Privacy Policy
Protecting the Confidentiality of Your Health Information
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.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your medical information. We are also required to notify you of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding your medical information and abide by the terms of this Notice, unless more stringent laws or regulations apply.
This Notice applies to and describes this facility/organization's practices and
those of:
- All healthcare professionals authorized to enter information into your facility record
- All members of the medical staff credentialed to practice at this facility
- All departments and units of this facility
- All employees, staff and other facility personnel
- All volunteers, interns or students we allow to help you while you are a patient at this facility
This Notice of Privacy Practices provides detailed information about how we may use and disclose your medical information with or without authorization as well as information about your specific rights with respect to your medical information. This Notice is effective April 14, 2003.
Disclosures of Your Medical Information for Treatment, Payment and Operations That We May Make Without Authorization
Treatment — We may share your information with those who provide you with healthcare services and those who coordinate your care and in the process of making referrals for your care. Examples of healthcare providers who may need your information include your doctor, pharmacist, nurse, physical therapist, home health provider and imaging technician.
We may use your information to contact you for appointments and to provide information about health-related programs and services that we believe may be helpful to you.
We may share your medical information with a family member or friend who assists with your care. We will do this only if you agree and will share only the information they need to help you. If you are unable to agree or object to this, we may disclose your health information if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment.
We may disclose health information about you to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that family and friends can be notified about your condition, status and location.
Payment — We may use and give your medical information to others to bill and collect payment for the treatment and services provided to you. Your insurance company or health plan may need your information for activities such as determining your eligibility for coverage, reviewing the medical necessity of the healthcare services or providing approval for hospital stays.
Healthcare Operations — We may use and disclose your health information in performing business activities, which we call healthcare operations. These healthcare operations allow us to improve the quality of care we provide and reduce healthcare costs. Some of these activities include quality assessment, employee review, training of medical personnel, licensure and accreditation and audits by regulatory agencies.
Business Associates — We may share your protected health information with third parties who perform services for us such as transcription or billing. We have written agreements with these third parties that they will not use or disclose your information for any other purposes, except as required by law.
Fundraising — We may also use your demographic information (name, dates of treatment, address) for our fundraising activities. If you do not want to receive these materials, please contact the Foundation Office.
Facility Directory — Our facility directory includes your name, location and general condition (for example, stable, serious, critical). This limited information is available to anyone who asks for you by name. You will be given the opportunity to be excluded from the directory listing if you wish. If you choose to be excluded from the directory, we will be unable to give friends and family who call or come in any information about you or even acknowledge that you are in the hospital. If you provide us with your religious affiliation, this information will be shared only with clergy. It will not be shared with clergy if you choose to have your name excluded from the directory.
Other Disclosures We May Make Without Your Authorization
There are reasons that your medical information may be used without your authorization, generally either because it is required by law or for public health and safety purposes. These include:
Required by Law — Your medical information may be used or disclosed when required by law. We will comply with the law and only disclose the minimum information necessary.
Food and Drug Administration — We may disclose your medical information as required by the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse events, product defects or problems or biologic product deviations or for product recalls, repairs or replacements.
Public Health — Your medical information may be used for public health activities. For example, we may disclose health information about you if you have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
Abuse or Neglect — We may disclose your medical information as required by law to report suspected child or elder abuse or neglect. We may also disclose your health information if an authorized government agency believes that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. Disclosures of this nature will be consistent with state and federal law.
Health Oversight — Health oversight agencies are authorized to have access to medical information maintained by us for activities such as audits, investigations and inspections. This includes government agencies that oversee the healthcare system, government benefit programs, government regulatory programs, civil rights laws and all applicable accreditation agencies.
Legal Proceedings and Law Enforcement — We may disclose your medical information for legal proceedings and law enforcement purposes. Examples of these purposes include: (1) as required by an administrative or legal proceeding or in response to a subpoena or administrative order; (2) to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person; (3) information pertaining to crime victims; (4) suspicion that death has occurred as a result of criminal conduct; (5) crimes occurring on the premises; and (6) medical emergencies where it appears likely a crime has occurred.
Threat to Health and Safety — As required by state and federal laws, we may disclose your medical information to a person or law enforcement authority if we reasonably believe that the use or disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person or the public.
Coroners, Funeral Directors and Organ Donation — Your medical information may be disclosed to a coroner or medical examiner for identification purposes, determining cause of death or other legally required duties. Your medical information may also be released to a funeral director in order to permit performance of his or her duties. Your information may be disclosed to an organ procurement organization for the purpose of facilitating organ, eye or tissue donation.
Research — Your medical information may be disclosed to researchers, provided that the research has been approved by an Institutional Review Board and the research protocols have been approved to protect your privacy.
Military Activity and National Security — Under certain circumstances, the medical information of Armed Forces personnel may be disclosed: (1) for activities deemed necessary by military command authorities; (2) for the purpose of eligibility determination by the Department of Veterans Affairs for benefits; or (3) to a foreign military authority if you are a member of that service. Your medical information may be disclosed for conducting national security and intelligence activities, including protective services to the President of the United States.
Workers' Compensation — Your medical information may be used or disclosed as necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws and other similar, legally established programs.
Inmates — Your medical information may be used or disclosed by us if you are an inmate of a correctional facility and the information is necessary to provide continuing care.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Medical Information with Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your medical information will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke the authorization, in writing, at any time, except to the extent that we have already taken an action based on the original authorization. Authorization Forms are available in Medical Records.
Your Rights
The following describes your rights with respect to the medical information that we maintain for you.
Right to Request Restrictions — You have the right to ask us to place restrictions on the way we use or disclose your medical information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to the request. If we do agree, we will not violate the requested restriction except as needed for emergency treatment purposes. If we decide to end the restriction, we will notify you as required by law.
Confidential Communications — We will accommodate reasonable requests to send your medical information to different locations or by different methods. For example, if you would like us to communicate with you at a different address, we can usually do that for you. You need to make your request in writing to Medical Records.
Access to Your Medical Information — You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of the medical information that we maintain for you, with some limited exceptions. If we deny you access based on those exceptions, you will be provided with a timely, written explanation. We reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee for the cost of producing and mailing the copies. For a copy of our access policy and for information about the associated costs, you may contact the Medical Records Department at (206) 431-5345.
Amendment of Your Medical Information — You have the right to ask us to make changes to your medical information. The request must be made in writing to Medical Records. In certain situations we may deny your request. The reason for denial will be provided in writing. You have the right to appeal our denial by filing a written statement of disagreement. For more information about this process, contact the Medical Records Director at (206) 439-5586.
Listing of Disclosures — You have a right to a listing of the disclosures we make of your medical information, except for those disclosures made for treatment, payment or healthcare operations or those disclosures made based on your authorization. The types of disclosures typically contained in a listing would be disclosures made for mandatory public health purposes, law enforcement, legal proceedings or other required reporting such as birth and death certificates. A request form is available in the Medical Records Department.
Questions and Complaints
If you are concerned that any of your privacy rights have been violated, please contact our Patient Representative at (206) 988-5791.
You also have the right to file a complaint to the Secretary of Health and Human Services by contacting the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20201.
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Changes to Privacy Practices and the Notice
Highline Medical Center reserves the right to change its privacy practices and its Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. The new notice will be effective for any medical information we create or maintain as of the date of the change. You may request a printed copy of our privacy practices from our Patient Representative at (206) 988-5791.