CardioVascular Associates P.S.C.

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!

CardioVascular Associates is dedicated to protecting the privacy of your medical information.  We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.  “Protected health information” is information about you that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future health or condition and related medical services.  Such information may include documenting your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses treatment, and applying for future care or treatment.  It also includes billing documents for those services.  Federal law requires us to abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect.

Your Health Information Rights

The health and billing records we maintain are the physical property of CardioVascular Associates P.S.C.  You have the following rights with respect to your Protected Health Information, which also reflects our responsibilities:

1. You have the right to receive communications from us in a confidential manner by requesting that communication of your health information be made by alternative means or at an alternative location by delivering a request in writing to our office.
2. You may request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your health information by delivering the request in writing to our office—we are not required to agree to your request, but if we do, we will honor it.
3. You may obtain a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information ("Notice") by making a request at our office; 
4. Generally, you may request to inspect and receive a copy of your health record and billing record.  You may exercise this right by delivering the request in writing to our office using the form we provide to you upon request. This right is subject to certain specific exceptions, and an appeal of a denial of access may be made. Please note there may be a fee for the cost associated with the creation of these copies;
5. You may ask us to amend any medical information that you consider may be incomplete or incorrect.  You may do this by delivering a written request to our office using the form we provide to you upon request.  We may deny your request for certain specific reasons.  If we deny your request we will provide you with a written explanation for the denial. You may file a statement of disagreement if your amendment is denied, and require that the request for amendment and any denial be attached in all future disclosures of your protected health information;
6. You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your health information as required to be maintained by law by delivering a written request to our office using the form we provide upon your request.  An accounting will not include internal uses of information for treatment, payment, or operations, disclosures made to you or made at your request, or disclosures made to family members or friends in the course of providing care.

We reserve the right to amend, change, or eliminate provisions in our privacy practices and access practices and to enact new provisions regarding the protected health information we maintain.  If our information practices change, we will amend our Notice.  You are entitled to receive a revised copy of the Notice by calling and requesting a copy of our “Notice” or by visiting our office and picking up a copy. 

You also have the right to express concerns if you feel your privacy rights have been violated.  You may contact the Privacy Officer of CardioVascular Associates who may be contacted in person or by phone at 502-891-8300 during business hours or in writing to the attention of the Privacy Officer at6420 Dutchmans Pkwy, Suite 200, Louisville KY 40205 or by email at PrivacyOfficer@CVAKY.com.  Additionally, you may also contact the office of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  We cannot, and will not, require you to waive the right to file a concern as a condition of receiving treatment from the office nor will we retaliate against you in anyway. 

Uses/Disclosures of Medical Information Allowed by the Privacy Rule

Uses and Disclosures for Purposes of Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations

Treatment:  We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services.  This includes the coordination or management of your health care with a third party that has already obtained your permission to have access to your protected health information.  For example, we may disclose your protected health information to other physicians who may be treating you so as to ensure that the physician has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.

Payment:  Your protected health information may be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your health care services.  For example, this may include getting approvals required by your health insurance company, such as determining eligibility for benefits and deciding whether services are medically necessary.

Healthcare Operations:  We may use or disclose your protected health information, as needed, to operate our business.  These activities might include such things as reviewing employee performance, getting legal or financial advice, or calling to remind you of an appointment.  We may also use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your treating physician.  In addition, we may also call you by name in the waiting room when your provider is ready to see you.

Business Associates - We may disclose your health information to  business associates with whom we contract to provide services on our behalf.  To protect your health information, we require our business associates to appropriately safeguard the health information of our patients.

Appointment Reminders -We may contact you to provide you with appointment reminders.

Treatment Information - We may contact you with information about treatment alternatives, or with information about other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Disclosures Permitted if You Have Opportunity to Agree or Object

Family/Friends - Using our best judgment, we may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend, or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person's involvement in your care or in payment for such care if you do not object or in an emergency. 

Disaster Relief - We may use and disclose your protected health information to assist in disaster relief efforts.

Public Safety - As required by law, we may disclose your protected health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. In addition information may be disclosed to avert or lessen a serious, imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.

Victim of Abuse/ Neglect/Domestic Violence - We may disclose protected health information to public authorities as allowed by law to report abuse or neglect or to prevent serious harm to the individual or other potential victim.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - We may disclose to the FDA your protected health information relating to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, products and product defects, or post-marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacements.

Oversight Agencies - Federal law allows us to release your protected health information to appropriate health oversight agencies or for health oversight activities to include audits, civil, administrative or criminal investigations: inspections; licensures or disciplinary actions, and for similar reasons related to the administration of healthcare.

Legal Proceedings - We may disclose your protected health information in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding as allowed or required by law, or as directed by a proper court order or administrative tribunal, provided that only the protected health information released is expressly authorized by such order, or in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.

Law Enforcement/ Specialized Governmental Functions - We may disclose your protected health information for law enforcement purposes such as when required by court order, including laws that require reporting of certain types of wounds or other physical injury. In addition disclosures may be made to governmental functions such as the Armed Forces for national security purposes, or to public assistance program personnel.

Coroners, Medical Examiners And Funeral Directors - We may disclose your protected health information to funeral directors or coroners consistent with applicable law to allow them to carry out their duties.

Organ Procurement Organizations - Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose your protected health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs, eyes, or tissue for the purpose of donation and transplant.

Research - We may disclose information to researchers, when their research has been approved by an institutional review board, which has reviewed the research proposal, and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your protected health information.

Correctional Institutions - If you are an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or it’s agents the protected health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.

Workers Compensation - If you are seeking compensation through Workers Compensation, we may disclose your protected health information to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to Workers Compensation.

Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted Only with Your Authorization

Other uses and disclosures besides those identified in this Notice will be made only as otherwise authorized by law or with your written authorization, which you may revoke except to the extent information or action has already been taken.  To request a Revocation of Authorization form, you may contact the Privacy Officer of CardioVascular Associates who may be contacted in person or by phone at 502-891-8300 during business hours or in writing to the attention of the Privacy Officer at 6420 Dutchmans Pkwy, Suite 200, Louisville KY 40205 or by email at PrivacyOfficer@CVAKY.com.  

This notice is available for review at www.CVAKY.com