Notice of Privacy Practices
How your health information may be used and shared, and your rights.
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.
Your rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.
Get a copy of your medical record
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information within 15 business days of your written request. We may charge a reasonable, cost based fee.
Ask us to correct your medical record
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say no, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Request confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, a home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will say yes to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say no if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service or health care item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer for payment or our operations. We will say yes unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why. We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
Get a copy of this privacy notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority before we take any action.
File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated
You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information below. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your choices
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care, and to share information in a disaster relief situation. If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
We never share your information for marketing purposes or sell your information unless you give us written permission. We do not use your information for fundraising.
Our uses and disclosures
Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. For example, a doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.
Run our organization
We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Bill for your services
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as preventing disease, helping with product recalls, reporting adverse reactions to medications, reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
Do research
We can use or share your information for health research when the law allows it.
Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests and work with a medical examiner or funeral director
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations, and with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you for workers’ compensation claims, for law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official, with health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, and for special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services.
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
Texas notice about electronic disclosure
Texas law requires us to tell you that your protected health information may be disclosed electronically, for example to other health care providers involved in your care or to your health plan. We do not disclose your protected health information electronically for any other purpose without your authorization, except as permitted or required by law.
Our responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
Changes to the terms of this notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
Contact us
Privacy questions or requests: privacy@padelaspineandjoint.com, (713) 581-4255, or by mail to Padela Health PLLC, Attention: Privacy, 1919 FM 1092 Rd Ste 10, Missouri City, TX 77459.
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