Notice of Privacy Practices
This notice describes how information about you may be used or disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.
East Care Acupuncture Clinic (a.k.a. East Care) is committed to treating, using and protecting all patient information responsibly. East Care is required by law to maintain the privacy of confidential information and provide individuals with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices.
Uses and Disclosures: Examples of how East Care typically uses information include planning, documenting, facilitating and providing treatment and in assessing patient progress.
We typically do not bill third party payers (e. g. insurance companies), but provide the patient with a coded statement to facilitate reinbursement. While we regret any inconvenience that this procedure may bring you, it does reduce the need to handle and share your personal information and also keeps the cost of care down for everyone. In cases where we do contact third party payers, we do so only with your written permission.
Patient files may be reviewed in an audit process, for example, to assure that continuing competency requirements are being met to maintain State of Alaska acupuncture licensure.
East Care may also use information to notify a person legally responsible for the patient’s care.
Examples of when East Care is permitted or required to disclose or use confidential patient information without the individual’s written authorization include: for public health protection or to avert serious threat to health or safety; in cases of abuse, neglect or domestic violence; or, in certain judicial or administrative proceedings.
Individual Rights: Although your health record is the physical property of East Care, the information also belongs to you. You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of information; to revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that the action has already taken place; to receive confidential communications; to obtain a copy of or inspect your health information; to request amendment of protected health information; and to receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information.
East Care’s Rights: With respect to your rights to access and control your protected information, East Care’s rights include: 30 days to comply with a request to access or copy health information and the right to charge a fee for copying if necessary or for translation from Chinese or English if necessary; to record or remove any information that it deems harmful to the patient or to another individual; to supervise the patient during any review of medical records to prevent removal or alteration of the record.
East Care is required to abide by the terms of this notice and reserves the right to change the terms of this notice and to make the new notice provisions effective for all confidential information that it maintains.
Revisions to this notice will be posted in the waiting room. Concerns may be communicated or complaints made directly to East Care at the address or phone number indicated in this notice. You may also contact the Secretary of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 509F, HHH Building, Washington DC 20201
Be assured that East Care is committed to respect and protect your privacy and provide you the best care possible.
Thank you.