Our Privacy Policy
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when combined with:
- Demographic information (such as the consumer's name, address, race, gender, ethnicity or marital status);
- Geographic information (such as where the consumer lives or works);
- Unique numbers that may identify the consumer (such as a social security number, medical record number, telephone number, or driver's license number); or
- Other types of information that may identify who the consumer is.
This policy applies to protected health information in any form, including spoken, written or electronic form.
It is the responsibility of every agency staff member to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of all protected health information and to ensure that protected health information is used and disclosed only as permitted under the agency's policies and applicable law. This includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the protective procedures below.
B. Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations (TPO)
Unless the agency has received a specific written authorization from the consumer for, or applicable law otherwise requires or permits, a particular use or disclosure of protected health information, protected health information may only be used or disclosed for purposes of (i) our agency's treatment activities, payment activities, and health care operations, and (ii) certain treatment activities, payment activities, and health care operations of other health care providers and of health plans.
Treatment
For purposes of this policy, the term "treatment" means providing, coordinating or managing the consumer's health care and any related services. Some examples of treatment activities involving the use or disclosure of protected health information are:
- using protected health information about a consumer's disease or condition to diagnose or provide care to the consumer;
- disclosures of protected health information to other health care providers who are involved in taking care of the consumer;
- disclosures of protected health information to another health care provider in order to obtain advice about how best to diagnose or provide care to the consumer; and
- disclosures of protected health information to another health care provider to whom the consumer has been referred to ensure that this health care provider has the necessary information to diagnose or provide care to the consumer.
