Privacy Practices
Health Partnership Clinic (HPC) policy and federal regulations protect the privacy of our patients’ health information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a set of federal rules that defines what information is protected, sets limits on how that information may be used or shared and provides patients with certain rights regarding their information. HPC has its own policies that reflect these regulations as well as best ethical standards.
These rules protect information that is collected or maintained (verbally, in paper, or electronic format) that can be linked back to an individual patient and is related to his or her health, the provision of health care services, or the payment for health care services. This includes, but is not limited to, clinical information, billing and financial information, and demographic/scheduling information. Even the fact that an individual has received care at HPC is protected by HPC policy and federal regulations.
HPC policy and HIPAA regulations limit the use or sharing of protected patient information to the following purposes: providing treatment, obtaining payment for services, certain health care administrative functions and when required or permitted by law. Any other use or disclosure of protected information requires written authorization from the patient. For all uses or disclosures other than treatment, only the minimum amount of information necessary will be shared on a need to basis. The Notice of Privacy Practices describes to patients how we may use or disclose their health information and patient rights regarding their protected health information.