Renew Family Dental, like all other medical and dental practices, is required by applicable federal and state laws to maintain the privacy of your health information. Protected health information. is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services.
We are also required to give you this notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this notice while it is in effect. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. You may request a copy of our notice at any time.
Personal information asked of you on our website may include, but is not limited to, your name, email, phone number and address, all of which are voluntarily submitted. You are not required to provide any personal information to interact with our website.
Our practice is dedicated to protecting your privacy and understands that any information received by you is sensitive to your online security. This privacy policy applies specifically to our websites and is intended to protect your personal information and data while using any of our online services.
USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
As a patient at Renew Family Dental, you provide consent for Renew Family Dental to utilize your protected health information for specific activities, such as treatment, payment, and other healthcare operations.
Your protected health information may be disclosed by Renew Family Dental so that Renew Family Dental and its medical professionals can provide treatment to you. Including but not limited to:
Using your past medical information to diagnose your present condition Renew Family Dental may provide information regarding your medical condition to another doctor to whom Renew Family Dental refers you to for additional care. Renew Family Dental may also use and disclose protected health information regarding you so that Renew Family Dental may be paid for the medical treatment Renew Family Dental provides you.
For example, Renew Family Dental will submit protected health information regarding you to your insurance company in order to receive payment for services Renew Family Dental has provided you. Renew Family Dental may also use and disclose protected health information regarding you for Renew Family Dental’s health care operations.
Renew Family Dental may use your protected health information to evaluate how Renew Family Dental can better meet your needs or Renew Family Dental may provide protected health information regarding you to an auditor who reviews books/files so that Renew Family Dental may keep current licensing to provide medical services.
Appointment Reminders:
We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, postcards, or letters).
Uses and disclosures in emergency situations.
If at any time emergency treatment is needed, we may provide your protected health information to necessary parties. In this event we will attempt to obtain your permission and acknowledgment of this event where and when possible, which may occur after the treatment has been administered.
Family Members and Others Involved in Your Care:
Unless you object, we may disclose your health information to a family member or close friend who is involved in your healthcare, or to someone who helps to pay for your care. We also may disclose your health information to disaster relief organizations to help locate a family member or friend in a disaster.
Business Associates:
We may disclose your health information to our third-party service providers (“Business Associates”) that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. For example, we may use a Business Associate to assist us in maintaining our practice management software. All of our Business Associates are obligated, under contract with us, to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
Required by Law:
Federal, state, or local laws sometimes require us to disclose patients’ health information. For instance, we are required to disclose patient health information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services so that it can investigate complaints or determine our compliance with HIPAA. We also are required to give information to Workers’ Compensation Programs for work-related injuries.
Disclosures for lawsuits and disputes
In the event you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, your protected health information may be disclosed in response to a court order or administrative order. We may also disclose protected health information regarding you in response to: Subpoenas Discovery requests Other lawful processes by someone else involved in the dispute.
But this is only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Disclosures to coroners, funeral directors, and organ donation
Your protected health information may be disclosed by Renew Family Dental to a coroner or medical examiner for: Identification purposes Determining the cause of death For the coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties required by law.
We may also disclose protected health information regarding you to a funeral director to permit the funeral director to carry out legal duties and may do so if death is reasonably anticipated. Your protected health information may also be disclosed for certain organ donations to which you may have agreed.
Disclosures for Workers’ Compensation
Your protected health information may be disclosed for Workers’ Compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.
Public Health Activities:
We may report certain health information for public health purposes. For instance, we are required to report births, deaths, and communicable diseases to the state government. We also may need to report adverse reactions to medications or foods or may notify patients of recalls of medications or products they are using.
Public Safety:
We may disclose health information for public safety purposes in limited circumstances. We may disclose health information to law enforcement officials in response to a search warrant or a grand jury subpoena. We also may disclose health information to assist law enforcement officials in identifying or locating a person, to prosecute a crime of violence, to report deaths that may have resulted from criminal conduct, and to report criminal conduct. We also may disclose your health information to law enforcement officials and others to prevent a serious threat of health or safety.
Disclosures of abuse or neglect
Your protected health information may be disclosed to a public health authority authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect. Moreover, we may disclose your protected health information if we believe that you have been a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence to a governmental entity or agency authorized to receive such information. In such cases, the disclosure will only be made in accordance with practice state law.
Disclosures to the food and drug administration
Your protected health information may be disclosed to a person or company required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to report: Adverse events Product defects Other problems, Biologic product deviations To track products; To enable product recalls To make repairs or replacements To conduct post-market surveillance.
As the agency is required to do.
Marketing/Sale of Information:
We will never sell your information or share your information for marketing purposes unless you give us written permission.
Information with Additional Protection:
Certain types of health information have additional protection under state and federal law. For instance, health information about communicable disease and HIV/AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse treatment, genetic testing, and evaluation and treatment for a serious mental illness is treated differently than other types of health information. For those types of information, Renew Family Dental is required to get your permission before disclosing that information to others in many circumstances.
Your Written Authorization for Any Other Use or Disclosure of Your Health Information:
If Renew Family Dental wishes to use or disclose your health information for a purpose that is not discussed in this notice, Renew Family Dental will seek your authorization. If you give your authorization to us, you may take back that authorization any time, unless we have already relied on your authorization to use or disclose information. If you would ever like to revoke your authorization, please notify us in writing.
WHAT ARE YOUR RIGHTS?
Right to Request Your Health Information:
You have the right to look at your own health information and to get a copy of that information. Please note that exceptions may apply as provided by law. (The law requires us to keep the original record.) This includes your health record, your billing record, and other records we use to make decisions about your care.
Right to Request Confidential Communications:
You have the right to ask us to communicate with you in a way that you feel is more confidential. For example, you can ask us not to call your home, but to communicate only by mail. To do this, please discuss this with our office manager.
Right to Choose a Representative:
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure this person has the authority and can act for you before we take any action.
Effective Date:
This notice was published and becomes effective January 1, 2024. If you have any questions about this notice or have further questions about how we may use and disclose your health information, please contact our office manager.
