Privacy Policy
OUR PLEDGE
The protection of our patients’ privacy and the confidentiality of their medical information have always been important to us. We understand that you trust us to safeguard your personal information and respect your right to privacy. This notice represents our commitment to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to inform you of our legal duties and privacy practices, as well as your rights, as required by California and federal law. We are legally required to provide you a copy of this notice and to follow the terms of this notice currently in effect.
YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We keep records of the medical care we provide you and we may receive similar records from others. We use this information so that we, or other health care providers, can render quality medical care, obtain payment for services and enable us to meet our professional and legal responsibilities to operate our medical practice. We may store this information in a chart and in our computers. This information makes up your medical record. The medical record is our property; however this notice explains how we use information about you and when we are allowed to share that information with others.
OUR PRIVACY PRACTICES
It is our policy to maintain reasonable and feasible physical, electronic and process safeguards to restrict unauthorized access to and protect the availability and integrity of your health information.
Our protective measures may include secured office facilities, locked file cabinets, managed computer network systems and password protected accounts.
Access to health information is only granted on a “need-to-know” basis. Once the need is established the access is limited to the minimum necessary information to accomplish the intended purpose.
Our staff are required to comply with the policies and procedures designed to protect the confidentiality of your health information. Any staffs that violate our privacy policy are subject to disciplinary action.
HOW WE MAY USE OR SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
The following categories describe situations where the law allows us to use and share your health information. We give examples for each category that illustrate that type of use or disclosure. Not every use or disclosure is listed, but the ways in which we are legally permitted to use and share your health information will fall into one of these categories.
Treatment We use medical information about you to provide your medical care. We disclose medical information to our employees and others who are involved in providing the care you need. For example, we may share your medical information with other physicians or other health care providers who will provide services which we do not provide. Or we may share this information with a pharmacist who needs it to dispense a prescription to you, or a laboratory that performs a test. We may use and disclose medical information to contact and remind you about appointments. If you are not home, we may leave this information on your answering machine or in a message left with the person answering the phone.
We may use and disclose medical information about you by having you sign in when you arrive at our office. We may also call out your name when we are ready to see you.
Payment We use and disclose medical information about you to obtain payment for the services we provide. For example, we give your health plan the information it requires before it will pay us. We may also disclose information to other healthcare providers to assist them in obtaining payment for services they provide you.
Health Care Operations We may use and disclose medical information about you to properly operate and manage our medical practice. For example, we may use and disclose this information to review and improve the quality of the care we provide, or the competence and qualifications of our professional staff. Or we may use and disclose this information to get your health plan to authorize services or referrals. We may also use and disclose this information as necessary for medical reviews, legal services and audits, including fraud, waste and abuse detection, compliance programs and business planning and management. We may also share your health information with our business associates, such as our billing service, that perform services for us. However we will not share your health information with them unless they agree in writing to protect the privacy of that information. Under California law all recipients of health care information are prohibited from re-disclosing it except as specifically required or permitted by law. We may also share your information with other providers, clearing houses or health plans that have a relationship with you, when they request this information to help them with their quality assessment and improvement activities, their efforts to improve health or reduce healthcare costs, their review of competence, qualifications and performance of health care professionals, their training programs, their accreditation, certification or licensing activities, or their health care fraud, waste and abuse detection and compliance efforts.
Notifications We may disclose information to someone who is involved with your care or helps pay for your care. We may disclose your health information to notify, or assist in notifying, a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care about your location, your general condition or in the event of your death. In the event of a disaster, we may also disclose information to a relief organization so that they may coordinate these notification efforts.
Marketing We may contact you to give you information about products or services related to your treatment, case management or care coordination, or to direct or recommend other treatments or health- related benefits and services that may be of interest to you, or to provide you with small gifts. We may also encourage you to purchase a product or service when we see you.
Research Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose medical information about you for research purposes. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health and recovery of all patients who received one medication to those who received another, for the same condition. All research projects, however, are subject to a special approval process.
