HIPAA
HIPAA Notice Of Privacy Practices
This page explains how Riverstone Urology Specialists protects your health information and how we use and share that information as allowed by federal and Texas law, including HIPAA.
This is a summary for our website. You will receive or have access to our full Notice of Privacy Practices in the office, which provides more detail.
Our Commitment To Your Privacy
Riverstone Urology is committed to protecting your medical information. By law we must:
- Keep your protected health information (PHI) private
- Give you a Notice of Privacy Practices that describes our legal duties and privacy practices
- Follow the terms of the Notice that is in effect
- Tell you if a breach affects your unsecured health information
Your health information includes details such as your symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, test results, insurance information, and billing records.
How We Use And Share Your Health Information
HIPAA allows us to use and share your information for certain purposes without asking for written permission each time. Not every possible use is listed here, but these are the most common categories.
For Treatment
We use and share your information to provide and coordinate your care. For example:
- Urologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, and staff review your chart to plan your treatment
- We may share information with other doctors, labs, imaging centers, or pharmacies involved in your care
This helps everyone who treats you have accurate, up to date information.
For Payment
We use and share information to bill for services and to obtain payment. For example:
- We send information about your diagnosis and procedures to your health plan
- We confirm your insurance eligibility and obtain prior authorizations when needed
If you pay in full out of pocket and ask us not to send a specific service to your health plan, we will honor that request unless the law requires us to share it.
For Healthcare Operations
We use information to run the practice and improve quality. Examples:
- Quality review and training
- Scheduling and follow-up systems
- Audits and internal compliance work
- Business tasks such as billing services, IT support, and legal or accounting services
We share information with “business associates” only when they agree in writing to protect your privacy as the law requires.
Other Uses And Disclosures Allowed Or Required By Law
HIPAA and Texas law allow or require us to use or share your information in certain situations even without your written permission. These include:
Public Health And Safety
To report certain diseases, adverse reactions to medications, or product recalls, and to help prevent or control disease or injury
Health Oversight Activities
To agencies that oversee the healthcare system, such as licensing boards or government auditors
Legal Requirements
In response to court orders, subpoenas, and some other legal processes, when the law requires it
Law Enforcement And Safety
To law enforcement in limited cases, and to help prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety
Coroners, Medical Examiners, And Organ Donation
To help them carry out their duties when required
Workers’ Compensation And Similar Programs
To comply with laws that provide benefits for work related injuries or illness
Other less common uses may apply in narrow situations defined by law. When state law is stricter than HIPAA, we follow the stricter rule.
Uses And Disclosures That Need Your Written Permission
For most other uses of your health information, we will ask you to sign a written authorization. Examples include:
- Most uses of psychotherapy notes, if any
- Uses for marketing that involve your information beyond simple reminders or educational materials
- Sale of your protected health information
If you sign an authorization, you can change your mind later. You can revoke it in writing, and we will stop future uses. We cannot take back information already used or shared based on your authorization.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
HIPAA gives you several rights over your health information.
Right To See And Get A Copy
You can ask to see or get a copy of your medical record and billing record that we keep. This is usually in paper or electronic form.
- We may charge a reasonable fee allowed by Texas law for copies, mailing, or electronic file preparation.
- In limited situations we may deny access, and you may have the right to request a review of that decision.
Right To Request A Correction
If you think information in your record is wrong or incomplete, you can ask us to correct it.
- You must send the request in writing and explain what needs to change and why.
- We can deny the request in certain situations, for example if the information is accurate or we did not create it, but we will explain our reason in writing.
Right To Request Restrictions
You can ask us to limit how we use or share your information for treatment, payment, or operations, or with family members involved in your care.
- We are not required to agree to every request.
- If we do agree, we will follow the restriction except in emergencies or when the law allows or requires disclosure.
You have a special right to request that we not share information about a service with your health plan if you pay for that service in full out of pocket, as noted above.
Right To Request Confidential Communications
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific place. For example, you might ask us to call your mobile number instead of a home phone, or to mail information to a different address. We will honor reasonable requests.
Right To An Accounting Of Disclosures
You can ask for a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information during a specific time period, up to six years back. This list will not include all disclosures, such as those for treatment, payment, and operations, or those you authorized in writing.
Right To A Paper Copy Of The Notice
You can ask for a paper copy of our full Notice of Privacy Practices at any visit, even if you agreed to receive one electronically.
Our Responsibilities
Riverstone Urology Must:
- Maintain the privacy of your protected health information
- Provide you with a Notice of our privacy practices and legal duties
- Follow the terms of the Notice that is in effect
- Notify you if a breach occurs that involves your unsecured health information
We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this Notice. If we change the Notice, the new terms apply to all information we hold. We will post the current Notice in the office and on our website, with an updated effective date.
Questions, Requests, Or Complaints
If you have questions about this page or want to use any of your privacy rights, contact:
Riverstone Urology Specialists
- Privacy Officer
- Insert mailing address
- Insert main office phone number
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can:
- File a complaint with Riverstone Urology
- File a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
You will not be punished or treated differently for filing a privacy complaint.