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Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: September 23, 2013

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.

Our Pledge and Responsibilities Regarding Your Medical Information

In the course of providing health care, we collect protected health information (“PHI”) from patients and other sources, including other health care providers. PHI is information about you, including identifiers such as your name and social security number, and relates to your past, present and future health, your provision of health care, or payments for health care. For simplicity, throughout this notice, we will use the term “medical information” instead of “PHI,” but the two terms will have the same meaning.

We know that your information and your health is a personal matter. We are committed to protecting your health information. We will disclose information to others other than you only when permitted under federal or state law. In some circumstances, the law allows us to use and disclose your health information without your express permission, as described in this notice. In all other circumstances, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information.

By law we are obliged to:

  • Make sure that health information that identifies you is kept private (with certain exceptions);
  • Inform you of your legal rights and duties regarding your medical information; and
  • Comply with the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices that are currently in effect.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Disclosure at your request

We may disclose information when requested by you. We may require you to submit a request in writing using an AHF form.

Disclosure at your request

We may use your medical information to offer you pharmaceutical products or services, for example, to recommend medications. We may contact you to provide treatment-related services, such as refill reminders or to inform you about treatment alternatives (such as generics) or other health-related services or benefits, including those offered by AHF, that may be of interest to you. interest. We may disclose your information to other health care providers for treatment purposes.

For payment

We may use your medical information to receive payment for our products and services offered to you. For example, we may contact your insurer, payer, or other agent and share your medical information to determine whether they will pay for your prescription.

For Healthcare Operations

We may use or disclose your medical information for our health care operations. For example, we may use your information to monitor the quality of your pharmacy services and for the training of our pharmacy staff.

Fundraising Activities

We may use your health information or disclose that information to a partner or commercial foundation to raise money for our charitable activities. We will only disclose demographic information and the dates you received treatment or services. If you do not wish to be contacted about these fundraising efforts, please notify our Privacy Officer in writing (see below for contact information).

Marketing or Commercialization Activities

We will not use or disclose your medical information for marketing purposes to third parties without your written authorization.

Sale of Medical Information

We will not sell your health information without your written authorization, and the written authorization must acknowledge that we will receive compensation for the health information.

Business partners

We may hire business associates to perform certain functions or activities on our behalf, such as payments and healthcare operations. These business associates must agree to protect your health information.

People involved in your care or payment for your care

We may disclose your health information to a friend or family member who is involved in your health care. If you have not previously authorized this in writing and are not present or have the capacity to make decisions

Investigation

In some circumstances, we may use and disclose your health information for research purposes. However, all research projects are subject to a special approval process and protocols to protect your privacy.

As required by law

We will disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state or local law.

To avoid a serious threat to health or safety

We may use and disclose your health information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. However, any disclosure would only be to someone who can help prevent or lessen the threat.

Special situations

Organ and tissue donation

We may disclose medical information to organizations that handle organ procurement, tissue or eye transplantation, or to an organ donation bank, as necessary to facilitate tissue and organ donation and transplantation.

Military and Veterans

If you are a member of the armed forces, we may disclose your health information as necessary by military command authorities. We may also disclose health information about foreign military personnel to appropriate foreign military authorities.

Worker's Compensation

We may disclose your health information for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.

Public Health Activities

We may disclose your medical information for public health activities. These activities generally include the following:

  • Prevent or control illness, injury or disability; Report reactions to medications or problems with products;
  • Inform people of recalls of used products;
  • Notify the person who has been exposed to a disease or may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition;
  • Notify the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.

Health Supervision Activities

We may disclose your health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations,

Lawsuits and Controversies

If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we may disclose your health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose your health information in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process by someone involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request (which may include written notice to you or your attorney). ) or to obtain an order protecting the requested information.

Compliance with laws

We may release your medical information if requested to do so by a law enforcement official, including:
  • In response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, notice or similar process;
  • To identify or locate a suspicious person, 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;
  • Regarding the death that we believe may be the result of criminal conduct;
  • On criminal conduct in the pharmacy; and
  • In emergency situations to report a crime; the location of the crime or victims; or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.

