Health Contact Partners

Notice of Privacy Practices

This NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES provides information to consumers, clients and providers concerning how Health Contact Partners handles PRIVATE HEALTH INFORMATION. Included in this document is how medical information may be used and disclosed and how someone can get access to this information. Please review this information carefully.

Health Contact Partners (HCP) maintains the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI). HCP can provide individuals with notice of Health Contact Partners legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI as described in this Notice.

Provision of Notice: HCP provides its Notice of Privacy Practices to anyone interested in this information. This Notice is available in writing upon request by any individual and is also posted on HCP’s website http://www.healthcontactpartners.com.

Effective Date and Changes to Notice: This notice is effective January 1, 2006. HCP reserves the right to revise this Notice whenever there is a material change to the uses or disclosures, the individual’s rights, the covered entity’s legal duties, or other privacy practices states in this Notice. Except when required by law, a material change to any term of the Notice will not be implemented prior to the effective date of the notice such material change is reflected.

If the Notice is revised, HCP makes the revised Notice available upon request beginning on the revisions effective date. The Notice will also be posted on HCP’s website http://www.healthcontactpartners.com.

Complaints: HCP allows all participants and their agents to file complaints with HCP and with the Secretary of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The participant or their agent may file a complaint with Health Contact Partners whenever they believe that HCP has violated their rights in regard to the use and disclosure of their PHI. Complaints must be in writing, must describe the acts or omissions that are the subject of the complaint and must be filed within 180 days of the time the individual became aware or should have become aware of the violation. Complaints must be addressed to the attention of the Compliance Officer at Health Contact Partners at the following address: Health Contact Partners, 6200 Capitol Drive, Capitol Commerce Center, Wheeling, Illinois 60090. HCP investigates each complaint and replies to the participant or the participant’s agent.

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information

HCP reasonably ensures that the Protected Health Information (PHI) it requests, uses or discloses for any purpose is the minimum amount of PHI necessary for that purpose.

HCP makes reasonable efforts to insure that PHI is only used by and disclosed to individuals that have a right to the PHI. Toward that end, that practice makes reasonable efforts to verify the identity of those using or receiving PHI.

Uses and Disclosures Payment and Health Care Operations: HCP may use and disclose PHI for payment and health care operations. Payment relates to all activities associated with getting reimbursed for services provided. Health care operations include a number of areas, including quality assurance and peer review activities.

Uses and Disclosures Required by Law: HCP may use and disclose PHI to appropriate individuals as required by law. HCP discloses PHI regarding victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. HCP discloses information about a minor whom HCP reasonably believes to be a victim or abuse or neglect to the appropriate authorities as required by law.

Uses and Disclosures for Health Oversight Activities: HCP may use and disclose PHI as required by law for health oversight activities. The information may be used and released for audits, investigations and licensure issues.

Disclosure for Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: In general, HCP may disclose information for judicial and administrative proceedings in response to an order of a court or and administrative tribunal; or a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process, not accompanied by a court order or an ordered administrative tribunal.

Disclosures for Law Enforcement Purposes: HCP may disclose PHI for law enforcement purposes to law enforcement officials.

Uses and Disclosures to Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: HCP may use and disclose PHI to public health and other authorities as required by law to avert a serious threat to health or safety.

Uses and Disclosures in Emergency Situations: HCP may use and disclose PHI as appropriate to provide treatment in emergency situations.

Uses and Disclosures for Information Not Personally Identifiable: HCP may use and disclose PHI in a way that does not personally identify the participant or reveal who they are.

Uses and Disclosures for Marketing Purposes: HCP does not use or disclose any PHI for marketing purposes.

Rights Under the Privacy Rule: The individual, who is the subject of PHI has the following rights under the Privacy Rule:

Right to access, inspect and receive a copy of PHI held by HCP, with some exceptions
Right to request amendments to PHI held by HCP.
Right to request and accounting of disclosures that have been made without authorization to anyone other than the participant for purposes other than payment of health care operations.
Right to receive a Notice of Privacy Practices from HCP.
Right to request confidential communications of PHI (e.g. having PHI transmitted to a different address or a different telephone number).
Right to request restrictions on uses or disclosures, although HCP is not obligated to accept it.
Right to complain about privacy practices to HCP and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Individual Rights – Waiver of Rights

HCP never requires an individual to waive any of their rights as a condition for the provision of health care, except under very limited circumstances allowed under the law.