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 the information provided in this disclosure carefully.

Privacy promise:
Hospice For Utah understands that your medical and health information is personal. Protecting your health information is important. We follow strict federal and state laws that require us to maintain the confidentiality of your health information.

Our Privacy Responsibilities:
Hospice For Utah is required by law to:

1. Maintain the privacy of your health information;
2. Maintain this notice that describes the ways we may use and share your health information;
3. Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

We reserve the right to make changes to this notice at any time and make the new privacy practices effective for all information we maintain. Current notices will be posted on our website at www.hospice4utah.com or you may request a copy of any notice from our office (see the “Contact Us” section following).

How We Use Your Health Information:
When you receive care form Hospice For Utah, we may use your health information during your treatment, billing for services, and conducting our normal business (known as “health care operations”). Examples of how we use your information include:

Treatment -We keep records of the care and services provided to you. Health care providers use these records to deliver quality care to meet your needs. For example, your doctor may share your health information with a specialist who will assist in your treatment. Some health records, including some confidential communications with a mental health professional, some substance abuse treatment records, some genetic test results and some health information of minors may have additional restrictions for use and disclosure under state and federal laws.

Payment- Your information may be used to obtain payment from Medicare, your secondary insurance company, or other third party. We may also contact your insurance company to verify coverage for your care or to notify them of upcoming services that may need prior notice or approval. For example, we may disclose information about the services provided to you to claim and obtain payment from Medicare or your insurance company.

Health Care Questions- We use health information to improve the quality of care, train staff and students, provide customer service, manage costs, conduct required business duties and make plans to better serve our communities. For example, we may use our health information to evaluate the quality of treatment and services provided by our physicians, and nurses and other health care workers.

Other Services We provide and\or other Ways We May Use Your Health Information:

1. In recommending treatment alternatives;
2. To inform you about health services and \or products that may benefit you;
3. to share information with family or friend involved in your care or payment for your care, when appropriate;                      
4. To share information with third parties that assist us with treatment, payment and health care operations. Our business associates must protect your information by following your privacy practices;
5. *To include you in our patient directory for callers, visitors, and clergy.
6. *To contact you for fund-raising purposes.

  If you do not wish to participate, notify the Hospice For Utah Administrative offices at 801-576-1455 

For More Information About the Practices and Rights Described In This Notice;

1. Visit our website at: www.hospice4utah.com
2. Notify the Hospice For Utah Administrator at 801-576-1455.

Sharing Your Health Information:
There are limited situation when we are permitted or required to disclose health information without your signed authorization: These situations are:

1. For public heath purposes, such as reporting communicable diseases, work-related illnesses, or other diseases and injuries that are permitted to be discloses by law; reporting deaths; reactions to drugs and problems with medical devices;
2. To protect victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence;
3. For health oversight activities such as investigations, audits and inspections;
4. For lawsuits and similar proceedings;
5. When other wise required by law;
6. When requested by law enforcement as required by law or court order;
7. To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors;
8. For organ and tissue donation;
9. To reduce or prevent a serious threat to public health and safety;
10. For specialized government function such as intelligence and national security;

All other uses and disclosures, not described in this notice, require your signed authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time with a written statement.

Your Individual Rights:

1. Request restriction on how we use and share your health information. We will consider all requests for restriction carefully but are not required to agree to any restriction.
2. Request that we use a specific telephone number or address to communicate with you.
3. *Inspect and copy your health information, including medical and billing records. Fees may apply. Under limited circumstances, we may deny you access to a proportion of our health information, and you may request a review of the denial.
4. Review corrections or addition to your health information (must be written request).
5. Request an accounting or certain disclosures of your health information made by us. The accounting does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment and health care operations and some disclosures required by law. Your request must state the period of time desired for the accounting, with must be within the six years prior to your request and exclude dates prior to April 14, 2003. The first accounting is free, but a fee will apply if more that one requests made in a 12-month period (must be a written request).  
6. Request a paper copy of this notice even if you agree to receive it electronically.           

This notice describes the privacy of Hospice For Utah. Hospice For Utah services include affiliations with hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities. This notice also describes the privacy practices of affiliated providers while they are performing services with Hospice For Utah, unless they provide you with a notice of their specific privacy practices.

Affiliated providers may have different privacy practices form those described in this notice.  For more information about the privacy practices of affiliated providers, please contact them directly.

Contact Us:
If you would like further information about your privacy rights, are concerned that our privacy rights have been violated, or disagree with a decision that was made about access to your health information, please contact the Location Manager at any location listed below. We will investigate all complaints and will not penalize or treat you any differently for filing a complaint. You may also file a written complaint with the Office of Civil Right s of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.