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.

Choice Home Care, LLC (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is dedicated to maintaining the privacy of your protected health information (“health information”). For purposes of this notice, “health information” includes all individually identifiable information created, received, or maintained by us, or on our behalf, relating to your past, present or future physical or mental health condition, treatment for that condition, or payment for that treatment.

Our Responsibilities

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

Ask us to correct your medical record

Request confidential communications

Ask us to limit what we use or share

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

Get a copy of this privacy notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, we never use or share your information unless you give us written permission:

In the case of fundraising

In the case of Advance Augmentative Communications (“AAC”) Advocates:

Our Uses and Disclosures How do we typically use or share your health information?

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways. If applicable state law does not permit the disclosure described below, we will comply with the stricter state law.

Treat You

We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.

Run our Organization

We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.

Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for your services

We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

Disclosures to business associates

We have contracted with one or more third parties (referred to as a business associate) to use and disclose your health information to perform services for us. We obtain the business associate’s written agreement to safeguard the privacy of your health information.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.

Family members or close friends

We may disclose your health information to a family member or close friend who is involved in your care or payment for your care if (a) you are present and agree to the disclosure, or (b) you are not present or you are not capable of agreeing, and we determine that it is in your best interest to disclose the information.

Health with public health and safety issues

We can share health information about you for certain situations such as: Preventing disease / Helping with product recalls / Reporting adverse reactions to medications / Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence and preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research– We can use or share your information for health research.

Comply with the law

We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law. When the law requires it, we will obtain your written permission before using or sharing your information in this way.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests -We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when

an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

We can use or share health information about you:

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Incidental uses

We can use or share health information about you in a manner that is incidental to the used and disclosures described in this Notice.

Our anti-retaliation policy

We will not retaliate against you for submitting an internal complaint, a complaint to HHS, or for exercising your other rights as described in this Notice or under applicable law.

Whom to contact for more information about our Privacy Policies and Procedures

If you have any questions about this Notice, or about how to exercise any of the rights described in this Notice, you should contact our Privacy Official by email at Admin@choicehomecare.com or call (818)894-4151

Changes to the Terms of this Notice – We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, on our web site, and we will mail a copy to you.

Updated July 2024