HIPAA Privacy Policy
Notice of Privacy Practices
Palmetto Spine and Pain
279 Chapin Rd, Chapin SC 29036
Dr. Stephen Stellfox, D.C. — (803) 575-8616
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.
The practice commits to maintaining confidentiality of patient medical records. Records are used to provide quality care, obtain payment through health plans, and meet professional obligations. The practice is legally required to protect health information, notify individuals of privacy duties, and alert patients to breaches of unsecured data. This notice outlines how medical information may be used, your rights, and legal obligations.
Table of Contents
- How This Medical Practice May Use or Disclose Your Health Information
- When This Medical Practice May Not Use or Disclose Your Health Information
- Your Health Information Rights
- Right to Request Special Privacy Protections
- Right to Request Confidential Communications
- Right to Inspect and Copy
- Right to Amend or Supplement
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
- Right to a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice
- Changes to this Notice of Privacy Practices
- Complaints
A. How This Medical Practice May Use or Disclose Your Health Information
The practice collects and maintains health information in paper charts and computer systems. While the practice owns the medical record, the information within belongs to you. The following uses and disclosures are permitted by law:
1. Treatment
The practice uses medical information to provide patient care and discloses information to employees and others involved in treatment delivery. This includes sharing with other physicians, healthcare providers, pharmacists, laboratories, family members, and others who assist with your care.
2. Payment
Medical information is used and disclosed to obtain payment for services. This includes providing health plans with required information and assisting other healthcare providers in obtaining payment for services they provide.
3. Health Care Operations
Medical information may be used and disclosed to operate the practice. Examples include reviewing and improving care quality, assessing staff competence and qualifications, obtaining health plan authorization for services and referrals, conducting medical reviews, legal services, audits, fraud and abuse detection, and compliance programs.
The practice shares information with business associates, such as billing services, under written contracts requiring protection of confidentiality and security. Information may also be shared with other healthcare providers, clearinghouses, and health plans for quality assessment, patient safety activities, population health efforts, protocol development, case management, care coordination, competence review, training, accreditation, and fraud detection.
The practice may share information with other providers participating in organized health care arrangements (OHCAs) for health operations. A listing of OHCAs is available from the Privacy Officer.
4. Appointment Reminders
Medical information may be used to contact and remind you about appointments, including leaving messages on answering machines or with other household members.
5. Sign In Sheet
Medical information is used when you sign in at the office and when staff calls your name for appointments.
6. Notification and Communication With Family
The practice may disclose information to notify family members, personal representatives, or others responsible for your care regarding your location, general condition, or death. In disasters, information may be shared with relief organizations. Information may also be disclosed to those involved in your care or payment.
When possible and available, you will have the opportunity to object before disclosure. The practice may disclose information in emergencies without consent if necessary. If you cannot consent, staff will use professional judgment.
7. Marketing
Without receiving payment, the practice may contact you about products or services related to your treatment, case management, care coordination, or alternative treatments and providers. The practice may describe its services, health plan participation, encourage healthy lifestyles, recommend screenings and disease management programs, offer small gifts, and inform you of government-sponsored programs.
The practice may receive compensation for reminding you to take or refill medications or communicating about prescribed drugs or biologics. The practice will not use or disclose information for other marketing purposes or accept payment for marketing communications without written authorization disclosing compensation. You may revoke authorization anytime.
8. Sale of Health Information
The practice will not sell health information without written authorization disclosing that compensation will be received. You may revoke authorization anytime.
9. Required by Law
The practice will use and disclose information as required by law, limited to relevant legal requirements. Special rules apply for reporting abuse, neglect, domestic violence, and responding to judicial, administrative, and law enforcement requests.
10. Public Health
The practice may be required to disclose information to public health authorities for disease prevention, controlling injury or disability, reporting child, elder, or dependent adult abuse or neglect, reporting domestic violence, reporting FDA issues with products or medication reactions, and reporting disease or infection exposure.
When reporting suspected abuse or domestic violence, the practice will inform you or your representative promptly unless professional judgment indicates notification would cause serious harm or involve an abuser.
11. Health Oversight Activities
The practice may be required to disclose information to health oversight agencies during audits, investigations, inspections, licensure proceedings, and other oversight activities, subject to legal limitations.
12. Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
The practice may be required to disclose information in administrative or judicial proceedings as authorized by court or administrative order. Information may also be disclosed in response to subpoenas, discovery requests, or lawful process if reasonable notice efforts were made to you and you have not objected, or objections were resolved by court or administrative order.
