Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA)
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.
Who Will Follow This Notice
This Notice of Privacy Practices describes Reproductive Fertility Center (RFC) practices and those of RFC employees, staff, volunteers, and other personnel who are involved in your care. RFC and these individuals will follow the terms of this Notice and may use or disclose medical information about you to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for other purposes as permitted or required by law. This Notice describes your rights to access and control medical information about you, including information that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical, medical, or mental condition and medical care and related health care services.
The Company's Pledge Regarding Medical Information
RFC understands that medical information about you and your health is personal. RFC is committed to protecting medical information about you. In order to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain state and federal legal requirements, RFC creates a record of the services you receive at its facilities. This Notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by RFC, at any location. This Notice will tell you all of the ways about the ways in which RFC may use and disclose medical information about you. It also describes your rights and certain obligations RFC has regarding the use and disclosure of medical information. RFC is required by law to: (1) make sure that medical information that identifies you is kept private; (2) give you this Notice of its legal duties and privacy practices concerning medical information about you; (3) follow the terms of the Notice that are currently in effect, and (4) notify you in case there is an unauthorized use or disclosure of your unsecured medical information.
Federal and State Law
Federal and state laws both have rules and regulations regarding the protection of your health information. When California law and federal law differ, federal law requires that providers comply with the federal or state law that provides patients with greater protection.
How We May Use and Disclose Protected Health Information
Described as follows are the ways RFC may use and disclose protected health information that identifies you (“PHI”). Except for the following purposes, RFC will use and disclose PHI only with your written permission. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways RFC is permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories. You may revoke such permission at any time by writing to our practice.
1.a. Treatment
RFC may use and disclose PHI for your treatment and to provide you with any treatment-related health care services. For example, we may disclose PHI to doctors, nurses, technicians, or other personnel, including people outside our office, who are involved in your medical care or who may need the information to provide you with medical care.
1.b. Payment
RFC may use and disclose PHI about you so that RFC can get payment for the treatment and services you have received. For example, RFC may give your health plan PHI so that they will pay for your treatment. RFC may also tell your health plan about a proposed treatment to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.
1.c. Health Care Operations
RFC may use and disclose PHI for health care operation purposes. These uses and disclosures are necessary to make sure that all of our patients receive quality care and may be necessary for compliance activities, administrative purposes, and/or contractual obligations. For example, RFC may use and disclose information to make sure the obstetrical or gynecological care you receive is of the highest quality. RFC may also share information with other entities that may have a relationship with you (for example, your health plan provider) for their health care operation activities.
1.d. Appointment Reminders, Treatment Alternatives, and Health Related Benefits and Services
RFC may use and disclose PHI to contact you, in a manner permitted by law, to remind you that you have an appointment and to give you directions to our online patient portal. RFC also may use and disclose Health Information to tell you about treatment alternatives or health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. RFC may also use and disclose PHI to contact you for the purposes of customer service surveys.
1.e. Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care
Unless you object, RFC may share Health Information with a person who is involved in your medical care or payment for your care, such as your family or a friend, when appropriate. We also may notify your family about your location or general condition.
1.f. Emergencies
RFC may disclose Health Information about you to a public or private entity assisting in disaster relief so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, or location. You may object to this disclosure with a written request.
1.g. Decedents
RFC may release PHI about you to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. RFC may also release medical information about you to funeral directors. RFC may also release PHI to any individual known to RFC as a family member, close personal friend of the family, or any other person identified, who was involved in your care or the payment for your care.
1.h. Research
Under certain circumstances, RFC may use and disclose Health Information for research. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health of patients who received one treatment to those who received another, for the same condition. Before RFC uses or discloses Health Information for research, the project will go through a special approval process. Even without special approval, we may permit researchers to look at records to help them identify patients who may be included in their research project or for other similar purposes, as long as they do not remove or take a copy of any PHI.
Special Situations
RFC will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
1.a. To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety
RFC may use and disclose PHI when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Disclosures, however, will be made only to someone who may be able to help prevent the threat.
1.b. Business Associates
RFC may disclose PHI to certain associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. For example, RFC may use another company to perform billing services on our behalf. All our business associates are obligated to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.
1.c. Organ and Tissue Donation
If you are an organ donor, RFC may use or release PHI to organizations that handle organ procurement or other entities engaged in procurement; banking or transportation of organs, eyes, or tissues to facilitate organ, eye, or tissue donation; and transplantation.
1.d. Military and Veterans
If you are a member of the armed forces, RFC may release PHI as required by military command authorities. RFC may also release Health Information to the appropriate foreign military authority if you are a member of a foreign military.
1.e. Workers' Compensation
RFC may release PHI for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
1.f. Public Health Risks
We may disclose PHI for public health activities. These activities generally include disclosures to prevent or control disease, injury or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify people of recalls of products they may be using; a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.
1.g. Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
1.h. Lawsuits and Disputes
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose PHI in response to a court or administrative order. We also may disclose Health Information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
1.i. Law Enforcement
We may release PHI if asked by a law enforcement official if the information is: (1) in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process; (2) limited information to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; (3) about the victim of a crime even if, under certain very limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement; (4) about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct; (5) about criminal conduct on our premises; and (6) in an emergency to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime.
1.j. Coroners, Medical, Examiners, and Funeral Directors
We may release PHI to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We also may release Health Information to funeral directors as necessary for their duties.
1.k. National Security and Intelligence Activities
We may release PHI to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
Your Rights
1.a. Right to Inspect and Copy
You have a right to inspect and copy PHI that may be used to make decisions about your care or payment for your care. This includes medical and billing records, other than psychotherapy notes. To inspect and copy this Health Information, you must make your request, in writing, to us.
1.b. Right to Amend
If you feel that the PHI, we have is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our office. To request an amendment, you must make your request, in writing, to us.
1.c. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we made of PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, and health care operations or for which you provided written authorization. To request an accounting of disclosures, you must make your request, in writing, to us.
1.d. Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the PHI we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the PHI we disclose to someone involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not share information about a particular diagnosis or treatment with your spouse.
To request a restriction, you must make your request, in writing, to us. We are not required to agree to your request. If we agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
1.e. Right to Request Confidential Communication
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you by mail or at work. To request confidential communication, you must make your request, in writing, to us. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
1.f. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to a copy of this notice.
1.g. Complaints
You may submit a complaint to us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated by us. You may file a complaint with us notifying our HIPAA Compliance Officer of your complaint. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
If you have any questions or believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact the RFC HIPAA Privacy Officer by mail or e-mail with a written summary of your concern to the address listed below.
Reproductive Fertility Center
Attn: HIPAA Privacy Officer
400 E. RINCON ST. SUITE 201
CORONA, CA 92879
Phone: 951-272-2221
Email: privacy@rfcfamily.com
