HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: January 04, 2022
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.
WHO WILL FOLLOW THIS NOTICE?
This Notice of Privacy Practices (the “Notice”) describes SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER’s practices and those of SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER employees, staff, volunteers, and other personnel who are involved in your care. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER and these individuals will follow the terms of this Notice, and may use or disclose medical information about you to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations, or for other purposes as permitted or required by law. This Notice describes your rights to access and control medical information about you, including information that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical, medical, or mental condition and medical care and related health care services.
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER’S PLEDGE REGARDING MEDICAL INFORMATION
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER understands that medical information about you and your health is personal, and is therefore committed to protecting medical information about you.
For the purpose of providing, you with quality care, as well as to comply with certain state and federal legal requirements, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER creates a record of the services you receive at SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER.
This Notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER. This Notice will tell you about the ways in which SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may use and disclose medical information about you. It also describes your rights and certain obligations SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER has regarding the use and disclosure of medical information. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER is required by law to: (1) Make sure that medical information that identifies you is kept private; (2) Give you this Notice of its legal duties and privacy practices concerning medical information about you; (3) Follow the terms of the Notice that are currently in effect, and (4) Notify you in case there is an unauthorized use or disclosure of your unsecured medical information.
HOW SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER MAY USE AND DISCLOSE MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
The following categories describe different ways that SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may use or disclose protected medical information. For each category of uses and disclosures, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will explain what is meant and may give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER is permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories listed below.
Payment
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may use and disclose medical information about you so that payment for the treatment and services you receive at SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER can be received.
Operations
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may use and disclose medical information about you to carry out activities that are necessary for all operations. These uses or disclosures are made for quality of care, compliance activities, administrative purposes, contractual obligations, grievances or lawsuits. For example, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may use medical information to review treatment and services provided or to evaluate the performance of its staff and contractors in caring for you.
Individuals or Family Members & Your Health Care
Unless you object, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose medical information about you to a member of your family, a relative, close friend or any other person that you identify who is involved in your care. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may also tell your family or friends, personal representative, or any other person who is responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death, unless you object.
Emergencies
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose medical information about you to a public or private entity assisting in disaster relief so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, or location. You may object to this disclosure with a written request. However, if you are not available or are unable to agree or object, or in some emergency circumstances, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will use its professional judgment to decide whether this disclosure is in your best interest.
As Required By Law
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state or local law.
Workers’ Compensation
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may release medical information about you for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Public Health Activities
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose medical information about you for public health activities. These purposes generally include the following: (1) To prevent or control disease, injury, or disability; (2) To report deaths; (3) To report abuse or neglect of children, elders, and dependent adults; (4) To report reactions to medications or problems with products; (5) To notify people of recalls of products they may be using; and (6) To notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or who may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
Health Oversight Activities
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose medical information about you to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law.
Lawsuits and Disputes
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.
Disclosure to Law Enforcement
If asked to do so by law enforcement and as authorized or required by law, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may release medical information: (1) To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; (2) About a suspected victim of a crime if, under certain limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement; (3) About a death suspected to be the result of criminal conduct; (4) About criminal conduct at SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER; and (5) In case of a medical emergency, to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.
Decedents
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may release medical information about you to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may also release medical information about you to funeral directors. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may also release information to any individual known as a family member, close personal friend of the family, or any other person identified, who was involved in your care or the payment for your care prior to your death, unless you indicate otherwise. Your medical information may be used or disclosed to others without your authorization after fifty (50) years from the date of your death.
Specialized Government Functions
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose medical information about you to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter intelligence, and other national security activities. If you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may release medical information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official responsible for you as authorized or required by law.
Disclosure For Threats to Health and Safety
In certain circumstances, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may be required to disclose medical information to avert a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another person as required by law enforcement. The use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law.
Marketing
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will not release your medical information for marketing purposes without authorization from you.
Sale of Medical Information
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will not sell your medical information without authorization from you.
YOUR RIGHTS
You have the following rights regarding your medical information. In order to exercise these rights, you must contact The HIPAA Privacy Officer at SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER. You may be asked to submit a written request. The HIPAA Privacy Officer may be contacted using the following information:
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER
Attn: HIPAA Privacy Officer
Email: [email protected]
Alameda Office
Phone: 510-769-0125
Add: 1708 Park St., Suite 130, Alameda, CA 94501
Oakland Office
Phone: 510-654-2207
Add: 6239 College Ave., Suite 201, Oakland, CA 94618
Right to Inspect and Copy. With certain exceptions, you have the right to inspect and receive copies of your medical information.
Amendment
If you feel that medical information about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER to amend the information.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures that we may have made of your medical information.
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on medical information that SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER uses or discloses about you for treatment, payment or health care operations, and to request a limit on the medical information that SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER may disclose to family members or friends involved in your care.
Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER communicate with you about your appointments or other matters related to your treatment in a specific way or at a specific location.
Receive a Copy
You have the right to obtain a copy of this notice.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER reserves the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information about you which is currently in SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER’s possession, as well as any information received about you in the future. SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will post a copy of the current Notice. The Notice will contain an effective date.
QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
If you have any questions or believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER’s HIPAA Privacy Officer in person or mail a written summary of your concern to the address listed above.
You may also file a written complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services at the following address:
Centralized Case Management Operations
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F HHH Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Toll-free: (800) 368-1019
TDD toll-free: (800) 537-7697
Email: [email protected]
You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
OTHER USES OF MEDICAL INFORMATION
Other uses and disclosures of medical information not covered by this Notice will be made only with your written permission. If you provide SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER with permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that permission in writing at any time. If you revoke your permission, SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER will stop any further use or disclosure of your medical information for the purposes covered by your written authorization, except if SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER has already acted in reliance on your permission. You understand that SYMMETRY HEALTH CENTER is unable to take back any disclosure which has already been made with your permission and is required to retain its records of the care which has been provided to you.