NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

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.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF HEALTH INFORMATION

 Finest Home Care Corp. (“Finest”) is committed to maintaining your confidentiality and protecting your health information. The purpose of this notice is to inform you on how Finest may disclose Protected Health Information as well as any other identifying information that you may provide to us, for the purpose of your treatment, to obtain payment for your care, and for health care operations, such as improving the quality of care we provide to you.

You will be asked to sign an Acknowledgement allowing us use and disclose your Protected Health Information set by the terms in this Notice.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND PURPOSES FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED:

For Treatment: Finest will use and disclose your health information to coordinate your home care services. For example, information may be shared with members of our staff, your doctor, and other health care professionals. Finest may also disclose your health care information to families, friends, and health care professionals involved in your care.

For Payment: Finest may provide Information to third party payers (e.g., Medicaid, and commercial insurers) as required by contracts and/or subscriber agreements with the payer. The agency can rely upon a health plan's representations regarding the information that is needed for a claim, including representations that are contained in a policy, an agency agreement, or in a health plan newsletter or bulletin.

For Health Care Operations: Finest may use and disclose your health information for operational purposes as necessary in order to provide quality care to all of Finest’s patients. These include activities such as quality improvement, performance evaluations, and case management.

For Appointment Reminders: Finest may use and disclose your health information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment.  We may reach you by email, telephone, or through our app.

For Treatment Alternatives: Finest may use and disclose your health information to contact and recommend you about other health related benefits and treatments that may be of interest to you.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND PURPOSES FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED:

When Legally Required: Finest will disclose your health information when Federal, State, or local law requires it.

To Report Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence: For a patient when disclosure is required by law or when the patient agrees to the disclosure.

To Public Health Authorities: Finest may disclose your health information to a public health authority for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. 

To Conduct Health Oversight Activities: Finest may disclose your health information to a health oversight agency authorized by law to conduct audits, investigations, inspections and licensure actions, or other legal proceedings.  

To Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: Finest may disclose your health information in certain circumstances, for example, to identify a deceased person, determine the cause of death or assist in carrying out their duties.

For Cadaveric, Organ, Eye, or Tissue Donation Purposes: Finest may disclose your health information to communicate to organizations involved in procuring, banking, or transplanting organs and tissues.

For Law Enforcement Purposes: Finest may disclose your health information in compliance with a court order or in response to a subpoena.

For Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: Finest may disclose your health information in the course of judicial and administrative proceedings.

To Avert Serious Threat to Health and Safety: Finest may disclose your health information to a person who can reasonably avert, prevent, or lesson the threat.

For Specified Government Functions: Finest may disclose your health information to facilitate specified government functions relating to military and veterans, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, medical suitability determinations,

For Worker’s Compensation Purposes: Finest may disclose your health information for worker’s compensation or similar programs.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND PURPOSES FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED THAT REQUIRES AUTHORIZATION:

For Research and Marketing: In most circumstances, Finest is required by law to receive authorization before we use or disclose your health information for marketing or research purposes. Under no circumstances will we sell our patient lists or your health information to a third party without authorization.

YOUR RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. You also have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your health information to a family member, family, or other person who is involved in your care or the payment for your care. However, Finest is not required to agree to your request. If you wish to make a request for restrictions, please contact Finest’s Privacy Officer.

Right to Receive Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that Finest communicate with you in a certain way. For example, you can request that Finest speak to you only at a private location in your home. Finest will accommodate your reasonable requests.

Right to Inspect and Copy your Health Information: You have the right to inspect and copy your health information, including billing records. A request to inspect and copy records containing your health information may be made to Finest’s Privacy Officer. If you request a copy of your health information, Finest may charge a reasonable fee for copying and assembling costs associated with your request.

Right to Amend your Health Information: You have the right to request that Finest amends your records, if you believe your health information is incorrect or incomplete. That request may be made as long as the information is maintained by Finest. A request for an amendment of records must be made in writing to Finest’s Privacy Officer. Finest may deny the request if it is not in writing or does not include a reason for the amendment. The request also may be denied if your health information records were not created by Finest, if the records are not part of Finest’s records, if the health information you wish to amend is not part of the health information you are permitted to inspect or copy, or if, in the opinion of Finest, the records containing your health information are accurate and complete.

Right to an Accounting: You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures of your health information made by Finest for any reason other than treatment, payment, or health operations. The request for an accounting must be made in writing to Finest’s Privacy Officer. The request should specify the time period for the accounting starting on or after February 5, 2015. Accounting requests may not be made for periods of time in excess of six years. Finest would provide the first accounting you request during any 12-month period without charge. Subsequent accounting requests may be subject to a reasonable cost-based fee.

Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice: You have a right to a separate paper copy of this Notice at any time even if you have received this Notice previously. To obtain a separate paper copy, please contact Finest’s Privacy Officer.

Duties of Finest

Complaints: If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint in writing with us or with the Office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with Finest, contact Finest’s Privacy Officer. No one will retaliate or take action against you for filing a complaint.

Changes to this Notice: Finest will promptly revise and distribute this Notice whenever there is a material change to the uses or disclosures, your individual rights, our legal duties, or other privacy practices stated in this Notice. We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the revised or new Notice provisions effective for all health information already received and maintained by Finest as well as for all health information we receive in the future. If Finest changes its Notice, Finest will provide a copy of the revised Notice to you.

Contact Person: Finest has designated Finest’s Privacy Officer as its contact person for all issues regarding patient privacy and your rights under the Federal privacy standards. You may contact Finest’s Privacy Officer by calling (929) 500-1280, 44-24 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204.

Effective Date: This Notice is effective February 5, 2015 and henceforth.