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Privacy Policy

The Visiting Nurse Association of Albany, Inc. Notice of Privacy Practices as required by the Privacy Regulations Promulgated Pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) effective 4/14/03.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO YOUR IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Albany, Inc.'s
Commitment to Your Privacy

Our organization is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your identifiable health information. In conducting our business, we will create records regarding you and the treatment and services we provide to you. We are required by law to maintain the confidentiality of health information that identified you. We are also required by law to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices concerning your identifiable health information. By law, we must follow the terms of the notice of privacy practices that we have in effect at the time.

To summarize, this notice provides you with the following important information:

* How we may use and disclose your identifiable health information
* Your privacy rights in your identifiable health information
* Our obligations concerning the use and disclosure of your identifiable health information.

The terms of this notice apply to all records containing your identifiable health information that are created or retained by our organization. We reserve the right to revise or amend our notice of privacy practices. Any revision or amendment to this notice will be effective for all of your records that our organization has created or maintained in the past, and for any of your records we may create or maintain in the future. Our organization will post a copy of our current notice in our office in a prominent location and on our website, and you will receive a copy of our most current notice if it amended during the time you are active on our caseload.

If you have questions about this notice please contact: The Director of Patient Services at the VNA at 489-2637, ext. 254.

The VNA may use or disclose your health information in the following ways:

The following categories describe ways in which we may use and disclose your identifiable health information:

• Treatment. The VNA may use your identifiable health information to treat you. For example, in conjunction with your physician, we may ask you to undergo laboratory tests (such as blood or urine tests), and we may use the results to help us reach a diagnosis. Many of the people who work for our organization may use or disclose your identifiable health information in order to treat you or to assist others in your treatment. Additionally, we may disclose your identifiable health information to others who may assist in your care such as your physician, therapists, home health aides, spouse, children or parents.
• Payment. The VNA may use and disclose your identifiable health information in order to bill and collect payment for the services and items you may receive from us. For example, we may contact your health insurer to certify that you are eligible for benefits (and for what range of benefits), and we may provide your insurer with details regarding your treatment to determine if your insurer will cover, or pay for your treatment.
• Health Care Operations. The VNA may use and disclose your identifiable health information to operate our business. As examples of the ways in which we may use and disclose your information for our operations, the VNA may use your identifiable health information to evaluate the quality of care you received from us.
• Visit Reminders. The VNA may use and disclose your identifiable health information to contact you and remind you of visits.
• Fundraising. The VNA may use your identifiable health information for our fundraising purposes.
• Disclosures Required by Law. The VNA will use and disclose your identifiable health information when we are required to do so by federal, state and local law.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION IN CERTAIN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

The following are categories describing unique scenarios in which we may use or disclose your identifiable health information.

• Public Health Risks
• Lawsuits and Similar Proceedings
• Law Enforcement
• Government representative responsible for responding to concerns about abuse, neglect or domestic violence as permitted by law
• Local or national health oversight organization that conduct audits or investigations
• To funeral directors, coroners and medical examiners
• For Serious Threats to Health or Safety
• For purposes of organ or tissue donations
• For special government functions such as National Security
• Workers' Compensations

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

You have the following rights regarding the identifiable health information that we maintain about you:

• Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that the VNA communicate with you about your health and related issues in a particular manner or at a certain location. In order to request a type of confidential communication, you must make a written request to the Director of Patient Services at 35 Colvin Avenue, Albany, New York 12206 specifying the requested method of contact or the location where you with to be contacted.
• Requesting Restrictions. You have the right to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of your protected health information. Additionally, you have the right to request that we limit our disclosures to individuals such as family members and friends. In order to request a restriction in our use or disclosure of you identifiable health information, you must make your request in writing to the Director of Patient Services at 35 Colvin Avenue, Albany, NY 12206.
• Inspection, Copies and Request to Amend. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy and amend your protected healthinformation that may be used to make decisions about you, including patient medical records and billing records, but not including any psychotherapy notes. You must submit your request in writing to the Director of Patient Services, Visiting Nurse Association of Albany, Inc., 35 Colvin Avenue, Albany, New York 12206. Our organization may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, labor and supplies associated with your request.
• Accounting of Disclosure. All of our patients have the right to request an "accounting of disclosures." An "accounting of disclosures" is a list of certain disclosures our organization has made of your identifiable health information. In order to obtain an accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to the Director of Patient Services, Visiting Nurse Association of Albany, Inc., 35 Colvin Avenue, Albany, New York 12206 (518) 489-2637, ext. 254.
• Right to File a Complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our organization or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with our organization, contact the Privacy Officer, Thomas Buckley at (518) 489-2681. All complaints must be submitted in writing. YOU WILL NOT BE PENALIZED FOR FILING A COMPLAINT.
• If you wish to see your protected health information, receive a copy of it or ask to amend it, please contact our Privacy Officer at (518) 489-2681. You may also receive a copy of this notice by contacting our Privacy Officer at (518) 489-2681.
• Right To Provide An Authorization for Other Uses and Disclosures. Our organization will obtain your written authorization for uses and disclosures that are not identified by this notice or permitted by applicable law. Any authorization you provide to use regarding the use and disclosure of your identifiable health information may be revoked at in time in writing. After you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your identifiable health information for the reasons described in the authorization.