HIPAA / Privacy

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.  PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.

 

JOINT NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

 Effective June 13, 2011

 

Understanding this Notice
We understand information about your health, health care and payment for health care is personal and confidential, and we are committed to safeguarding that information.  Further, we are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your protected health information.  This notice tells you how we may use and disclose your protected health information.  It also describes your rights and certain of our obligations regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. 


Who Will Comply With this Notice
This notice applies to Mental Health Cooperative and NPS Pharmacy and their employees.  Mental Health Cooperative and NPS Pharmacy are commonly controlled but separate legal entities.  We are both covered by certain federal laws and regulations concerning the privacy and security of health information.  For purposes of compliance with those laws and regulations only, we have designated ourselves as a single affiliated covered entity.  As such, we share common privacy practices and, to the extent permitted by other applicable law, share information as if we were a single entity.


How We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
The following categories describe different ways that we may use and disclose your protected health information.   Some of the examples listed in these categories may require your permission, though your permission need not be given in writing.  For each category of uses or disclosures, we will explain what we mean and try to give some examples.  Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed.  However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose your protected health information without your written authorization should fall within one of these categories.
 

We may use and disclose your protected health information for treatment.  For example, in order for us to provide treatment to you, your protected health information may be used by staff members or disclosed to other health care providers for the purpose of evaluating your medical/mental health.  In an emergency situation, your protected health information may also be disclosed to a hospital emergency room or to another medical facility in order to provide emergency treatment to you.
 

We may use and disclose your protected health information for payment.  For example, we may send a bill to you or a third-party payer (such as TennCare or another health insurance plan) for the items or services you have received from us.  The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as the dates of service, the services provided, the medical/mental condition being treated and other protected health information.
 

We may use and disclose your protected health information for health care operations.  For example, we may use the protected health information in your health record to assess the quality of care given to you and evaluate the outcomes of your case and others like it.  This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the health care and services we provide.


We may disclose your protected health information to our business associates.  We may provide certain services through business associates.  An example of a service we might provide through a business associate might be copy services.  To protect your information, we require our business associates to whom we disclose your protected health information to take appropriate steps to safeguard that information.
 

We may use and disclose your protected health information for health oversight activities:  For example, your health information may be disclosed to agencies that conduct audits or inspections to assure that appropriate care is received.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information to notify your family members, others or involve them in your care.  We may, with your consent, use or disclose your protected health information to family members or others to the extent that you have involved them in your care.  We may also use or disclose your protected health information to notify a family member, personal representative or another person responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death.  We will attempt to obtain your consent before making these uses and disclosures.  We will not make these uses or disclosures if you object.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information in cases of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.  For example, your protected health information could be disclosed in order for us to comply with government mandated reporting for abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information in connection with court proceedings.  For example, your protected health information could be disclosed without your permission in response to a court order.  If we receive an order for your records from a court of competent jurisdiction, we are required to release your health information as described in the order.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information for public health reporting.  Your health information may be disclosed to public health agencies as required by law.  For example, we are required to report certain communicable diseases to the state’s public health department.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information to comply with worker’s compensation laws.  We may disclose your protected health information only to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to worker’s compensation or other similar programs established by law.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information in certain custodial situations.  If you are an inmate in a correctional institution and if the correctional institution or law enforcement authority makes certain representations to us, we may disclose your health information to the correctional institution or law enforcement authority in limited circumstances.
 

We may use your protected health information to remind you of appointments.  Your protected health information may be used by our staff to call and to remind you of your appointments.


We may use your protected health information to inform you about treatments.  Your health information may be used to send you information that you may find to be of interest on the treatment and management of your medical/mental condition.  We may also send you information describing other health-related goods and services that we believe may interest you.
 

We may use or disclose your protected health information as otherwise required by law.  We may use and disclose your protected health information if we are otherwise required to do so by federal, state or local laws.
 

Other uses and disclosures require your authorization.  We will not use or disclose your protected health information for any purpose, other than those summarized above, without your specific written authorization.  If you change your mind after authorizing a use or disclosure of your information, you may submit a letter in writing stating that you want to revoke the authorization.  However, we will not be able to undo any actions taken in reliance on your authorization before you notified us of your decision to revoke it.
Individual Rights
 

You have certain rights under federal privacy regulations.  These include:

  • The right to request additional restrictions on the use and disclosure of your protected health information.  However, we are not required to agree to these requests.  We will attempt to notify you if we are unable to agree to your request.
  • The right to receive communications concerning your medical/mental health condition and treatment by alternative means or at alternative locations.  We will attempt to accommodate reasonable requests.
  • The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.  As permitted by federal regulations, we require that requests to inspect or copy protected health information be submitted in writing. You may obtain a form to request access to your records by contacting the Medical Records office at 615-743-1541 or our Privacy Official at 615-726-3340.
  • The right to request that we amend your protected health information.  We will attempt to notify you if we are unable to agree to your request.
  • The right to receive an accounting of how and to whom your protected health information has been disclosed in certain circumstances.
  • The right to receive a copy of this notice.  You may request a paper copy of this notice, in person, at our facility.  You may also obtain a copy of this notice from our website at http://www.mhc-tn.org/ .

 

Right to Revise Privacy Practices
We are required to abide by the terms of our notice of privacy practices then currently in effect.  As permitted by law, we reserve the right to change our privacy practices and to make those changes effective for all protected health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.  Should our privacy practices change, we are not required to notify you, but we may post the revised notice at our facility, and you may request copies of the revised notice in person at our facility and on our website at http://www.mhc-tn.org/ . 


Complaints
If you would like to submit a comment or complaint about our privacy practices, you can do so by sending a letter outlining your concerns to:
 

Privacy Official
 Mental Health Cooperative
 275 Cumberland Bend
 Nashville, TN 37228
 

If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you should call the matter to our attention by sending a letter describing the cause of your concern to the above address.  You may also file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services.
You will not be penalized or otherwise retaliated against for filing a complaint.


Contact Person
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our Privacy Official at Phone: 615-726-3340 or Email: hipaa@mhc-tn.org .