HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.

This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record:

You can ask us to request a correction of your health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy \ promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information on this piece.
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/ privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share.

If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situation, described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to

Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
Share information in a disaster relief situation
Include your information in a hospital directory
Provide mental health care and HIV treatment

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission

Marketing purposes, unless the communication is made directly to you in person, is a promotional gift of nominal value or directly related to your treatment
Sale of your information
Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

In the case of fundraising

We may contact you to donate to fundraising efforts to receive fundraising materials or communications
We may disclose your health information to a foundation related to National Spine & Pain Centers so that they may contact you
You have the right to opt out and tell us not to contact you again.

Our Uses & Disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information? We are permitted or required by law to make certain other uses and disclosures of your health information without your consent or authorization in the following ways. How else can we use or share your health information? We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

Treat you

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our organization

We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for your services

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

Preventing disease
Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
Helping with product recalls
Reporting birth
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
Reporting injury
Reporting death
Relating to public health investigations
Reporting adverse reactions to medications

Do research

We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply with the law

We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you:

For workers’ compensation claims and benefits determination
For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
For conducting government audits, investigations, civil or criminal proceedings

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order or in response to a subpoena. You will receive notice in some cases

National Spine & Pain Center may contact an individual to

Provide appointment reminders
Provide information about treatment alternatives
Provide information about other health-related benefits and services, as applicable, and one or more of these communications may be left on the patient’s answering machine / voice mail.

Teaching

National Spine & Pain Centers uses many of its facilities to provide educational opportunities to residents, fellows, and students in medicine, nursing, radiology, pharmacy, allied health, and other studies.

Incidental Disclosures

Although we take reasonable measures to ensure your privacy, certain disclosures of your health information may occur incidentally. Example: Other patients may see your name on a sign-in sheet, or you may overhear a physician’s confidential conversation with another provider or patient.

The National Spine & Pain Centers (NSPC) network of practices does not maintain a hospital directory; as such, no patient information will be shared pursuant to the hospital directory exception. Further, NSPCdoesnotcreatenormaintainPsychotherapyNotesasdescribedinthisNotice.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) controls how we will use your information. Certain states have enacted more stringent laws that supersede HIPAA standards. In these states, NSPC will follow the additional requirements as follows:

New York Patients: NSPC shall make your medical records available to you for inspection within 10(ten) days of receiving a written request. Reasonable copying and mailing costs may be imposed on such requests.

Virginia Patients: NSPC shall make your medical records available to you for inspection within 15(fifteen) days of receiving a written request. Reasonable copying and mailing costs may be imposed on such requests.

Our Responsibilities: We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information. We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information. We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it. We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you can tell us, we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html

Changes to the terms of this notice:We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website. This notice of privacy practices is affective as of July 2023. This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to the following organizations: National Spine and Pain Centers and its affiliates.

For further information about the complaint process, or for further explanation of this document, contact:

Compliance/Privacy Officer
National Spine & Pain Centers
5280 Corporate Drive, Suite C-250
Frederick, MD 21703
Phone: 561-279-3613
Web: NationalSpine.com
Email: Compliance@treatingpain.com