Anesthesia Billing Inc
1715 Medical Pkwy
Newton KS 67114
(316) 281-3700
(800) 835-2231
Physician Billing Services || Frequent Questions || Articles || ABI History || Quick Links || Contact Us || Home
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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. Printable document in pdf format |
Anesthesia Billing, Inc. ("ABI") is permitted by federal privacy
laws to make uses and disclosures of your health information for purposes
of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Protected health information
is the information we create and obtain in providing our services to you.
Such information includes billing documents created by ABI which relate
to services provided to you by a healthcare provider.
Examples of uses of your health information for treatment purposes are:
| - | A nurse obtains treatment information about you and records it in a health record. |
| - | During the course of your treatment, the physician determines he/she will need to consult with another specialist in the area. He/she will share the information with such specialist and obtain his / her input. |
An example of use of your health information for payment purposes:
| - | We submit a request for payment to your health insurance company. The health insurance company requests information from us regarding medical care given. We will provide information to them about you and the care given. |
An example of use of your health information for health care operations:
| - | The state licensing authority wants to review records to assure that we or an underlying physician have acted consistent with state law regarding your care. In doing so, it wants to take a sampling which includes review of your documents in our files. At the licensing authority's request, we will provide it with a copy of your records. |
Your Health Information Rights
The health record we maintain and billing records are the physical property of ABI. The information in it, however, belongs to you. You have a right to:
| - | Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your health information by delivering the request in writing to our office--we are not required to grant the request but we will comply with any request that we have granted; |
| - | Obtain a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices for Protected Health Information ("Notice") by making a request at our office; |
| - | Request that you be allowed to inspect and copy your health record and billing record. You may exercise this right by delivering the request in writing to our office using the form we provide to you upon request; |
| - | Appeal a denial of access to your protected health information except in certain circumstances; |
| - | Request that your health care record be amended to correct incomplete or incorrect information by delivering a written request to our office using the form we provide to you upon request; |
| - | File a statement of disagreement if your amendment is denied, and require that the request for amendment and any denial be attached in all future disclosures of your protected health information; |
| - | Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as required to be maintained by law by delivering a written request to our office using the form we provide to you upon request; an accounting will not include internal uses of information for treatment, payment, or health care operations, disclosures made to you or made at your request, or disclosures made to family members or friends in the course of providing care; |
| - | Request that communication of your health information be made by alternative means or at an alternative location by delivering the request in writing to our office using the form we give you upon request; and, |
| - | Revoke authorizations that you made previously to use or disclose information (except to the extent information or action has already been taken) by delivering a written revocation to our office. |
If you want to exercise any of the above rights, please contact Phil Blann, in person or in writing, during normal hours. He will provide you with assistance on the steps to take to exercise your rights.
Our Responsibilities
ABI is required to:
| - | Maintain the privacy of your health information as required by law; |
| - | Provide you with a notice as to our duties and privacy practices as to the information we collect and maintain about you; |
| - | Abide by the terms of this Notice; |
| - | Notify you if we cannot accommodate a requested restriction or request; and, |
| - | Accommodate your reasonable requests regarding methods to communicate health information with you. |
We reserve the right to amend, change, or eliminate provisions in our privacy practices and access practices and to enact new provisions regarding the protected health information we maintain. If our information practices change, we will amend our Notice. You are entitled to receive a revised copy of the Notice by calling and requesting a copy of our "Notice" or by visiting our office and picking up a copy.
To Request Information or File a Complaint
If you have questions, would like additional information, or want to report a problem regarding the handling of your information, you may contact Phil Blann, ABI's Privacy Official.
Additionally, if you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint at our office by delivering the written complaint to Mr. Blann. You may also file a complaint by mailing it or e-mailing it to the Secretary of Health and Human Services whose street address and e-mail address is The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, hhsmail@os.dhhs.gov.
| - | We cannot, and will not, require you to waive the right to file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a condition of receiving services from ABI. |
| - | We cannot and will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint with the Secretary. |
Other Disclosures and Uses
Business Associates
We have business associates with whom we may share your protected health
information. For example, in preparing our annual financial statement,
auditors may need to review samples of our documents. We may disclose
your health information to the accounting firm to prepare this material.
Notification
Unless you object, we may use or disclose your protected health information
to notify, or assist in notifying, a family member, personal representative,
or other person responsible for your care, about your location, and about
your general condition, or your death.
Communication with Family
Using our best judgment, we may disclose to a family member, other relative,
close personal friend, or any other person you identify, health information
relevant to that person's involvement in your care or in payment for such
care if you do not object or in an emergency.
Research
We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been
approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research
proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your protected
health information.
Disaster Relief
We may use and disclose your protected health information to assist in
disaster relief efforts.
Funeral Directors / Coroners
We may disclose your protected health information to funeral directors
or coroners consistent with applicable law to allow them to carry out
their duties.
Organ Procurement Organizations
Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose your protected health
information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged
in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose
of tissue donation and transplant.
Marketing
We may contact you to provide you with appointment reminders, with information
about treatment alternatives, or with information about other health-related
benefits and services that may be of interest to you.
Fundraising
We may contact you as part of a fund raising effort.
Food and Drug Administration
We may disclose to the FDA your protected health information relating
to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, products and product
defects, or post-marketing surveillance information to enable product
recalls, repairs, or replacements.
Workers Compensation
If you are seeking compensation through Workers Compensation, we may disclose
your protected health information to the extent necessary to comply with
laws relating to Workers Compensation.
Public Health
As required by law, we may disclose your protected health information
to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling
disease, injury, or disability.
Abuse & Neglect
We may disclose your protected health information to public authorities
as allowed by law to report abuse or neglect.
Law Enforcement
We may disclose your protected health information for law enforcement
purposes as required by law, such as when required by a court order, or
in cases involving felony prosecutions, or to the extent an individual
is in the custody of law enforcement.
Health Oversight
Federal law allows us to release your protected health information to
appropriate health oversight agencies or for health oversight activities.
Judicial / Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose your protected health information in the course of any
judicial or administrative proceeding as allowed or required by law, with
your consent, or as directed by a proper court order.
To avert a serious threat to health or safety, we may disclose your protected health information consistent with applicable law to prevent or lessen a serious, imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
For Specialized Governmental Functions
We may disclose your protected health information for specialized government
functions as authorized by law such as to Armed Forces personnel, for
national security purposes, or to public assistance program personnel.
Effective Date: April 14, 2003
Other Uses
Other uses and disclosures besides those identified in this Notice will
be made only as otherwise authorized by law or with your written authorization
and you may revoke the authorization as previously provided.
Website
We maintain a website that provides information about ABI. This Notice
is on the website.
