners, family members,
clergy, etc.).
For
Payment. Rice County may use and disclose health information about you for billing
purposes so Rice County can collect payment from you, an insurance company or a
third party. For example, Rice County may need to give your health insurance company
information about a procedure you received at Rice County so we can be paid or
you can be reimbursed for the procedure. Rice County may also tell your health
plan about a treatment you are going to receive in order to obtain prior
approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.
For Health Care
Operations. Rice County may use and disclose
health information about you for operations. These uses and disclosures are
necessary to run Rice County and make sure all of our clients receive quality
care. For example, Rice County may use health information to review our treatment
and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you.
Rice County may disclose information to doctors, nurses, medical students, and
other personnel for review and learning purposes. Additional uses and
disclosures for “health care operations” include:
• Activities related to improving health or
reducing health care costs;
• Protocol development;
• Care management;
• Training, certification, licensing,
credentialing or other related activities;
• Insurance-related functions;
• Medical review and auditing functions,
including fraud and abuse detection and compliance
programs;
• Conducting or arranging for legal services
for Rice County, or its personnel; and
• Business planning and development, business
management and general administrative activities
• Internal grievance resolution.
Appointment
Reminders. Rice
County may use and disclose health information to contact you, a family member
or friend involved in your health-related treatment or care (or as authorized
by you) to remind you of an appointment for treatment or care at Rice County.
Unless you tell us not to, we may also leave a reminder on your answering
machine/voice mail system.
Treatment
Alternatives. Rice County may use and disclose
health information to tell you about, or recommend, possible treatment options
or alternatives that may be of interest to you.
Health-Related
Benefits and Services. Rice County may use and disclose health information to
tell you about
health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.
Individuals Involved
in Your Care or Payment for Your Care. Rice County may release health
information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your
health-related treatment or care. Rice County may also give information to
someone who helps pay for your care. Rice County may disclose health
information about you to an entity assisting in disaster relief effort so that
your family can be notified about your condition, status and location. The
amount of information disclosed will depend on that person’s particular
involvement in your care. If you want this information restricted, you must
tell us by using the required procedure.
Research. Under certain circumstances,
Rice County may use and disclose health information about you for research
purposes. For example, a research project may study the effects of early access
to health care during pregnancy. All research projects are subject to a special
approval process. This process evaluates a proposed research project and its
use of health information, while balancing research needs with the client’s
need for privacy of their health information. Before we use disclosure of
health information for research, the project must be approved through the
research approval process.
As Required by Law. Rice County will disclose health information about you
when required to do so by federal, state or local law. This may include
reporting of communicable diseases, wounds, abuse, disease registries, health
oversight matters and other public policy requirements. We may be required to
report this information without your permission.
Rice County, Kansas
To Avert a Serious
Threat to Health or Safety. Rice County may use and disclose health
information about you when
necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health
and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, is limited
to person(s) who can help prevent the threat.
Special situations: (Sharing of
information without your permission)
Military and
Veterans. If
you are a member of the armed forces, Rice County may release health
information about you as required by military command authorities.
Workers’
Compensation. Rice County may release health
information about you for workers’
compensation or similar
programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Public Health
Activities. Rice County may disclose health information
about you without your
permission for public health
activities. These activities generally include the following:
• To prevent or control disease, injury or
disability;
• To report births and deaths;
• To report child abuse or neglect;
• To report adverse events, reactions to
medications or problems with foods or products;
• To notify people of recalls of products they
may be using;
• To notify a person who may have been exposed
to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or
spreading a disease or
condition; and
• To notify the appropriate government
authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of
abuse, neglect or domestic
violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when
required or authorized by
law.
Health Oversight
Activities. Rice County may disclose health information
without your
permission to a health
oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities
include, for example,
audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are
necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government
programs, licensing functions, and compliance with civil rights laws.
Lawsuits and
Disputes. If
you are involved in a lawsuit or in a dispute, Rice County may disclose health
information about you in response to a court or administrative order. We may
also disclose health information about you in response to a court or
administrative order even if you are not involved in the lawsuit or dispute.
Health information about you may be disclosed in response to a subpoena,
discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute,
but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain
an order protecting the information requested or as otherwise permitted by law.
Law Enforcement. Unless state
law is more restrictive than HIPAA with regard to disclosure of certain
records, Rice
county may
release health information if asked to do so by law enforcement officials:
• In response to a court order, subpoena,
warrant, summons or similar process;
• To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive,
material witness, or missing person;
• About the victim of a crime if, under certain
limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain
the person’s agreement; and
• In emergency circumstances to report a crime,
the location of a crime or victims, or the identity,
description or location of
the person who committed the crime.
Rice County, Kansas
Coroners, Medical
Examiners and Funeral Directors. Rice County may release health
information to a Coroner or
Medical Examiner (e.g., to determine the cause of death).
National Security and
Intelligence Activities. Rice County may release health information about you to
authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other
national security activities authorized by law.
Inmates. If you are an inmate of a
correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official,
Rice County may release health information about you to the correctional
institution. This release would be necessary:
1) For the institution to
provide you with health care;
2) To protect your health
and safety or the health and safety of others; or
3) For the safety and
security of the correctional institution.
Other uses and
disclosures revoking previous permission to use or to disclose your health
information:
Other uses and disclosures
of health information not covered by this “Notice” or the laws that apply to
Rice County will be made only with your written permission. For certain
disclosures of your information, you must complete an “Authorization for Uses
and Disclosure of Protected Health Information” form and submit it to Rice
County. If you provide Rice County permission to use or disclose health
information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time.
To revoke any permission already given to Rice County or permission given to us
in the future, you must revoke that permission in writing by sending it to a
Rice County Privacy Officer listed on page one. If you revoke your permission,
Rice County will no longer use or disclose health information about you for the
reasons covered by your written authorization. You understand that we are
unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission,
and that we are required to retain our records of the care that we provided to
you.
What should you do if
you have a complaint concerning your medical records?
If you believe your privacy
rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Rice County or with
the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS.) To file a
complaint with Rice County or to receive additional information about how to
file a complaint with the DHHS, contact a Rice County Privacy Officer listed on
page one. All complaints must be submitted in writing. We cannot, and will not,
require you to waive the right to file a complaint as a condition of receiving
treatment from Rice County. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
If changes are made
to this “Notice”:
Rice County reserves the
right to change this “Notice”. Rice County reserves the right to make
the revised or changed
“Notice” applicable to health information we already have about you, as well
as, any information we receive in the future. Rice County will post a current
copy of the “Notice” in all identified locations. You will find the date the “Notice”
became effective at the top of the first page below the title. If a material
change is made to the “Notice” you will be presented with a new version of the
Notice of Privacy Practices. You will be asked to sign a new Notice of Privacy
Practices Acknowledgement form. In addition, each time you register for
services with Rice County, a copy of the current “Notice” in effect will be
given to you if you request it.