NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
| 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. |
THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE ON AUGUST 1, 2007
This Notice describes the privacy policies of the Dr. Yury Geylikman PC
(Provider). It applies to the dentists (including students), employees, staff
and other personnel who provide services at the all Dr. Yury Geylikman PC
locations (collectively "Provider"). The people and organizations to which this
notice applies (referred to as "we," "our," and "us") have agreed to abide by
the terms of this notice. We may share your information with each other for
purposes of treatment, and as necessary for payment and operations activities as
described below.
This notice applies to any information in our possession that would allow
someone to identify you and learn something about your health. It is intended to
describe the policies that protect medical information relating to your past,
present and future medical conditions, health care treatment and payment for
that treatment (Protected Health Information or PHI). It does not apply to
information that contains nothing that could reasonably be used to identify you.
Our Legal Duties
How We May Use or Disclose Your Health Information.
We may use your health information, or give it out to others, for a number of
different reasons. This notice describes these reasons. For each reason, we have
written a brief explanation. We also provide some examples. These examples do
not include all of the specific ways we may use or disclose your information.
Any time we use your information, or disclose it to someone else, it will fit
one of the reasons listed here.
Treatment. We will use your health information to provide you
with orthodontic care and services. This means that our employees and staff and
others who work under our direct control may read your health information to
learn about your medical condition and use it to make decisions about your care.
For instance, a dental assistant may read your chart in order to care for you.
We will also give your information to others who need it in order to provide you
with medical treatment or services. For instance, we may send your doctor the
results of x-rays we perform.
Payment. We will use your health information, and disclose it
to others, as necessary to obtain payment for the services we provide to you.
For instance, an employee in our business office may use your health information
to prepare a bill. And we may send that bill, and any health information it
contains, to your insurance company. We may also disclose some of your health
information to companies with whom we contract for payment-related services. We
may give information about you to a health plan that pays for your benefits.
Health Care Operations. We may use your health information for
activities that are necessary to operate this organization. This includes
reading your health information to review the performance of our staff. We may
also use your information and the information of other patients to plan what
services we need to provide, expand, or reduce. For example, we may disclose
your health information to a company that assists us with quality assurance. We
may disclose your health information as necessary to others who we contract with
to provide administrative services. This includes our lawyers, auditors,
accreditation services, and consultants, for instance.
To Business Associates. The Provider may hire third parties
that may need your PHI to perform certain services on behalf of the Provider.
These third parties are "Business Associates" of the Provider. Business
Associates must protect any PHI they receive from, or create and maintain on
behalf of, the Provider. These Business Associates may need to re-disclose PHI
for purposes related to treatment, payment, and health care operations, or for
the proper management and administration of the Business Associate.
Family and Friends. We may disclose your health information to
a member of your family or to someone else who is involved in your medical care
or payment for care. We may notify family or friends if you experience an
emergency, and tell them your general condition. In the event of a disaster, we
may provide information about you to a disaster relief organization so they can
notify your family of your condition and location. We will not disclose your
information to family or friends if you object. We may also disclose to your
personal representatives who have authority to act on your behalf (for example,
to parents of minors or to someone with a power of attorney).
Public Health Oversight. We may disclose your health
information to a public health oversight agency for oversight activities
authorized by law. This includes uses or disclosures in civil, administrative or
criminal investigations; licensure or disciplinary actions (for example, to
investigate complaints against health care providers); inspections; and other
activities necessary for appropriate oversight of government programs (for
example, to investigate fraud).
To Report Abuse. We may disclose your health information
when the information relates to a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
We will make this report only in accordance with laws that require or allow such
reporting, or with your permission.
Legal Requirement to Disclose Information. We will disclose
your information when we are required by law to do so. This includes reporting
information to government agencies that have the legal responsibility to monitor
the health care system. For instance, we may be required to disclose your health
information, and the information of others, if we are audited by a payor.
Law Enforcement. We may disclose your health information for
law enforcement purposes. This includes providing information to help locate a
suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person, or in connection with
suspected criminal activity. We must also disclose your health information to a
federal agency investigating our compliance with federal privacy regulations.
For Lawsuits and Disputes. We may disclose PHI in response to
an order of a court or administrative agency, but only to the extent expressly
authorized in the order. We may also disclose PHI in response to a subpoena, a
lawsuit discovery request, or other lawful process, but only if we have received
adequate assurances that the information to be disclosed will be protected or
you have been given proper notice. We may also disclose PHI in a lawsuit if
necessary for payment or health care operations purposes.
Specialized Purposes. We may disclose your health information
for a number of other specialized purposes. We will only disclose as much
information as is necessary for the purpose. For instance, we may disclose your
information, as applicable, to coroners, medical examiners and funeral
directors; to organ procurement organizations (for organ, eye, or tissue
donation); or for national security and intelligence purposes. We may disclose
the health information of members of the armed forces as authorized by military
command authorities. We also may disclose health information about an inmate to
a correctional institution or to law enforcement officials to provide the inmate
with health care, to protect the health and safety of the inmate and others, and
for the safety, administration, and maintenance of the correctional institution.
