Privacy Policy

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.

Dakota Medical is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI, and to notify you following a breach of your unsecured PHI. This notice describes how we may use and disclose your medical information. It also outlines your rights and our legal obligations concerning your medical information.

I. Our Responsibilities

We are committed to protecting the privacy of your PHI. We will only use and disclose your PHI as permitted or required by law.

II. How We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

• For Treatment: We use your medical information to provide you with medical care. For example, we may share your PHI with other physicians, nurses, and healthcare providers who are involved in your care. We may also share this information with a pharmacist to fill a prescription or a lab that performs a test.

• For Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for the health care services we provide. This includes billing and collecting payments from your insurance company, you, or other third parties. For example, we may need to provide your insurance plan with information about the services you received to ensure payment.

• For Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI for our healthcare operations. This is necessary to run our practice and ensure we provide quality care. For example, we may use your PHI to review our treatment and services and evaluate the performance of our staff.

• Appointment Reminders: We may use and disclose medical information to contact and remind you about appointments. This may include leaving a message on an answering machine or with the person who answers the phone.

• Individuals Involved in Your Care: We may disclose your PHI to a family member, a close personal friend, or any other person you identify as being involved in your care, or for purposes of payment for your care. You have the right to object to this use or disclosure.

• As Required by Law: We may use and disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law. This includes, but is not limited to, disclosures for public health activities, judicial proceedings, law enforcement purposes, and to avert a serious threat to health or safety.

• Public Health Activities: We may disclose your PHI to public health authorities for purposes such as preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability; reporting births and deaths; reporting child abuse or neglect; and notifying people who may have been exposed to a communicable disease.

• Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for audits, investigations, inspections, and licensing purposes.

• Workers' Compensation: We may use or disclose your PHI to comply with workers' compensation laws or similar programs.

• Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: We may disclose PHI to a coroner or medical examiner to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also disclose PHI to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

• Research: Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes. All research projects are subject to a special approval process, and we will obtain your written authorization before using your PHI for a research project that does not have this approval.

III. Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information

You have the following rights regarding the PHI we maintain about you:

• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your PHI. This includes medical and billing records. To inspect or receive a copy of your PHI, you must submit a written request to our Privacy Officer. We may charge a reasonable fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies.

• Right to Amend: If you believe that your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. To request an amendment, you must submit a written request to our Privacy Officer, including a reason to support the request. We may deny your request if the information is inaccurate or incomplete. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written explanation, and you may respond with a statement of disagreement.

• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of the disclosures of your PHI we have made. The list will not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or those you specifically authorized. To request an accounting, you must submit a written request to our Privacy Officer.

• Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to all requests, but if we do, we will abide by that restriction unless it is a medical emergency. You also have the right to restrict disclosures of your PHI to a health plan if you pay for the services or items in full, out-of-pocket.

• Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a specific location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make a written request specifying the alternative means or location for communication.

• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask for a copy at any time.

IV. Questions

Your privacy and security are our utmost priority. If you have any questions about this Notice of Privacy Practices or would like to exercise any of your rights, please contact us.