Notice of Privacy Practices

Additionally, this notices serves as the ongoing corporate compliance effort of Provider Plus, Inc., hereafter referred to as "Organization", to assure quality care and services to the individuals we serve.

Our Responsibilities

Our organization is required to:

• maintain the privacy of your health information

• provide you with a notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you

• abide by the terms of this notice

• notify you if we are unable to provide the requested medical service or supply

• accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain.  We will post a copy of the current notice in the Organization.  The notice will contain on the first page, the effective date.

We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.

How We Will Use or Disclose Your Health Information

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose medical information.  For each category, we will explain what we mean and give examples.  Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed.  However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

1. Payment.  We will use your health information for payment.  For example, a bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer, including Medicare or Medicaid.  The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures and supplies used.

2. Healthcare operations.  We will use your health information for regular health operations.  For example, members of our respiratory team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it.  This information will then be used in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the service we provide.

3. Business associates.  There are some services provided in our organization through contacts with business associates.  Examples include our accountants, consultants and attorneys.  When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to our business associates so that they can perform the job we've asked them to do.  To protect your health information, however, we require the business associates to appropriately safeguard your information.

4. Notification.  We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or another person responsible for your care.  If we are unable to reach your family member or personal representative, then we may leave a message for them at the phone number that they have provided us, e.g., on an answering machine.

5. Communications with people involved in your care or payment for your care.  Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person your identity, health information relevant to that person's involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

6. Marketing.  We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

7. Worker's compensation.  We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.

8. Public health.  As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.

9. Correctional institution.  Should you be an inmate of a correctional institution, we my disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.

10. Law enforcement.  We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.

11. Lawsuits and disputes.  If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, we may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order.  We may also disclose medical information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else in the dispute.

12. Reports.  Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority of attorney, provides that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the public.

13. Required by law.  We may disclose your health information as may be required by state and federal law.

14. National security.  We may disclose your health information to federal and state officials as may be required for national security.

YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS

Although your health record is the physical property of the Organization, the information in your health record belongs to you.  You have the following rights:

• You may request that we not use or disclose your health information for a particular reason related to treatment, payment, the Organization's general operations, and/or to a particular family member, other relative or close personal friend.  We ask that such requests be made in writing.  Although we will consider your request, please be aware that we are under no obligation to accept it or to abide by it.  For more information about this right, see 45 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) § 164.522(b).

• You may request to inspect and/or obtain copies of health information about you, which will be provided to you in the time frames established by law.  Usually this includes medical and billing records, but does not includes psychotherapy notes.  To inspect or copy your medical records, please contact the Privacy Officer.  If you request copies, we will charge you a reasonable fee.  We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances.  If you are denied access to medical information, you may request that the denial be reviewed.  For more information about this right, see 45 C.F.R. § 164.524.

• If you believe that any health information in your record is incorrect or if you believe that important information is missing, you may request that we correct or amend the existing information or add the missing information.  Such requests must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer, and must provide a reason to support the amendment.  We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request.  In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that: (1) was not created by us; (2) is not part of the medical information kept by the organization; (3) is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or (4) is accurate and complete.  For more information about this right, see 45 C.F. R. § 164.526.

• You may request that we provide you with a written accounting of all disclosures made by us during the time period for which you request (not to exceed 6 years).  We ask that such requests be made in writing.  Please note that an accounting will not apply to any of the following types of disclosures: disclosures made for reasons of treatment, payment or health care operations; disclosures made to you or your legal representative, or any other individual involved with your care; national security purposes; and disclosures made before April 16, 2003.  You will not be charged for your first accounting request in any 12 month period.  However, for any requests that you make thereafter, you will be charged a reasonable, cost-based fee.  For more information about this right, see 45 C.F.R. § 164.528.

• You have the right to obtain a paper copy of our Notice of Information Practices upon request.

• You may revoke an authorization to use or disclose health information, except to the extent that action has already been taken.  Such a request must be made in writing.

For More Information or To Report a Problem
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact our Privacy Officer at:
Provider Plus, Inc.
7748 Watson Road
St. Louis, MO  63119