Special Circumstances and the Law Special situations and certain laws may require us to use or release your health information. For example, we may be required to release your health information to others for the following reasons:
□ Whenever we are required to do so by law; for example, to the extent your care is covered by Workers’ Compensation, we will make periodic reports to your employer about your condition. We are also required by law to report cases of occupation related injury or
illness to the employer or Workers’ Compensation insurer.
- To report information to agencies that regulates our business, such as the S. Department of Health and Human Services and the California Department of Health and Managed Care.
- To assist with public health activities; for example, we may report health information to the Food and Drug Administration for the purpose of investigating or tracking a prescription drug and medical device malfunctions.
- To report information to public health agencies if we believe there is a serious threat to your health and safety or that of another person or the general public; this includes disaster relief efforts
- To report certain activities to health oversight agencies; for example, we may report activities involving audits, inspections, licensure and peer reviews
- To assist courts or administrative agencies; for example, we may provide information pursuant to a court order, search warrant or subpoena, or when required by the investigation of a duly authorized administrative agency
- To support law enforcement activities; for example, we may provide health information to law enforcement agents for the purpose of identifying or locating a fugitive, material witness or missing person
- To correctional institutions, law enforcement officials or military authorities that have you in their lawful custody
- To report information to a government authority regarding child abuse, neglect or domestic violence
- To share information with a coroner or medical examiner as authorized by We may also share information with funeral directors, as necessary to carry out their duties.
- To use or share information for procurement, banking or transplantation of organs, eyes or tissues
- To report information regarding job-related injuries as required by your state workers’ compensation laws
- To share information related to specialized government functions, such as military and veterans activities, national security and counter-intelligence purposes, or in support of providing protective services for the President, foreign heads of state and other designated persons
- To a family member or friend under any of the following circumstances: (1) if you provide a verbal agreement to allow such a disclosure; (2) if you are given an opportunity to object to such a disclosure and you do not raise an objection; or (3) if it can be inferred from the circumstance, based on our professional judgment, that you would not
- In the event that our practice is sold or merged with another organization, your medical record will become the property of the new owner, although you will maintain the right to request that copies of your health information be transferred to another physician or medical
- We may use or share your health information when it has been “de-identified.” Health information is considered de-identified when it has been processed in such a way that it can no longer personally identify
- We may also use a “limited data set” that does not contain any information that can directly identify This limited data set may only be used for the purposes of research, public health matters or health care operations. For example, a limited data set may include your city, county and zip code, but not your name or street address.
YOUR WRITTEN PERMISSION
Except as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices, or as otherwise permitted by law, we must obtain your written permission
– called an authorization – prior to using or sharing health information that identifies you as an individual. If you provide an authorization and then change your mind, you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time.
Once an authorization has been revoked, we will no longer use or share your health information as outlined in the authorization form; however you should be aware that we won’t be able to retract a use or disclosure that was previously made in good faith based on what was then a valid authorization from you.
Except as specified above, under California law we may not share your health information with your employer or benefit plan unless you provide us an authorization to do so.
OTHER RESTRICTIONS
In California there may be additional laws regarding the use and disclosure of health information related to HIV status, communicable diseases, reproductive health, genetic test results, substance abuse, mental health and mental retardation. Generally we will be bound by whatever law is more stringent and provides more protection for your privacy.
