1. Introduction
SWFL Spinal Care is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This notice describes how your Protected Health Information (PHI) may be used and disclosed and how you can access your information.
2. Your Rights
Under HIPAA, you have the following rights regarding your PHI:
- Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health records. You can request an electronic or paper copy of your medical records and other health information we have about you. We may charge a reasonable fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request.
- Right to Request Corrections: If you believe that the information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we correct or amend the records. We may deny your request if the information is accurate and complete or if it was not created by us.
- Right to Request Confidential Communications: You can ask us to communicate with you in a specific way (e.g., sending mail to a different address) or to contact you only in a certain manner.
- Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on the use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. While we will consider your request, we are not required to agree to the restriction unless it involves a disclosure to a health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes and the PHI pertains solely to a healthcare item or service for which you have paid out of pocket in full.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list (accounting) of the disclosures we have made of your PHI, other than those made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or as otherwise authorized by you.
- Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to request a paper copy of this HIPAA Compliance Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
3. How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI
The following are examples of how we may use and disclose your PHI:
- For Treatment: We may use your PHI to provide you with healthcare treatment or services. We may disclose your PHI to doctors, nurses, technicians, or other personnel who are involved in your care.
- For Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment from you, your insurance company, or a third party for the services we provide to you.
- For Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI for our healthcare operations, such as quality assessment, employee review, training of healthcare professionals, and other business activities.
- For Legal and Compliance Purposes: We may disclose your PHI as required by law, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or government investigation.
4. Our Responsibilities
- Safeguarding Your Information: We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI. We will notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- Adherence to This Notice: We are required to follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and provide you with a copy of it.
- Changes to This Notice: We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
5. Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with us, please visit our [Contact Page](#). You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
6. Contact Information
For more information about this notice or your rights, please contact us:
SWFL Spinal Care
6430 Plantation Park Ct #100
Fort Myers, FL 33966
Visit our [Contact Page](#) for further assistance.