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Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

Our commitment

We are required by law to protect the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect, and to notify you if a breach compromises your unsecured PHI. PHI includes your cardiac test results, imaging, device data, medications, diagnoses, billing records, and other information that identifies you.

How we may use and share your information

Treatment. We share information with doctors, hospitals, labs, imaging centers, cardiac rehab programs, and pharmacies involved in your care — for example, sending echocardiogram or stress test results to your primary care physician, or receiving remote monitoring data from your pacemaker or defibrillator.

Payment. We use and share information to bill and get paid by your health plan or other payers, including obtaining prior authorization for procedures such as catheterizations or advanced imaging.

Health care operations. We use information to run our practice, improve care quality, train staff, and conduct audits and accreditation reviews.

Business associates. We may share information with vendors that perform services for us (such as billing, IT, transcription, and device-monitoring companies). They must sign agreements to protect your information.

Appointment reminders and care options. We may contact you about appointments, test results, or treatment alternatives.

Other uses permitted or required by law

We may share your information without your authorization, when the law allows or requires it, for:

  • Public health and safety (e.g., reporting adverse events from medications or medical devices to the FDA; preventing a serious threat to health or safety)

  • Health oversight agencies, audits, and inspections

  • Lawsuits and legal proceedings, in response to a court order or valid subpoena

  • Law enforcement, as limited by law

  • Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors

  • Organ and tissue donation

  • Research approved under privacy safeguards

  • Workers' compensation claims

  • Specialized government functions (military, national security)

  • Abuse, neglect, or domestic violence reporting

  • Compliance with other federal, state, or local laws

Family and caregivers. Unless you object, we may share relevant information with a family member, friend, or caregiver involved in your care or payment for it, or to notify them of your location or condition in an emergency.

Uses that require your written authorization

We will not use or share your information for marketing, sell your information, or use or share psychotherapy notes without your written authorization. Other uses not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization, which you may revoke in writing at any time (except to the extent we have already acted on it).

Substance use disorder records. If we receive records protected by federal law (42 CFR Part 2), we will not use or share them in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order. Information shared under these rules may be subject to redisclosure by the recipient and may no longer be protected by federal privacy law.

State law. Where New York or other applicable state law provides greater protection (for example, for HIV-related, genetic, or mental health information), we will follow the stricter law.

Your rights

You have the right to:

  • Get a copy of your records, paper or electronic, generally within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

  • Ask us to correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request but will explain why in writing.

  • Request confidential communications, such as contacting you at a different phone number or address.

  • Ask us to limit what we use or share. We are not required to agree, except that if you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you may ask us not to share that information with your health plan, and we will agree unless the law requires otherwise.

  • Get a list of disclosures we've made in the past six years (excluding treatment, payment, operations, and certain other disclosures).

  • Get a copy of this notice at any time, including a paper copy.

  • Choose someone to act for you, such as a health care proxy or legal guardian.

  • File a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated (see below).

Complaints

You may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201, 1-877-696-6775, or online at www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The current notice will be posted in our office and on our website (www.parkslopecardiology.com), and is available on request.

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