YOUR RIGHTS
The following are your rights with respect to your health information. You have the right to:
- Ask us to restrict how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to ask us to restrict health information that we have been asked to give to family members or to others who are involved in your health care or payment for your health care. Please note that while we will try to honor your requests, we are not required by law to agree to these types of restrictions;
- Request confidential communications of health For example, you may ask that we send information to your work address. We will accommodate all reasonable requests submitted in writing;
- Inspect and copy your health information, with limited exceptions. To access your record, you must submit a written request detailing what information you want access to and whether you want to inspect it or get a copy of We may charge you a reasonable fee for copies as allowed by law. Under certain circumstances we may deny your request. If we do deny your request, we will notify you in writing and may provide you the opportunity to have the denial reviewed;
- Request an amendment to your health information that you believe is incorrect or We may require your request be in writing and that you provide a reason for the request. If we make the amendment, we will notify you. If we deny your request, we will notify you of the reason in writing. This written notification will explain your right to file a written statement of disagreement. In return, we have a right to rebut your statement. Furthermore, you have the right to request that your initial written request, our written denial and your statement of disagreement be included with your health information for any future disclosures;
- Receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made by us during the six years prior to your We may require that your request be in writing. Your first accounting is free. Subsequently, you are allowed one free accounting request every 12
months. If you request an additional accounting within 12 months of receiving your free accounting, we may charge you a fee. Please note that we are not required to provide you with an accounting for any information:
- Disclosed prior to June 1, 2008;
- Shared for treatment, payment or health care operations as described above;
- Previously disclosed to you;
- Shared as part of an authorization request;
- Incidental to a use or disclosure that is otherwise permitted;
- Provided for use in a facility directory;
- Provided to persons involved in your care or for other notification purposes;
- Shared for national security or counter- intelligence purposes;
- Shared or used as part of a limited data set for research, public health or health care operations purposes;
- Disclosed to correctional institutions, law enforcement officials, military authorities, or health oversight
CHANGES
Should any of our privacy practices change, we reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new notice effective for all the health information that we maintain, regardless of when it was created or received. We will provide you a copy of the revised notice and will post it publicly as required by law.
QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS
If you have any questions regarding this notice of privacy practices, if you require additional information, or you believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
351 Hospital Road, Suite 218 Newport Beach, CA 92663
Phone: 949.642.0042 Fax: 949.642.0043
No action will be taken against you and you will not be penalized in any way for filing a complaint with us.
If you prefer, you may direct your complaints to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
This page is used to inform website visitors regarding our policies with the collection, use, and disclosure of Personal Information if anyone decided to use our Service.
If you choose to use our Service, then you agree to the collection and use of information in relation with this policy. The Personal Information that we collect are used for providing and improving the Service. We will not use or share your information with anyone except as described in this Privacy Policy.
The terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, which is accessible at , unless otherwise defined in this Privacy Policy.
Information Collection and Use
For a better experience while using our Service, we may require you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information, including but not limited to your name, phone number, and postal address. The information that we collect will be used to contact or identify you.
Log Data
We want to inform you that whenever you visit our Service, we collect information that your browser sends to us that is called Log Data. This Log Data may include information such as your computer’s Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, browser version, pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and other statistics.
Cookies
Cookies are files with small amount of data that is commonly used an anonymous unique identifier. These are sent to your browser from the website that you visit and are stored on your computer’s hard drive.
Our website uses these “cookies” to collection information and to improve our Service. You have the option to either accept or refuse these cookies, and know when a cookie is being sent to your computer. If you choose to refuse our cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.
Service Providers
We may employ third-party companies and individuals due to the following reasons:
- To facilitate our Service;
- To provide the Service on our behalf;
- To perform Service-related services; or
- To assist us in analyzing how our Service is used.
We want to inform our Service users that these third parties have access to your Personal Information. The reason is to perform the tasks assigned to them on our behalf. However, they are obligated not to disclose or use the information for any other purpose.
Security
We value your trust in providing us your Personal Information, thus we are striving to use commercially acceptable means of protecting it. But remember that no method of transmission over the internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure and reliable, and we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Links to Other Sites
Our Service may contain links to other sites. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that site. Note that these external sites are not operated by us. Therefore, we strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of these websites. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
Children’s Privacy
Our Services do not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal identifiable information from children under 13. In the case we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we immediately delete this from our servers. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so that we will be able to do necessary actions.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Thus, we advise you to review this page periodically for any changes. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. These changes are effective immediately, after they are posted on this page.