G Medical Diagnostic Services – Notice of Privacy Practices
This Notice describes how your Personal Information and Medical Information may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information.
G Medical Diagnostic Services is required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) to keep your protected health information private and provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) to describe our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your protected health information. “Protected health information” is information about you that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice from time to time, effective for PHI we already have in addition to any information we receive in the future. Any revisions to this Notice will be posted as a revised Notice on our website at G Medical Diagnostic Services http://us.gmedinnovations.com/.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
G Medical Diagnostic Services may use and disclose your protected health information (“PHI”) for purposes of treatment, payment and healthcare operations, and other purposes that are permitted or required by law. This Notice also describes your rights with respect to your PHI. We are required by applicable law to notify you if you are affected by a breach of unsecured Personal Information. The categories below describe how we may use and disclose your protected health information.
Treatment — G Medical Diagnostic Services may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate or manage your diagnostic and other related services. We may consult with other healthcare providers regarding your treatment and coordinate and manage your healthcare with others. For example, we may disclose your PHI to doctors, nurses, technicians, or other personnel who are involved in taking care of you. We may disclose PHI in case of emergency or in the event of a serious threat to health or safety. PHI may be disclosed when communication or language barriers are present.
Payment — G Medical Diagnostic Services may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment from you, an insurance company, a government program or a third party. We may use and disclose your PHI to your health plan concerning the services you are scheduled to receive for payment approval. Your PHI may also be disclosed to another healthcare provider, to another company or health plan required to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule for the payment activities of that health care provider, company or health plan.
Healthcare Operations — G Medical Diagnostic Services may use and disclose your PHI in performing activities called Healthcare Operations. Healthcare Operations includes quality improvement activities, business management and general administrative activities, care coordination and case management, and other similar activities. These are necessary for our operations to ensure that you receive quality care. For example, we may use your protected health information to review our services and to evaluate the performance of our devices. We may also disclose information to doctors, nurses, technicians, and other personnel for review and learning purposes.
Treatment Communications —G Medical Diagnostic Services may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate or manage your healthcare services. We may consult with other healthcare providers to coordinate and manage your healthcare with others. We may disclose your PHI in case of emergency or in the event of a serious threat to health or safety. Your PHI may be disclosed when communication or language barriers are present. We may use and disclose your PHI to tell you about or recommend health and related benefits or services that may be of interest to you. If you do not wish to receive this type of information, you may request to opt-out of receiving this information by sending an email to the attention of our privacy officer at the G Medical Diagnostic Services address provided below.
Individuals Involved in Your Care — Unless you object, G Medical Diagnostic Services may disclose to a friend, family member, or other person you identify, orally or in writing, PHI that directly relates to that person’s involvement in your health care. If you are unable to agree or object to such disclosure, we may disclose such information as is necessary if we determine it is in your best interest based on our professional judgement. We may disclose your PHI to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family or other individuals involved in your care can be notified about your condition, status and location.
Research —We may disclose your PHI for research purposes when the research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your protected health information. We may disclose your PHI to people preparing to conduct a research project, for example, to help them look for patients with specific medical needs, so long as the protected health information they review does not leave G Medical Diagnostic Services.
As Required by Law — We may use or disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state or local law.
Business Associates — We may disclose your PHI to our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
Abuse or Neglect — We may disclose your PHI when it concerns abuse, neglect or violence to you in accordance with federal and state law.
Food and Drug Administration — We may disclose your PHI to a person or company required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to report adverse events, product defects or problems, biologic product deviations, track products to enable product recalls, to make repairs or replacements, or to conduct post marketing surveillance, as required by law.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety — Consistent with applicable federal and state laws, we may disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.
Workers’ Compensation — We may disclose your PHI as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation or similar programs that provide benefits for a work-related illness.
Public Health Risks — We may disclose your PHI for public health activities and purposes to a public health authority that is permitted by law to collect or receive the information. These activities may include the prevention or control of disease, injury or disability; reporting reactions to medications or problems with products; and notifying the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Health Oversight Activities — We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities may include investigations, audits and inspections which are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
Lawsuits and Disputes — We may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order (to the extent such disclosure is expressly authorized). We may also disclose your PHI in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Law Enforcement — We may release your PHI for law enforcement purposes if asked to do so by a law enforcement official if the applicable legal requirements are met.
Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors and Organ Donation — We may disclose your PHI to a coroner or medical examiner for the purposes of identification, determining cause of death, or for a coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties as authorized by law. We may also disclose your PHI to funeral directors, as authorized by law, as necessary to permit the funeral directors to carry out their duties. PHI may also be used and disclosed for tissue, organ, or eye donation purposes.
Military and National Security Activities — If you are involved with the military, national security, or intelligence activities, or if you are in law enforcement custody, we may disclose your PHI to the authorized officials so that they may carry out their legal duties under the law.
Inmates — If you are an inmate of a correctional institution and we received your PHI while providing care to you, we may disclose your protected health information to the correctional institution.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION BASED ON YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
We will not use your PHI for any purposes not specifically allowed by Federal or State laws or regulations without your written authorization. Specifically, the following types of uses and disclosures of your protected health information require an authorization:
1) disclosures of psychotherapy notes;
2) disclosures for marketing purposes; and
3) disclosures that constitute a sale of protected health information.
Other uses and disclosures will not be made without a written authorization except as described in this Notice of Privacy Protection or as otherwise required or allowed by applicable law. If we need your authorization for a use or disclosure of your PHI, we will provide you with the appropriate authorization form. Authorizations may be revoked in writing at any time, except to the extent we have acted in reliance on your authorization.
YOUR RIGHTS
Access — You have the right to receive information about your PHI we possess, subject to applicable laws. G Medical Diagnostic Services may apply a small charge, as allowed by law, to provide you with this information.
Amendment or Deletion — You have the right to request that we amend or delete your PHI, as allowed by law.
Accounting of Disclosures — You have the right to request and receive a list of certain disclosures made of your PHI, subject to applicable law.
Disclosure Restrictions — You have the right to 1) request restrictions of our use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment or healthcare operations; and 2) restrict the PHI we disclose about you to a family member, friend or other person involved in your care. We wil agree to your request, provided that the restriction does not impact our ability to manage our business, provide diagnostic services, provide you with emergency care, for public health and safety and other similar public benefit purposes permitted or required by law.
Revoke Consent — You have the right to revoke your consent to use or disclose your PHI. This request must be made in writing, and should be sent to the privacy offer at the address below.
Confidential Communication — You have the right to request that we communicate with you in confidence about your PHI at an alternative address. You must make your request in writing to the privacy officer, and the request must specify how you wish to be contacted.
Privacy Notice — You have the right to request and receive a copy of this notice at any time. For more information or if you have questions about this notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of this notice.
QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS
If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact us using the information at the end of this Notice. In addition, if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us at the information listed at the end of this Notice. You may also file a complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf. We will not retaliate against you in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the Department of Health and Human Services.
G Medical Diagnostic Services,
Attn: HIPAA Privacy Officer
12708 Riata Vista Circle, Suite A-103
Austin, TX 78727
800.595.2898
privacy@gmedinnovations.com