13. Law Enforcement
The practice may be required to disclose information to law enforcement officials for purposes such as identifying or locating suspects, fugitives, material witnesses, or missing persons, complying with court orders, warrants, grand jury subpoenas, and other law enforcement purposes.
14. Coroners
The practice may be required to disclose information to coroners investigating deaths.
15. Organ or Tissue Donation
The practice may disclose information to organizations involved in procuring, banking, or transplanting organs and tissues.
16. Public Safety
The practice may be required to disclose information to appropriate persons to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or the general public.
17. Proof of Immunization
The practice will disclose proof of immunization to schools required to have it before admitting students where you have agreed to the disclosure on your behalf or your dependent's behalf.
18. Specialized Government Functions
The practice may disclose information for military or national security purposes or to correctional institutions or law enforcement officers having you in lawful custody.
19. Workers' Compensation
The practice may disclose information as necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws. Periodic reports about your condition may be provided to your employer. The practice is required by law to report occupational injury or illness to the employer or workers' compensation insurer.
20. Change of Ownership
If the practice is sold or merged, your health information becomes the property of the new owner. You retain the right to request that copies of your information be transferred to another physician or medical group.
21. Breach Notification
In case of unsecured protected health information breach, you will be notified as required by law. The practice may use your provided email address for breach-related communications. A business associate may provide notification, and other notification methods may be used as appropriate.
B. When This Medical Practice May Not Use or Disclose Your Health Information
Except as described in this Notice, the practice will not use or disclose health information identifying you without written authorization, consistent with legal obligations. You may revoke any authorization in writing at any time.
C. Your Health Information Rights
1. Right to Request Special Privacy Protections
You may request restrictions on uses and disclosures by written request specifying what information you want limited and what limitations you wish imposed. If you request that information not be disclosed to your commercial health plan for fully out-of-pocket healthcare items or services, the practice will comply unless disclosure is required for treatment or legal reasons. The practice reserves the right to accept or reject other requests and will notify you of the decision.
2. Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may request to receive information in a specific way or location. For example, you may request sending information to a particular email account or work address. The practice will comply with all reasonable written requests specifying how or where you wish to receive communications.
3. Right to Inspect and Copy
You may inspect and copy health information with limited exceptions. Submit a written request detailing what information you want, whether you want to inspect or copy it, and your preferred form and format. Copies will be provided in your requested format if readily producible, or an alternative acceptable format, or if maintained electronically and you cannot agree, your choice of readable electronic or hardcopy format.
Copies may be sent to any person you designate in writing. A reasonable fee covering labor, supplies, postage, and preparation costs (if requested and agreed in advance) will be charged. Requests may be denied under limited circumstances. If denial concerns your child's records or incapacitated adult records and the practice believes access would likely cause substantial harm, you have appeal rights. If denial involves psychotherapy notes, you have the right to transfer them to another mental health professional.
4. Right to Amend or Supplement
You may request amendment of health information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. Requests must be in writing with reasons why the information is inaccurate or incomplete. The practice is not required to change information and will provide information about denial and how you can disagree.
The practice may deny requests if it does not have the information, did not create it (unless the creator is unavailable), you would not be permitted to inspect or copy the information, or the information is accurate and complete. If denied, you may submit a written disagreement statement, and the practice may prepare a written rebuttal. All request-related information is maintained and disclosed with subsequent disputed information disclosures.
5. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may receive an accounting of health information disclosures, except for disclosures provided to you or pursuant to written authorization, or as described in paragraphs 1 (treatment), 2 (payment), 3 (health care operations), 6 (notification and communication with family), and 18 (specialized government functions) of Section A, or disclosures for research or public health excluding direct patient identifiers, or incident to otherwise permitted disclosures, or to health oversight agencies or law enforcement if they notified the practice that accounting would impede their activities.
6. Right to a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice, even if you previously requested electronic receipt.
For detailed explanations or to exercise these rights, contact the Privacy Officer at the top of this notice.
D. Changes to this Notice of Privacy Practices
The practice reserves the right to amend this Notice anytime. The practice must comply with terms currently in effect until amendment. After amendment, revised Notice applies to all protected health information maintained regardless of creation or receipt date. Current notice copies are posted in the reception area and available at appointments. The current notice is also posted on the website.
E. Complaints
Complaints about this Notice or how the practice handles health information should be directed to the Privacy Officer listed at the top of this notice.
If unsatisfied with the office's complaint handling, submit a formal complaint to:
The complaint form is available at: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/what-to-expect/index.html
You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.