Highland Medical Associates 165 Coolridge St. Hendersonville, NC 28792

Todd I Stone, PA-CPhone: 828-694-3939 Fax: 828-692-0533

Privacy Policy

Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED BY HIGHLAND MEDICAL ASSOCIATES AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

HMAcare.com website is owned and administrated solely by Highland Medical Associates.

YOUR RIGHTS - When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights

Upon written request:

• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. 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.

• You can ask us to correct your health information you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no”, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.

• You can ask us to communicate with you in a certain way (i.e.: home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.

• 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.

• 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.

• Revoke an authorization to use or disclose PHI at any time except where action has already been taken.

You may also:

• Choose someone to act on your behalf. 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 ask for proof the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

• Ask for a paper copy of this document even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically, we will provide that copy promptly.

• File a complaint. If you feel your rights have been violated, you may contact the designated privacy office and insert information here:

  US Department of health and Human Services office for civil rights you can choose:

• 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 for filing a complaint.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES - The law requires us to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• Notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may compromise the privacy or security of your information.

• Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.

• Not use or share your information other than what is described in this notice unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can and then change your mind, just let us know in writing you have changed your mind.

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 and the situations described below, talk to us.

• In these cases, you have both the right and the choice to tell us to: share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care and share information in a disaster relief situation

• In these cases, we will never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes

• Sale of your information

• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

• In the case of fundraising, we may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

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.

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES - we typically use or share your information in the following ways:

Treatment: 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.

Payment: 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

Healthcare operations: 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.

OTHER WAYS WE CAN 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 must meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.

· Help with public health and safety issues: We can share your health information for certain situations such as: preventing disease, helping with product recalls, reporting adverse reactions to medication, reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health and safety.

· Comply with the law: We will share information if the state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see if we are complying with federal privacy laws.

· Respond to Oregon and tissue donation requests: We will share health information 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 you die.

· Address Workers Compensation, Law Enforcement, and other government requests:

• For workers compensation claims

• For law enforcement purposes or with law enforcement officials.

• For health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law.

• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services.

  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.

  Research: We can use or share your information for health research.

CHANGES TO 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.

Policy Updated: 11/16/2023 Highland Medical Associates HMAcare.com