THIS NOTICE OF HIPAA PRIVACY PRACTICES (“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.
We are required by law to protect the privacy of your health information. We are also required to provide you with this Notice, and follow the practices and procedures set forth herein, which explains how we may use and disclose health information about you (“Protected Health Information” or “PHI”) and how you can access this information.
In this Notice, “Gabbi”, “we”, or “us” refers collectively to Gabbi Health Medical Group, P.A., Gabbi Health of Maine, LLC, Gabbi Health Medical Group of California, P.C., Gabbi Health Medical Group of New Jersey, P.C. or such other medical practice affiliated with Gabbi, Inc. (and Gabbi, Inc., when acting on behalf of such medical practices). Each of the applicable medical practices together designate themselves as a single Affiliated Covered Entity (“ACE”) for purposes of compliance with HIPAA.
Gabbi has partnered with select health systems (“Partners”). If you were referred to us by one of our Partners, a Joint Notice of Privacy Practices from Gabbi and the relevant Partner will apply to you (“Joint Notice”). Please click on the link below for the applicable Joint Notice and review carefully.
Joint Notice: Wellstar Health System [https://www.gabbi.com/joint-npp/]
Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI
We may use and disclose your PHI for the purpose of providing health care services to you, to support our business operations, to obtain payment for your care, and any other use authorized or required by law. Examples of how we may use or disclosure your PHI without your authorization are listed below.
TREATMENT: We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and any related services. We may use your information to direct or recommend alternative treatments, therapies, health care providers, or settings of care to you or to describe a health-related product or service. We may also disclose PHI to a health care provider to whom you have been referred to ensure they have the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.
PAYMENT: We may use or disclose your PHI to bill or obtain payment for your health care services. This may include certain activities that your health insurance plan may undertake before it approves or pays for your services, such as making a determination of eligibility or coverage for insurance benefits and reviewing services provided to you for medical necessity.
HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS: We may use or disclose your PHI to support our health care operations, which include internal administration, business planning, and activities that improve the quality and cost effectiveness of the care provided to you. For example, we may use your information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our physicians and health care professionals. We also may create and use de-identified data, in which information is removed from your PHI so that you cannot be identified ("De-Identified Data"), as authorized by law. We can use De-Identified Data without restriction.
ELECTRONIC HEALTH INFORMATION SHARING: We may take part in or make possible the electronic sharing or pooling of healthcare information. The most common way we do this is through local or regional Health Information Exchanges (HIEs). HIEs help doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers within a geographic area or community provide quality care to you. If you travel and need medical treatment, HIEs allow other doctors or hospitals to electronically contact us about you. All of this helps us manage your care when more than one doctor is involved. It also helps us to keep your health bills lower (for example, to help avoid repeating lab tests). And finally, it helps us to improve the overall quality of care provided to you and others. We are involved in national health reform efforts and may use and share information as permitted to achieve regional or national goals, including regional or nationally approved population health management or wellness initiatives. In some states, the inclusion of your PHI in an HIE is voluntary and subject to your right to opt-in or opt-out; if you choose to opt-in or not to opt-out, we may provide your PHI in accordance with applicable law to the HIEs in which we participate.
AS REQUIRED BY LAW: We may use and disclose your PHI to the extent required by any applicable federal, state or local law.
UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES: We may use or disclose your PHI in the following unique circumstances without your authorization: to assist in public health activities, such as disease tracking and reporting information about products under the under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's jurisdiction; for safety issues, such as to inform authorities to protect victims of abuse or neglect; for health care oversight purposes, such as investigations of fraud; in response to a legal order or other lawful process during a judicial or administrative proceeding; to law enforcement officials as required by law or in compliance with a court order; to coroners, funeral directors and organ donation agencies as authorized by law; for research purposes; to avert a serious threat to health or safety; to assist in specialized government functions, such certain military activity and national security purposes; for workers' compensation reporting; and other required uses and disclosures.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
For any purpose other than described above, we only use or disclose your PHI with your written authorization. We are prohibited from using or disclosing your PHI for purposes that are marketing under the HIPAA privacy rule, including accepting payment from third parties in exchange for making communications about treatments, providers, products, or services, without your written authorization. We also will never sell your PHI without your written authorization.
If you provide us with an authorization for certain uses and disclosures of your information, you may revoke such authorization at any time, except to the extent that we have taken an action in reliance on it, by writing to us at privacy@gabbi.com.
In some situations, federal and state laws provide special protections for specific kinds of PHI and require authorization from you before we can disclose that specially protected PHI. For example, additional protections may apply in some states to genetic, mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, rape and sexual assault, sexually transmitted disease, and/or HIV/AIDS-related information, and/or to the use of your PHI in certain review and disciplinary proceedings of healthcare professionals by state authorities. In these situations, we comply with the more stringent state laws pertaining to such use or disclosure. If you have questions about these laws, please contact privacy@gabbi.com.
Communication Platforms
We may use your PHI to send you appointment reminders and other communications relating to your care and treatment, or let you know about treatment alternatives or other health related services or benefits that may be of interest to you. We may send such communications via email, phone call, or text message. We also may make certain PHI, such as information about care or treatment, appointment histories, and medication records, available to you through a secured online patient portal.
If you choose to communicate with us via emails, texts, or chats, you acknowledge that we may exchange PHI with you via email, text, or chat. You further acknowledge that email, text, and certain chat functionality may not be a secure method of communication, and you agree to the security risks of such communication. If you prefer not to exchange PHI via email, text, or chat, you can notify us at privacy@gabbi.com.
Your Rights With Respect To Your PHI
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI. To obtain a copy of your records, you must make the request in writing.
You have the right to request an amendment to your PHI. Your request must be in writing and provide the reason(s) for your requested amendment. If we deny your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us.
You have the right to request certain restrictions on the use or disclosure of your PHI except when authorized by you, when required by law, or in an emergency. You may also request a restriction on our disclosure of your PHI to someone who is involved in your care or payment, like a family member or friend. We are not legally required to agree to your request. Your request must be in writing and state the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply. We will inform you of our decision.
You have the right to request to receive confidential communications from us by alternative means or at an alternate location, and we will accommodate reasonable requests. You must submit your request in writing.
You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made for the prior six (6) years, except to the extent made for purposes of treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or certain other purposes (such as your authorization).
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice, upon request, even if you have previously requested its receipt electronically by email.
You have the right to be notified in the event that we (or one of our business associates) discovers a breach of your unsecured PHI.
You have the right to file a complaint. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a written complaint with us at the address listed below or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Revisions To This Notice
We reserve the right to revise this Notice and to make the revised Notice effective for PHI we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. You are entitled to a copy of the Notice currently in effect. Any significant changes to this Notice will be posted on our website. You then have the right to object or withdraw as provided in this Notice.
Questions About This Notice
If you have questions about this Notice or would like to request a paper copy, please contact us at privacy@gabbi.com.