Privacy Policy

YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to:

• Get a copy of your records. Ask to inspect or receive paper or electronic copies of your medical record. We generally respond within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee where permitted by law.
• Ask us to correct your records. You may request an amendment if you believe information is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny a request in certain circumstances and will provide a written explanation as required by law.
• Request confidential communications. Ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a different address or phone number. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Ask us to limit use or disclosure. You may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree in most cases. If you pay in full out of pocket for a service, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations, and we will agree unless the law requires disclosure.
• Get an accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures made during the six years before your request. The list excludes disclosures such as those for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations and other exceptions permitted by law. One accounting in a 12-month period is free; a reasonable fee may apply to additional requests.
• Get a copy of this notice. You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Choose someone to act for you. A person with legal authority, such as a health care representative or guardian, may exercise your rights after we verify their authority.
• Receive notice of a reportable breach. We will notify you as required by law if a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs.
• File a complaint. You may complain to us or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) if you believe your privacy rights were violated. We will not retaliate against you.

YOUR CHOICES

You may tell us your preferences about sharing information with family members, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for care. If you are unable to express a preference, we may share limited information when professional judgment indicates it is in your best interest or when needed to address a serious and imminent threat, as permitted by law.

We may contact you about appointments, test results, treatment options, health-related services, and fundraising where permitted. You may opt out of fundraising communications. Written authorization is generally required for marketing uses/disclosures that require authorization, the sale of your information, and most disclosures of psychotherapy notes. You may revoke an authorization in writing, except to the extent action has already been taken in reliance on it.

HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

PERMITTED USES AND DISCLOSURES

• Treatment. We may use and share your information with health professionals involved in your care, including pharmacies and other providers.
• Payment. We may use and share information to bill for services and obtain payment, determine insurance eligibility, and secure coverage or authorization for care.
• Health care operations. We may use information to operate and improve our practice, conduct quality review, support patient safety, audit services, and perform business and administrative activities.
• Health information exchange. We may participate in an organization that electronically exchanges health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
• People involved in your care. Unless you object, we may share relevant information with family, friends, or others you identify as involved in your care or payment. If you cannot express a preference, we may use professional judgment as permitted by law.
• Public interest and legal requirements. We may disclose information when required or permitted by law, including for public health and safety, abuse or neglect reporting, health oversight, research subject to applicable safeguards, law enforcement, judicial proceedings, workers’ compensation, certain government functions, organ donation, and medical examiner or funeral director duties. Applicable legal conditions must be met.

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (SUD) RECORDS

Certain SUD treatment records are subject to additional federal confidentiality protections under 42 CFR Part 2. When these protections apply to records we maintain or receive, we will use and disclose those records only as permitted by applicable law, including any required consent and legal exceptions. Part 2 records generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against a patient without the patient’s consent or a qualifying court order and subpoena, as required by Part 2.

Information disclosed under HIPAA or applicable Part 2 permissions may be redisclosed by the recipient and may no longer be protected by the same federal privacy rules, except where additional protections apply.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

We are required by law to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information, provide this notice, follow the notice currently in effect, and notify affected individuals of breaches when required. We will not use or disclose your information other than as described here unless you authorize us in writing or the law permits or requires it. You may change an authorization in writing, except where we have already acted in reliance on it.

We may change the terms of this notice. Changes may apply to all information we maintain. The current notice will be available in our office and on our website, if maintained, and a copy is available upon request.

PRIVACY QUESTIONS OR COMPLAINTS

Contact the OHVC Privacy Manager:

Orlando Heart and Vascular Center
11616 Lake Underhill Rd., Suite 215, Orlando, FL 32825
Phone: 407-482-7788

You may also file a complaint with the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) online at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html or by mail to: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.