PATIENT’S RIGHTS

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) set the standard for sensitive patient data protection. We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

  • Help manage the health care treatment you receive. We can use your health information and share it with medical professionals who are treating you.

The information we collect, why we need it, and how we use it:

  • Comply with the law and help with public health and safety issues. We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with local health departments and with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Our Responsibilities

We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your hippaprotected health information.

We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.

Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental is committed to conducting business in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and policies related to your dental health. This policy covers the procedures the organization and our employees will use in accommodating your patient rights.

Policy

Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental will provide meaningful processes for the accommodation of individual rights.

Procedure:

1. Right to access protected health information (PHI) under HIPAA.

  • hippaUpon receipt of a written request, Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental will send an acknowledgment to the patient/personal representative confirming receipt of the request for access.
  • When a patient makes a written request for access, the Privacy Officer or designee will inform the patient within 30 days whether access will be granted or denied.
  • Access must be provided within the 30 days unless an extension is necessary, and the patient is notified of the extension.
  • If the request is granted, the patient will be provided a date and time to review or pick up copies of the information.

2. If the request for access is denied, a written denial will be sent to the patient stating:

  • The grounds for denial
  • Whether the denial is subject to review
  • How the patient may have the denial reviewed
  • How to file a complaint with the Privacy Officer or Office for Civil Rights

3. Providing access

  • Upon receipt of the request, and unless the request is appropriately denied, Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental will provide the patient/personal representative with access to and a copy of his/her designated record set.
  • The patient may request, and Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental will provide, the information in an electronic format, provided such format is available.
  • If electronic format is not available, Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental will provide an alternate, readable format to the patient.
  • When the records are maintained in paper, or mixed media, Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental is not obligated to scan the records to provide an electronic copy.
  • The patient may request that the electronic record be transmitted to a third party.
  • If the patient requests transmittal by email, the transmission need not be encrypted, provided the patient is notified of and accepts the risks of unencrypted email.  (optional-some entities feel email is not secure enough to use.  In this case, an alternate electronic form must be offered to the patient.)

A reasonable, cost-based fee will be charged for paper copies.

  1. A reasonable, cost- based fee only includes:
  2. The labor cost for copying in paper or electronic format
  3. Supplies for creating a paper copy or electronic portable media (if requested by the patient)
  4. Postage
  5. Costs of preparing a summary, if requested
  6. No retrieval or standard fee will be charged
  7. Denial of access

1. Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental may deny a request for access when:

The requested information is compiled for use in legal or regulatory proceedings

  • The requested information is not in the designated record set
  • The request concerns treatment as part of a research protocol
  • The information is subject to and may be denied under the Federal Privacy Act
  • The person requesting the information is an inmate and the prison certifies the inmate should be denied access
  • The requested information was obtained from someone who is not a health care provider under a promise of confidentiality
  • A denial of access based upon one of these conditions is not subject to review

2. Silvertooth and Whinery Family Dental may deny a request for access when:

  • Silvertooth Family Dental believes that access is likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the patient or another person
  • The records reference another person and access may cause substantial harm to that person
  • The request for access is made by a personal representative and access is likely to cause harm to the patient or another person

The personal information we collect and transmit may include healthcare information, including billing, insurance, and medical information. Therefore, our privacy practices are intended to comply with the health insurance portability and accountability act (“HIPAA”) and General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). We will maintain the privacy of your health information as required by HIPAA and the regulations promulgated under that act.

Get In Touch                        

We encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments you may have. Please call our office or use the quick contact form below.

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