HIPAA Privacy Policy

Notice of 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 it carefully.

Effective April 14, 2003, the federal government requires all health care providers to formally comply with Health Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your personal health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your personal health information All medical records and other individually identifiable health information of which we have knowledge must be kept confidential and we will disclose your protected health information to a person other than you or your personal representative, only when permitted by law. This Notice of Privacy Practice explains how we may use and disclose PHI for services and supplies provided by our Company. Several new rights are granted to patients under this Act, allowing control over how your personal health information is used, how you can access it, and in some cases the information can be amended.

We may be assessed a penalty for any misuse or unauthorized disclosures of your personal health information as regulated by HIPAA.

We are bound to abide by the terms of this notice and reserve the right to make revisions to this policy. Should revisions be made, you will be notified in writing, and a copy of the revised policy will be made available at your request.

This Notice of Privacy Practices is effective on 4/14/03 .

Our company's responsibility is to keep 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. We will abide by the terms of our notice and accommodate reasonable request you may have to communicate health information by other means or at other locations, and notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction.

Treatment. We may use your protected health information to provide you with medical treatment, services and supplies. For example, all information obtained by our company employees will be recorded in your record and used in the coordination of providing you with the supplies you doctor prescribed. Our company will document in your record all communications with you, as well as all communications with your doctor and his/her staff, actions they took and their observations. We will provide your doctor (and other health care providers/suppliers involved in your medical treatment with information requested from your medical record. We may contact you regarding refill reminders, counseling and literature about benefits that might interest you. This contact includes leaving messages on your home answering machine or at the phone number you disclose.
Payment. Our company may use and disclose your personal health information to others for purposes of receiving payment of supplies and/or services that you receive. This includes obtaining reimbursement for the provision of health care: determinations of eligibility or coverage; billing; claims management: collection activities; justifications of charges; and disclosure to consumer reporting agencies; protected health information relating to the collection of reimbursements (only certain information may be disclosed). An example of this would be submitting your bill for health care services to your insurance company.
Health care operations. Our company may use and disclose your protected health information about you for operational purposes. For example, we may disclose information to our company's employees to assess the quality of care provided to you and evaluate our company's performance and the performance of its employees and also in the training of our employees. We might use your information to assess patient satisfaction and related risk management activities. We may use your information to improve the quality and efficiency of services and supplies provided by our company.

We may, without prior consent use or disclose your personal health information to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations.

Our company is permitted to use or disclose your protected health information in the following instances or as required by law:

Personnel Representatives . We may release your protected health information to any person that you identify as your personal representative or to a family member, relative or other person who is involved in your care.
Funeral directors, Coroners and Medical Examiners. We may release your personal health information to funeral directors, coroners or medical examiner in accordance with state law to carry out their duties.
Public Health. Your protected health information may be used or disclosed to public health authorities to carry out their public health mission. For example, information may be disclosed to public health officials in order to help prevent or control disease, injury, or disability. Information may also be disclosed to authorities responsible for other essential public activities such as prevention or abuse or neglect or for public health oversight activities such as the FDA.
Organ/Tissue Donation. Your protected health information may be used or disclosed for cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation purpose.
Research. We may release your protected health information for research purposes in certain well-defined instances, who have established procedures and rules to guarantee the privacy of your information.
Health and Safety. Your protected health information may be disclosed to avert a serious threat to the health or safety of you or any other person as described in the Privacy Rule.
Specialized Government Functions. Your protected health information may be used or disclosed to support specialized government functions such as activities relating to military and veterans, national security and intelligence activities or protected services for the president and others.
Workers Compensation: Your protected health information may be used or disclosed to in order to comply with workers compensation laws and for purposes of obtaining payment to an injured or ill worker.
Other Uses and Disclosures Of Your Protected Health Information. We will obtain your written approval before using or disclosing your protected health information for reasons other than those presented above (or as otherwise allowed or mandated by law). You may retract your approval in writing at any time.

Incidental Disclosures

Our company will make reasonable efforts to prevent incidental disclosures of your protected health information. An example of this would be a disclosure that may be accidentally viewed or accidentally heard in passing by other individuals in our reception area. We do make every attempt to minimize incidental disclosures, but recommend that you request a more private consultation if you deem it necessary.

Minors

If you are a minor, we may disclose your protected health information to your parents or legal guardians when we are permitted or required to do so under federal and state law. If you are a minor who has lawfully given consent for treatment and you desire for our company to regard you as an adult for access or disclosure of records associated with our services, please inform a customer service representative or our Privacy Officer.

You have the following rights in regard to your Patient Health Information:

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of the Notice of Privacy Practice upon request.
You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including restrictions placed upon disclosure to family members, close personal friends, or any other person you may identify. We are, however, not required to agree with a requested restriction.
You have the right to receive confidential communications of your protected health information, either directly from us or by alternative means or from alternative locations;
You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information;
You have the right to amend protected health information, however, this request may be denied under certain circumstances.
You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of your protected health information made by us in the six years prior to the date of the accounting request; and
You have the right to receive more information about this Notice of Privacy Practice.

If you feel your privacy rights or the provisions of this notice of privacy policies has been violated, you have the right to file a formal written complaint. This complaint should be addressed either to the Privacy Office at our office, or directly to the Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Civil Rights. Both addresses appear below. You will not be retaliated against, in any way, for filing a complaint.

For more information about HIPAA or to file a complaint, contact:

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Office of Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington , DC 20201

202-619-0257
Toll free: 877-696-6775

United States Department of Health and Human Services
/Office of Civil Rights/ HIPAA

Please contact us for more information:

Privacy Officer
M&R Fredricktown Limited, Inc.
dba Medical Resources Limited
dba Medical Solutions & Supplies
4638 Hills & Dales Road NW
Canton , Ohio 44708

330-478-3288
1-866-655-3606

Ohio Law---Disclosure Defined:

Unless, we have obtained your written consent, we will only disclose your records to You; the prescriber who issued your prescription, certified/licensed health care personnel who are responsible for your care, any federal, state, county or municipal officer whose duty is to enforce the laws of this state or the United States relating to drugs and who is engaged in a specific investigation involving a designated person, an agent of the state medical board when enforcing the statues governing physicians and limited practitioners; an agency of government charged with the responsibility of providing medical care for you, upon a written request by an authorized representative of the agency requesting such information, an agent of a medical insurance company who provides durable medical equipment coverage to you, upon authorization and proof of insurance by you or proof or payment by the insurance company for supplies whose information is requested; an agent who contracts with our company as a "business associate" in accordance with the regulations promulgated by the secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to the federal standards of privacy of individually identifiable health information; or in an emergency situation, when it is in your best interest.