HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
This notice describes how medical and mental health care information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

Please review it carefully.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
SCO Family of Services is required to maintain the privacy of your health information. In addition, we must provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you. This organization must abide by the terms of this notice, notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction, and accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations. We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for the Protected Health Information (PHI) we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will provide you with a revised notice. We will also post our new notice on our web site (www.sco.org), which provides information about our customer services and benefits.

With the exception of uses for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations as described in this notice, we will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CASE RECORD INFORMATION:
Each time you receive services a record is made. Depending on the program, this record will contain the reasons for admission to the program, your symptoms, assessments and test results, medication information, diagnoses, treatment or service plan, notes with progress in addressing your goals, periodic treatment or service plan reviews, and a plan for future care or treatment.

At SCO Family of Services, this information, often referred to as your Case Record, serves as a basis for planning your care and treatment and serves as a means of communication among the professionals who contribute to your care. Understanding what is in the record and how this information is used will help ensure its accuracy, better understand who, when, where, and why others may access your health information, and make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.

YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS:
Unless otherwise required by law, your case record is the physical property of the SCO Family of Services program that compiled it; the information belongs to you. You have the right to request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information, and to request changes or additions to your case record. This includes the right to obtain a paper copy of this Privacy Notice; the right to inspect, and obtain a copy of your case record; the right to obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information; to request copies of your health information by alternative means (e.g. by fax, E-mail or another form) or at other locations; and the right to revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken.

EXAMPLES OF DISCLOSURES FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH OPERATIONS
We will use your health information for treatment.
Example: Information obtained by the SCO Family of Services program staff who provide clinical services will be recorded in your case record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. For example, your physician will document in your record their expectations of the members of your treating team. Members of the team will then record the actions they took and their observations. We will also provide other staff involved in your care with copies of various reports that should assist them in treating you. This information may be shared with other programs within SCO Family of Services where you receive care and treatment.

We will use your health information for payment.
Example: A bill may be given to you or a third-party payer, such as Medicaid. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.

We will use your health information for regular health operations.
Example: Members of the clinical and rehabilitation staff or the quality assurance staff may use information in your case record to assess the care and outcomes in your case. The information may be used in program evaluation studies to assess the care provided and to measure effectiveness of different program models. Also, emergency medical information may be provided as needed. We are required to disclose information to the NYS Central Registry.

Business associates: There are some services provided in our organization through contracts with business associates. Examples include our insurance company, which we use when making reports of accidents/injuries on our property, certification and compliance activities (e.g. auditors need to review a sample of our case records to confirm the quality of care provided and to assess our compliance with their standards). When these services are contracted, we may disclose some or all of your health information to our business associate so that they can perform the job we have asked them to do. To protect your health information, however, we require the Business Associate to appropriately safeguard your information, and we only provide them with the "minimum necessary" information to carry out their responsibilities and complete their work.

Family: In accordance with policies and procedures governing consents to release information, clinical professionals may disclose to a family member, other relatives, close personal friends or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person's involvement in your care or payment related to your care. Unless it is an emergency, your consent will be secured prior to these disclosures. (Disclosure to family members may differ in the foster care program; contact your Privacy Officer for this information.)

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): As required by law, we may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events with respect to medication and/or product defects.

Workers compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.

Public Health: As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability. We may also release information to the NYS Central Registry and may disclose information for emergency medical care.

Correctional institution: Should you become an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or agents thereof health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals. An inmate does not have the right to the Notice of Privacy Practices.

Law enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney provided that an employer or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the public.

Notice of Privacy Practices availability: This notice will be prominently posted in the office where screening and/or intake occur. Clients will be provided a hard copy and the notice will be maintained on our web site (www.sco.org) for downloading.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REPORT A PROBLEM:
If you have questions and would like additional information, you may contact the SCO Family of Services Privacy Officer at (516) 671-1253. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can also file a complaint with the Privacy Officer. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

Back to Top