Notice of Privacy Practices

Your rights

You may exercise the following rights by contacting CuraVein’s Privacy Officer. Some requests must be made in writing, and certain lawful limits may apply.

Inspect or obtain a copy of your health information

You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of medical records and other health information we maintain about you. We will respond within the time required by applicable law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when the law permits.

Ask us to correct your health information

You may ask us to amend information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny a request when permitted by law, but we will explain a denial in writing and tell you about any additional rights.

Request confidential communications

You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a different address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures

You may ask us not to use or disclose specified information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not always required to agree. If you pay for an item or service completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose that information to your health plan for payment or health care operations; we will honor the request unless the law requires disclosure.

Receive an accounting of disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures made during the six years before your request. The accounting does not include every disclosure, such as most disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, or disclosures you authorized. One accounting in a 12-month period is free; a reasonable, cost-based fee may apply to additional requests.

Receive this notice

You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Choose a personal representative

A person with legal authority to act for you, such as a guardian or the holder of a valid medical power of attorney, may exercise your privacy rights. We will verify that authority before acting.

File a complaint

You may complain to CuraVein using the contact information below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. CuraVein will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your choices

You may tell us your preference about sharing information with family members, close friends, or other people involved in your care or payment for your care, and about sharing information for disaster-relief purposes. If you cannot communicate a preference, we may share information when we reasonably believe it is in your best interest or when needed to prevent a serious and imminent threat.

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing health information for most marketing, selling your health information, or most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes. CuraVein does not sell patient health information. If you authorize a use or disclosure, you may revoke that authorization in writing for future activity.

CuraVein does not currently conduct fundraising using patient information. If that practice changes, you will be told how to opt out of future fundraising communications.

How we may use and disclose your health information

Treatment

We may use your information and share it with physicians, imaging professionals, pharmacies, laboratories, hospitals, and others involved in your care.

Payment

We may use and disclose information to determine coverage, submit claims, obtain prior authorization, and collect payment from you, a health plan, or another responsible party.

Health care operations

We may use and disclose information to operate the practice, improve quality, train staff, conduct audits, manage risk, communicate with you, and evaluate services.

Other uses and disclosures permitted or required by law

Subject to applicable safeguards and limits, we may use or disclose information:

• For public-health activities, including disease prevention, product recalls, adverse-event reporting, and reports of suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;
• To prevent or reduce a serious threat to health or safety;
• For legally permitted research;
• To comply with federal or state law and health-oversight activities;
• For workers’ compensation matters;
• For law-enforcement or special government functions when the law permits;
• To organ-procurement organizations;
• To a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director after a death; and
• In response to a valid court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.

When another law provides greater privacy protection, including protections that may apply to mental-health, substance-use-disorder, genetic, communicable-disease, or other specially protected records, we will follow the more protective law.

Substance use disorder records

To the extent CuraVein receives or maintains a substance use disorder patient record protected by 42 CFR part 2, we will not use or disclose that record in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigation or proceeding against you unless you provide written consent or the disclosure is authorized by a qualifying court order and subpoena. We will provide the notice and choices required by law before using such information for fundraising.

Our responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
• We will notify affected individuals as required if a breach may have compromised the privacy or security of their information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in the notice that is currently in effect.
• We will not use or disclose information in a way that is not described here unless you authorize it in writing or the law otherwise permits or requires it.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice and make the revised terms apply to health information we already maintain as well as information we receive in the future. A current copy will be available on this website, at the CuraVein office, and upon request.