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.
The SCOOTER Store is dedicated to protecting your medical information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. The SCOOTER Store is required by law to abide by the terms of this Notice.
HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION WILL BE USED AND DISCLOSED:
We will use your medical information in supplying healthcare-related products. For example, your medical information may be used by our Mobility Consultants and your treating physician, by the business office to process your payment for the services rendered and by administrative personnel reviewing the quality of the care you receive. Your medical information may also be used, as necessary, to contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest of you. For example, your name and address may be used to send you a newsletter about health-related products offered by The SCOOTER Store, current, new or alternative treatments, health resources, and other information related to your health.
We may also use and/or disclose your information in accordance with federal and state laws for the following purposes:
Personal Representatives - If your personal representative has the authority by law to act on your behalf in making decisions related to your health care, we may disclose your medical information to him or her. We may require your personal representative to produce evidence of his or her authority to act on your behalf. In the event of your death, an executor, administrator, or other person authorized under the law to act on behalf of you or your estate will be treated as your personal representative.
Family and Friends - Unless you object, we may use and/or disclose your medical information to family members, other relatives or close personal friends when the medical information is directly relevant to that person's involvement with your care.
Notification - Unless you object, we may use and/or disclose your medical information to notify a family member, a personal representative or another person responsible for your care of your location, general condition or death.
Public Health Activities - We may use and/or disclose your medical information for public health activities and safety, for purposes related to controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Disclosure to Department of Health and Human Services - We may use and/or disclose medical information when required by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as part of an investigation or determination of our compliance with relevant laws.
Disaster Relief - We may disclose your medical information to a public or private entity, such as the American Red Cross, for the purpose of coordinating with that entity to assist in disaster relief-efforts.
Health Oversight Activities - We may use or disclose your medical information for public health activities, including the reporting of disease, injury, vital events and the conduct of public health surveillance, investigation and/or intervention. We may disclose your medical information to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, administrative and/or legal proceedings.
Abuse or Neglect - We may disclose your medical information when it concerns abuse, neglect or violence to you in accordance with federal and state law.
Legal Proceedings - We may disclose your medical information in the course of certain judicial or administrative proceedings.
Law Enforcement - We may disclose your medical information for law enforcement purposes or other specialized governmental functions.
Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors - We may disclosure your medical information to a coroner, medical examiner or funeral director to carry out their duties.
Organ and Tissue Donation - If you are an organ donor, we may use and/or disclose medical information to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye or tissue donation or transplantation.
Research - We may use or disclose your medical information for certain research purposes if an Institutional Review Board or a privacy board has altered or waived individual authorization, the review is preparatory to research or the research is on only decedent's information.
Public Safety - We may use or disclose your medical information to prevent or lessen a serious threat to the health or safety of another person or to the public.
Workers' Compensation - We may disclose your medical information as authorized by laws relating to workers' compensation or similar programs.
Inmates - We may release medical information about inmates to correctional institution or law enforcement officials, as necessary to provide the inmate with health care, to protect the health and safety of the inmate or others, or for the health and safety of the correctional institution.
Military and Veterans - We may release medical information as required by military command authorities, and as applicable, to appropriate foreign military authorities.
Business Associates - We may disclose your health information to a business associate with whom we contract to provide services on our behalf. To protect your health information, we require our business associates to appropriately safeguard the health information of our customers.
AUTHORIZATIONS: We will not use or disclose your medical information for any other purpose without your written authorization. Once given, you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time. Please submit your Revocation of Authorization to: The SCOOTER Store, ATTN: Privacy Officer, PO Box 310709, New Braunfels, TX 78131, (830) 627-4528, or send an email to hippaofficer@thescooterstore.com.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION:
- You have the right to ask us to restrict certain uses and disclosures of your medical information for treatment, payment or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request.
- You have the right to receive communications from us in a confidential manner.
- Generally, you may inspect and copy your medical information. This right is subject to certain specific exceptions, and you will be charged $5.00 for copies of your records.
- You may ask us to amend your medical information.
- You have the right to receive an accounting of the disclosures of your medical information made by The SCOOTER Store during the last seven years except for disclosures for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, disclosures which you authorized and certain other specific disclosure types.
- You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information.
- You have the right to complain to us and/or to the United States Department of Health and Human Services if you believe that we have violated your privacy rights.
- If you choose to file a complaint, you will not be retaliated against in any way.
If you would like to submit a complaint or request additional information regarding your rights or regarding the uses and disclosures of your medical information, you may contact:
The SCOOTER Store
ATTN: Privacy Officer
PO Box 310709
New Braunfels, TX 78131
(830) 627-4528
hipaaofficer@thescooterstore.com
THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE AS OF APRIL 14TH, 2003.
REVISION OF NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES: We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice, making any revision applicable to all the protected health information we maintain. If we revise the terms of this Notice, we will post a revised notice at The SCOOTER Store and will make paper copies of the revised Notice of Privacy Practices available upon request.
