About Patient HIPAA Rights
- Right to a Notice of Privacy Practices – Patients need to be given a copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices at the first encounter beginning April 14, 2003. We post it on our web site and provide it to patients upon request at registration areas.
- Right to Access Protected Health Information (PHI) – Patients may inspect and get a copy of their PHI that we keep, subject to certain limitations. We require patients to make such requests in writing and may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost of generating the copy.
- Right to Request Amendment to PHI – Patients may ask us to amend or correct their PHI that we keep. We require patients to make such requests in writing but are not required to grant all requests.
- Right to Request Alternative Means of Communicating PHI – Patients may ask us to communicate their PHI by alternative means (such as by fax) or to an alternative location (such as a business address). We require patients to make such requests in writing.
- Right to Request Restrictions on PHI – Patients may ask us to restrict how we use or disclose their PHI. We require patients to make such requests in writing but are not required to grant all restriction requests.
- Right to Accounting – Patients are able to request an accounting of uses and disclosures of their PHI that are not disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations or patient specific releases.
- Right to Complain About Our Privacy Practices – Patients may make complaints about our privacy practices to our HIPAA Privacy Officer by calling 508-210-5942. Patients are also able to file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services within 180 days of a violation if they believe we are not complying with HIPAA.