Privacy Policy
PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY, AS IT DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AS WELL AS HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
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Your Protected Health Information (PHI) includes information that identifies you and information that is related to your past, current and future physical and or mental health/condition and related health care services. This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Genesis Hope for Growth (GHFG) may use, collect and disclose your PHI to carry out treatment, payment, and healthcare operations (TPO), or other purposes in accordance with applicable law, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA"), regulations promulgated under the HIPAA including the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, and the NASW Code of Ethics. This notice aslo describes your rights regarding how you may gain access to and control your PHI.
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GHFG IS required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI. GHFG is required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices, and reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices at anytime. Any new or updates to this Notice of Privacy Practices will be effective for all PHI that GHFG maintain at that time. GHFG will provide you with a copy of the revised Notice of Privacy Practices by posting a copy on our website, by sending a copy to you in the mail upon request, or by providing one to you at your next appointment.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by your therapist and others outside of this office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of providing health care services to you, to pay your health care bills, to support the operation of the therapist's practice as necessary, and any other use permitted or required by law.
Treatment: GHFG may use and disclose your PHI as needed, in order to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care treatment and related services. This includes consultation with clinical supervisors or other treatment team members. GHFG may disclose PHI to any other consultant only with your authorization.
Payment: GHFG may use and disclose your PHI as needed, so that GHFG can receive payment for the treatment and services provided to you. This will only be done with your authorization. Payment related actives may include: make the determination of eligibility or coverage for insurance benefits, processing claims with your insurance company, renewing services provided to you to determine medical necessity, or undertaking utilization new activities. If it becomes necessary to use a collection processes due to the lack of payment or services, GHFG will only disclose that minimum amount of PHI necessary for the purpose of collection.
Health Care Operations: GHFG may use or disclose your PHI as needed, in order to support our business activities including but not limited to: quality assessment activities, employee review activities, licensing, and conducting or arranging for other business activities. GHFG may share your PHI with third parties that perform various business activities such as billing or typing services, provided we have a written contract with the business that requires it, and to safeguard the privacy of your PHI. For training and teaching purposes, GHFG will only disclose information that you have authorized.
Required by Law: Under the law, GHFG must disclose your PHI to you upon your request.
Without Authorization: Applicable law and ethical standards permits GHFG to disclose information about you without your authorization only in a limited number of situations. Following is a list of categories of uses and disclosures permitted by HIPAA without an authorization.
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Abuse or Neglect: GHFG may disclose your PHI to state and local agencies that are authorized by law to receive reports of abuse or neglect of children and vulnerable adults.
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Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: GHFG may disclose your PHI pursuant to a subpoena (with your written consent), court order, administrative order or similar process.
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Law Enforcement: GHFG may disclose your PHI to a law enforcement official as required by law, in compliance with a subpoena (with your written consent), court order, administrative order or similar official document, for the purpose of identifying a suspect, material witness or missing person, in connection with the victim of a crime, in connection with a deceased person, in connection with the reporting of a crime, or in connection with a crime on the premises.
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Medical Emergencies: GHFG may use or disclose your PHI in a medical emergency to medical personnel only in order to prevent serious harm. Our staff will try to provide you a copy of this notice as soon as reasonably practicable after the resolution of the emergency.
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To Prevent Serious Harm: GHFG may disclose your PHI if necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety, or the health and safety of a person or public.
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Health Oversight: If required, GHFG may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as adults, investigations, and inspections. For example: GHFG must make disclosures to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services for the purpose of investigating or determining our compliance the requirement of the Privacy Rule.
With Authorization: Uses and disclosures not specifically permitted by applicable laws will be made only with your written authorization, which may be revoked at any time, except to the extent in which we have already made a use or disclosed base up0on your authorization..
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI
You have the following rights regarding PHI we maintain about you:
Right of Access to Inspect and Copy: You have the right, which may be restricted only in exceptional circumstances, to inspect and copy PHI that is maintained in a "designated record set". A designated record set contains mental health/medical and billing records and any other records that are used to make decisions about your care. Your right to inspect and copy PHI will be restricted only in those situations where there is compelling evidence that access would cause serious harm to you or if the information is contained in separately maintained psychotherapy notes. GHFG may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. If your records are maintained electronically, you may also request that a copy of your PHI be provided to another person.
Right to Amend: If you feel that the PHI we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information, although we are not required to agree to the amendment. If GHFG deny your request for an amendment, you have to the right to file a statement of disagreement with us. GHFG may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy. Please contact the Privacy Officer if you have any questions.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosure: You have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures that we make of your PHI. GHFG may charge you a reasonable fee if you request more than one accounting within a 12 month period.
Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. GHFG is not required to agree with your request unless the request is to restrict disclosure of PHI to a health plan for purposes of carrying out pocket or health care operations, and the PHI pertains to a health care item or service that you paid for out of pocket. In such case, GHFG is required to honor your request for a restriction.
Right to Request Confidential Communication: You have the right to request that GHFG communicate with you about health matters in a certain way for a certain location. GHFG will accommodate reasonable request. GHFG may require information regarding how payment will be handled or specification of an alternative address, or other method of contact as a condition for accommodating your request.
Breach Notification: If there is a breach of unsecured PHI concerning you, GHFG may be required to notify you of such breach, including what happened and what you do to protect yourself.
Right to a Copy of this Notice: You have the right to a copy of this notice. To exercise any of these rights, please submit your request in writing to Efrem DeHughes, LCSW, Sole Owner of Genesis Hope for Growth Counseling and Consulting PLLC.
COMPLAINTS:
If you believe GHFG have violated your privacy rights, you have the right to file a complaint with the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (BHEC). by:
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Downloading a complaint from from the BHEC Website
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Calling the toll-free complaint referral system at 1-800-821-3205