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.
We Respect Our Clients’ Privacy
Respect for our clients’ privacy, including medical information, is highly valued at Sarasota Health and Financial Services. The trust of our clients’ is one of our most valuable assets, and the reason we have been in business for more than 38 years. We understand that the proper handling of medical information is critical to earning that trust.
This Notice describes your rights concerning your “Protected Health Information” (“PHI”) and Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPPA”). Protected Information is any information that may identify you and that relates to (a) your past, current or future physical or mental health condition or (b) the past, present, or future payment for your health care. Personally identifiable information (PII) is any data that could potentially identify a specific individual. In the course of business, we collect this type of information. This notice describes how we may use and disclose this Protected Health Information.
We have obligations under that law to maintain the privacy of your medical information, which we take very seriously. We are required to:
- Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding your Protected Health Information. This notice is to satisfy this duty.
- Provide you with a paper copy of this notice upon your request, even if you receive it electronically.
- Comply with the terms of our privacy notice that are in effect. We reserve the right to change this notice, and such changes will apply to all medical information we maintain.
Any PHI / PII we collect is used solely for the purpose of determining your eligibility for enrollment in a qualified health plan. We need this information in order to verify and process applications and determine eligibility.
Our Pledge Regarding Medical Information
We understand that medical information about you is personal and private; and we are committed to protecting your information. We create and maintain a record of your information for the purpose of enrolling you with our various insurance carriers. We need this record to provide you with quality services and to comply with certain legal requirements. This Notice applies to all of your protected health information maintained by our office. Sarasota Health & Financial does not sell or use your Protected Health Information for marketing purposes.
We are required by law to:
- Make sure that medical information that identifies you is kept private.
- Maintain this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information and
- Follow the terms of the Notice that are currently in effect.
How we May Use and Disclose Medical Information about You
We are permitted to disclose your Protected Health Information as described below, although we anticipate any such disclosure to be quite rare.
- To Your Employer as Plan Sponsor of Your Health Plan. Information about your participation may be disclosed to your employer so that it can monitor, audit and otherwise administer its employee health plan.
- To Persons Involved in Your Care. We may release medical information about you to a person involved in your care, such as a family member, when you are incapacitated or in an emergency, or where permitted by law.
- To our Business Associates. We may disclose your medical information to companies with whom we contract, if they need it to perform services you have requested.
- Law Enforcement. We may disclose your medical information to federal, state and local law enforcement officials, in the event that it becomes necessary.
- Legal Proceedings. In response to a court order or other lawful process.
- Public Welfare. To address matters of public interest as required or permitted by law (e. g. child abuse and neglect, threats to public health and safety, and national security)
- Workers Compensation. We may release medical information about you for Worker’s Compensation or similar programs.
Your Rights Regarding Medical Information about You
You have the following rights regarding medical information about you:
- Right to Inspect and Copy medical information we maintain about you.
- Right to Amend, if you feel that medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete.
- Right to Request Restriction the way we use or disclose information about you.
- Right to Request Confidential Communications.
We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
Your Right to be Notified Following a Breach of Unsecured Protected Health Information
You have the right to and will receive a notification in the unlikely event that there is a breach of information security involving your Protected Health Information.
How to Contact Us
We appreciate the value you place on your privacy rights. We want to hear from you if you have any concerns about Sarasota Health & Financial’s commitment to protecting your privacy rights.
To make a request as described in this Notice, please send your request in writing to:
Sarasota Health & Financial Services
2477 Stickney Point Road, Suite 217B
Sarasota, FL 34231