THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, AND YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Florida Heart & Vascular Institute (“FHVI,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”), provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices, and notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured PHI.
We are required to follow the terms of this Notice while it is in effect. We may change the terms of this Notice, and any changes may apply to all PHI we maintain. If we make material changes, the revised Notice will be available at our offices, upon request, and on our website.
Your Rights
You have certain rights regarding your health information. This section explains those rights and some of our responsibilities.
Get an Electronic or Paper Copy of Your Medical Record
You may ask to see or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you.
We will generally provide a copy or summary of your health information within the time required by applicable law. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply where permitted.
Ask Us to Correct Your Medical Record
You may ask us to correct or amend health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
We may deny your request in certain circumstances, but we will provide an explanation when required by law.
Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as only by phone, at a particular phone number, or at a different mailing address.
We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
We are not always required to agree to your request. However, if you pay for a healthcare service or item completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to share information about that service or item with your health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes, and we will honor that request unless the law requires disclosure.
Get a List of Certain Disclosures
You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before the date of your request.
The accounting generally does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or certain other disclosures excluded by law.
We will provide one accounting within 12 months at no charge. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply for additional requests within the same 12-month period.
Get a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose Someone to Act for You
If someone has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a personal representative, legal guardian, or person holding appropriate medical power of attorney, that person may exercise your privacy rights and make choices regarding your health information.
We may verify that the person has the appropriate authority before acting on a request.
Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your unsecured PHI.
File a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with FHVI using the contact information at the end of this Notice.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
FHVI will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences regarding how we use or share it.
Family, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care
You may tell us whether we may share relevant health information with family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.
If you are unable to communicate your preference, such as during an emergency, we may share information when we believe it is in your best interest and permitted by law.
Disaster Relief
We may share limited information with disaster relief organizations when appropriate to help notify family or others about your condition, location, or general status, as permitted by law.
Marketing and Sale of Health Information
For most marketing purposes and any disclosure that constitutes a sale of your PHI, we will obtain your written authorization when required by law.
Fundraising
If FHVI conducts fundraising activities, we may contact you as permitted by law. You may tell us not to contact you again for fundraising purposes.
If we maintain substance use disorder records subject to 42 CFR Part 2, additional protections apply to fundraising communications involving those records.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
Treatment
We may use and disclose your health information to physicians, hospitals, laboratories, pharmacies, and other healthcare professionals involved in your care.
Example: We may share information with a referring physician or hospital involved in your treatment.
Payment
We may use and disclose your health information to bill and obtain payment from you, your insurance company, Medicare, Medicaid, or another payer.
Example: We may provide information to your health plan so it can process payment for your services.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and disclose health information to operate our practice and improve the quality of care we provide.
Examples may include: quality assessment, staff and provider training, credentialing, auditing, compliance activities, business planning, and patient-service improvement.
Business Associates
We may disclose your health information to companies or individuals that perform services on our behalf, such as billing, technology, data storage, legal, or administrative services.
Where required, these business associates must agree to safeguard your health information.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
We may also use or disclose your information in other circumstances permitted or required by law, including:
- Public health and safety activities
- Disease prevention and reporting
- Product recalls
- Reporting adverse reactions to medications
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- Health oversight activities
- Compliance with federal, state, and local laws
- Research, when permitted by law and applicable safeguards are met
- Organ and tissue donation requests
- Medical examiner or funeral director activities
- Workers’ compensation matters
- Law enforcement requests
- Certain military, national security, correctional, or government functions
- Judicial and administrative proceedings
- Court orders, subpoenas, or other lawful legal processes
- Situations involving a serious and imminent threat to health or safety
These uses and disclosures are subject to the conditions and limitations established by applicable law.
Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
Except as otherwise permitted or required by law, FHVI will not use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization.
Written authorization is generally required for:
- Most uses and disclosures for marketing purposes
- Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if applicable
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent FHVI has already acted in reliance on that authorization.
Substance Use Disorder Patient Records
If FHVI creates, receives, or maintains substance use disorder patient records protected under 42 CFR Part 2, those records receive additional federal confidentiality protections.
To the extent we maintain Part 2 records, we generally will not use or disclose information from those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you unless permitted by law, including where there is your written consent or an appropriate court order and subpoena as required.
Additional rules may apply to the use, disclosure, redisclosure, breach notification, and complaint rights associated with Part 2 records.
Our Responsibilities
FHVI is required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.
- Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice.
- Provide you with a copy of this Notice.
- Notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- Not use or disclose your health information in ways not described in this Notice unless you authorize us in writing or another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law.
If you give us written authorization, you may revoke it in writing as described above.
Changes to the Terms of This Notice
We may change the terms of this Notice, and the changes may apply to all health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.
The revised Notice will be available: