Legal
HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: January 1, 2025
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.
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Ortho Spine Network is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (PHI) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. This Notice describes how PHI about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information.
What is Protected Health Information?
Protected Health Information (PHI) is individually identifiable health information that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition, the provision of health care to you, or the past, present, or future payment for your health care. PHI includes information in any form — oral, written, or electronic.
How We Use and Disclose Your PHI
We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your authorization: • Treatment: To coordinate your referral to orthopedic, spine, or neurological specialists within our network, and to facilitate communication among treating providers. • Payment: To assist with billing, lien documentation, and coordination with your attorney's office in connection with your personal injury claim. • Health Care Operations: For quality assessment, training, and other activities necessary to operate our referral network. • As Required by Law: In response to a court order, subpoena, or other legal process, or as otherwise required by applicable federal or state law. • Public Health Activities: To report certain communicable diseases or adverse events to appropriate public health authorities as required by law.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
For uses and disclosures not described in this Notice, we will obtain your written authorization. You have the right to revoke any such authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance on it.
Your Rights Regarding Your PHI
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI: • Right to Access: You may request a copy of your PHI that we maintain in a designated record set. • Right to Amend: You may request that we amend PHI that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. • Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI. • Right to Restrictions: You may request that we restrict certain uses or disclosures of your PHI; we are not always required to agree. • Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location. • Right to a Paper Copy: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice upon request.
Safeguards
We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect your PHI from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. This includes staff training, access controls, encryption of electronic PHI, and regular security assessments.
Breach Notification
In the event of a breach of unsecured PHI, we will notify affected individuals and appropriate authorities as required by HIPAA and applicable state law, including the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act.
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 Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. To file a complaint with us, please contact: Ortho Spine Network — Privacy Officer Email: referrals@orthospinenetwork.com Houston, TX To file a complaint with HHS: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights https://www.hhs.gov/ocr
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. Any revised Notice will be effective for all PHI we already maintain as well as PHI we receive in the future. We will post the current Notice on our website and make it available upon request.