We may also disclose your health information to your employer for purposes of
workers' compensation and work site safety laws (OSHA, for instance). We may
disclose PHI to organizations engaged in emergency and disaster relief efforts.
To Avert a Serious Threat. We may disclose your health
information if we decide that the disclosure is necessary to prevent serious
harm to the public or to an individual. The disclosure will only be made to
someone who is able to prevent or reduce the threat.
Research. We may disclose your health information in connection
with medical research projects if allowed under federal and state laws and
rules. Certain research may require your authorization. The Provider may
disclose PHI for use in a limited data set for purposes of research, public
health or health care operations, but only if a data use agreement has been
signed.
Information to Patients. We may use your health information to provide you with
additional information. This may include sending you appointment reminders. This
may also include giving you information about treatment options or other
health-related services that we provide.
Your Rights
Authorization. We will ask for your written authorization if we
plan to use or disclose your health information for reasons not covered in this
notice. If you authorize us to use or disclose your health information, you have
the right to revoke the authorization at any time. If you want to revoke an
authorization, send a written notice to the Privacy Official listed at the end
of this notice. You may not revoke an authorization for us to use and disclose
your information to the extent that we have already given out your information
or taken other action in reliance on the authorization. If the authorization is
to permit disclosure of your information to an insurance company, as a condition
of obtaining coverage, other laws may allow the insurer to continue to use your
information to contest claims or your coverage, even after you have revoked the
authorization.
Request Restrictions. You have the right to ask us to restrict
how we use or disclose your health information. We will consider your request,
but we are not required to agree. If we do agree, we will comply with the
request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency
treatment. We cannot agree to restrict disclosures that are required by law.
Confidential Communication. You have the right to ask us to communicate with you
at a special address or by a special means. For example, you may ask us to send
mail to a different address rather than to your home. Or you may ask us to speak
to you personally on the telephone rather than sending your health information
by mail. We will not ask you to explain why you are making the request. We will
agree to reasonable requests.
Access to and Copies of Health Information. You have a right to
access the health information about you that we have in our records. This right
is limited to information about you that is kept in records that are used to
make decisions about you. For instance, this includes medical and billing
records. We may charge a fee for the cost of copying and mailing the records, to
the extent allowed by state and federal law. To ask to inspect your records, or
to receive a copy, send a written request to the Privacy Official listed at the
end of this notice. Your request should specifically list the information you
want copied. We will respond to your request within a reasonable time, but no
later than 30 days. We may deny you access to certain information. If we do, we
will give you the reason, in writing. We will also explain how you may appeal
the decision.
Amend Health Information. You have the right to ask us to amend
health information about you which you believe is not correct, or not complete.
You must make this request in writing, and give us the reason you believe the
information is not correct or complete. We will respond to your request in
writing within 30 days. We may deny your request if we did not create the
information, if it is not part of the records we use to make decisions about
you, if the information is something you would not be permitted to inspect or
copy, or if it is complete and accurate.
Accounting of Disclosures. You have a right to receive an
accounting of certain disclosures of your information to others. This accounting
will list the times we have given your health information to others. The list
will include dates of the disclosures, the names of the people or organizations
to whom the information was disclosed, a description of the information, and the
reason. We will provide the first list of disclosures you request at no charge.
We may charge you for any additional lists you request during the following 12
months. You must request this list in writing. You must tell us the time period
you want the list to cover. You may not request a time period longer than six
years. We cannot include disclosures made before April 1, 2005. Disclosures for
the following reasons will not be included on the list: disclosures for
treatment, payment, or health care operations; disclosures for national security
purposes; certain disclosures to correctional or law enforcement personnel;
disclosures that you have authorized; and disclosures made directly to you.
Paper Copy of this Privacy Notice. You have a right to receive
a paper copy of this notice. If you have received this notice electronically,
you may receive a paper copy by contacting the person listed at the end of this
notice.
Complaints. You have a right to complain if you think your
privacy has been violated. We encourage you to contact our Privacy Official. You
may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and
Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Our Right to Change This Notice.
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices, as described in this
notice, at any time. We reserve the right to apply these changes to any health
information which we already have, as well as to health information we receive
in the future. Before we make any change in the privacy practices described in
this notice, we will write a new notice that includes the change. We will post
the new notice in our waiting rooms. The new notice will include an effective
date.
CALIFORNIA LAW
Provider is subject to California law, which, with certain exceptions, requires
the patient's written authorization for disclosures for purposes other than
treatment. Provider's business associates also need written authorization to
re-disclose medical records. Provider's patients will be asked to authorize, in
writing, the uses and disclosures explained in this Notice.
CONTACT THE PRIVACY OFFICER FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you have any questions regarding this Notice or if you wish to exercise any
of your rights described in this Notice, you may contact the Privacy Official
at:
Dr. Yury Geylikman PC
7614 Santa Monica Blvd.,
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Copies of this notice are also available at the front desk of Provider. This
notice is also available on our Web site:
http://www.hollywoodbraces.com.