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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.
Right to Notice
As a patient, you have the right to adequate notice
of the uses and disclosures of your protected health information.
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act (HIPAA).
We can use your protected health information for treatment, payment
and health care operations.
- Treatment – We may use or disclose your
health information to a physician or other healthcare provider
providing treatment to you.
- Payment – We may use and disclose your
health information to obtain payment for services we provide you.
- Health care operations – We may
use and disclose your health information in connection with our
healthcare operations, including the ordering of contact lenses
or eyeglasses. Healthcare operations include quality assessment
and improvement activities, reviewing the competency or qualifications
of healthcare professionals, evaluating provider performance,
conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing
or credentialing activities.
Your Authorization
Most uses and disclosures that do not fall under
treatment, payment, health care operations will require your written
authorization. Upon signing, you may revoke your authorization (in
writing) through our practice at any time.
Emergency Situations
In the event of your incapacity or an emergency
situation, we will disclose health information to a family member,
or another person responsible for your care, using our professional
judgment. We will only disclose health information that is directly
relevant to the person's involvement in your healthcare.
Marketing
We will not use your health information for marketing
communications without your written authorization.
Required by Law
We may also use or disclose your health information
when we are required to do so by law.
Abuse or Neglect
We may disclose your health information to appropriate
authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim
of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence or the victim of other crimes.
We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary
to avert a serious threat to your or other people's health or safety.
National Security
We may disclose the health information of Armed
Forces personnel to military authorities under certain circumstances.
We may disclose health information to authorized federal officials
required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and other
national security activities. We may disclose health information
of inmates or patients to the appropriate authorities under certain
circumstances.
Appointment Reminders
We may use or disclose your health information
to provide you with appointment reminders via phone, e-mail or letter.
Your Rights as a Patient
You have the right to restrict the disclosure
of your protected health information (in writing). The request for
restriction may be denied if the information is required for treatment,
payment or health care operations.
- You have the right to receive confidential communications regarding
your protected health information.
- You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health
information.
- You have the right to amend your protected health information.
- You have the right to receive an account of disclosures of your
protected health information.
- You have the right to a paper copy of this notice of privacy
practices.
Legal Requirements
We are required by law to maintain the privacy
of your protected health information. We are required to abide by
the terms of this notice as it is currently stated, and reserve
the right to change this notice. The policies in any new notice
will not be in effect until they are posted to this site, or are
available within our office.
Complaints
If you have complaints regarding the way your
protected health information was handled, you may submit a complaint
in writing to our office. You will not be retaliated against in
any manner for a complaint.
Contact Information
For further information about the privacy policies
of our office, please contact
Dr. Ernest V. Loewenstein
471 Washington Street
Newton MA 02458
(617) 244-6454
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