Coroners, Health Examiners and Funeral Directors

We may disclose your health information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary to, for example, identify a deceased person or determine the cause of a death. We may also disclose medical information about members to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

National Security and Intelligence Activities

We may disclose your health information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.

Protective Services for the President and Others

We may disclose your health information to authorized federal officials to protect the president, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or to conduct special investigations.

Correctional Institution

If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may disclose your health information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This disclosure will be necessary, for example, (1) for the institution to provide you with medical care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the health and safety of the correctional institution.

Multidisciplinary Staff Teams

We may disclose medical information to multidisciplinary staff teams relating to the prevention, identification, management or treatment of an abused child and the child’s parents or elder abuse and neglect.

Special Categories of Information

In some circumstances, your health information will be subject to restrictions that may limit or exclude some uses or disclosures described in this notice. For example, there are special restrictions on the use or disclosure of certain categories of information, for example, HIV testing or treatment for mental health conditions or drug or alcohol abuse. In some states, such as California, there are additional patient privacy laws, which we will comply with. (See appendix). Additionally, government health benefit programs, such as Medi-Cal in California, may also limit the disclosure of beneficiary information for purposes unrelated to the program.

Your rights regarding your Medical Information

You have the following rights regarding your medical information that we maintain.

Right of Inspection and Copy

In general, you have the right to inspect and copy your health information. Usually, this includes medical and billing records, but does not include mental health information or other information that may be withheld by law.

Derecho a enmienda

If you believe that medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, we may ask you to amend that information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for AHF.

To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and addressed to our Privacy Officer (see below for contact information). You must also provide a reason to support your request.

We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support your request. Additionally, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

  • It was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
  • It is not part of the medical information maintained by or for AHF;
  • It is not part of the information that could be permitted to be inspected and copied; either
  • It is accurate and complete.

Even if we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to submit a written addendum, not to exceed 250 words, regarding any item or statement in your record that you believe is incomplete or incorrect. If you clearly indicate in writing that you want the addendum to be part of your medical record, we will add it to your record and include it whenever we make a disclosure of the item or a statement that you believe is incomplete or incorrect.

Right to be informed about a breach of medical information

You have the right to be informed of any breach of unsecured health information, unless our risk assessment determines that there is a low probability that your health information has been compromised.

Right to a Record of Disclosures

You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures.” This is a list of the disclosures we make of your health information, other than our own uses for treatment, payment and health care operations (as those functions are described above) and with certain other exceptions provided by law.

Right to request restrictions

You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the disclosure of your medical information to someone involved in your care or payment for your care, such as a family member or friend. For example, you can request that we not use or disclose your information about a surgery you had.

We are not required to agree to your request, unless you ask us to limit your health information to a health plan, as long as (a) the disclosure is for purposes of carrying out payment or health care operations and is not, otherwise required by law and (b) the medical information pertains exclusively to a health care matter or service for which you have paid us in full. If we agree to your requested restriction, we will comply with your request, unless the information is necessary to provide you with emergency treatment.

To request restrictions, you must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer (see below for contact information). In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want us to limit; (2) if you want us to limit or use, or disclose, or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can request that we only contact you at work or by postal mail.

Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to provide you with a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still authorized to receive a paper copy of this notice. To obtain a paper copy of this notice, please contact our Privacy Officer (see below for contact information).

Changes to this notice

We reserve the right to change this notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the modified or revised notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as information we receive in the future. If we make a material change to this notice, we will send it to you or it will be available on our website. Additionally, you can obtain a copy of our current notice at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer (see below for contact information).

Concerns about our use of your Medical Information

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer (see below for contact information). All claims or demands must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a claim.

Other Uses of Medical Information

Other uses and disclosures of your health information not covered by this notice or applicable laws will be made only with your written permission. If you authorize us to use or disclose your health information, you may revoke that permission in writing at any time. If you revoke your permission, this will stop any further use or disclosure of your health information for the purposes covered by your written authorization, except if we or others have already acted on your permission. You understand that we cannot take back disclosures already made with your permission and must retain them for our records of care provided.