Sabates Eye Centers & Felix Sabates Eye Group Notice of Privacy Practices for Release of Patient Protected Health Information

Under new Federal Regulations (HIPAA) all health care providers are required to notify patients of conditions in which their health care information may be used or disclosed. In an effort to comply with government regulations and, to both inform and ensure that patients are comfortable with health care disclosures, Sabates Eye Centers & Felix Sabates Eye Group would like to notify patients of the following policies.

Personally identifiable Health Care Information and Demographic Data will be disclosed for the following reasons:

Treatment: Disclosures may be made to other health care professionals as needed to ensure standards of medical practice and complete medical treatment. Information may also be released to care givers as deemed necessary by the patient or persons with durable power of attorney. Employee access to your records will be limited to employees that must have access to accomplish medical treatment and billing.

Persons seeking care from an alternate health care provider: Information may be released to another Health Care Provider upon the patients request and signed patient release. Information released will be the minimum amount of information requested by the patient or legal representative. Information will be released only one time per each written request. This will ensure that the patient or legal representative is aware each time medical information is requested and who is requesting the information.

If you are referred to Sabates Eye Centers or Felix Sabates Eye Group by another health care provider for a consultation visit, information concerning that examination and recommended treatment will be automatically released to the referring physician unless otherwise specified by the patient/guardian at the time of the exam.

Payment: Individually identifiable information can or may be disclosed to the patients health care insurance provider, Workman’s Compensation provider or other third party billing as requested by the patient. The information released will be the minimum required information to accomplish billing for the individual consultation, examination or treatment of the patient. This information may include patient demographic information, medical information, place of treatment and provider of medical care. This information may be electronically transmitted.

No medical information will be released to outside collection groups, however we reserve the right to release the demographic information needed to effectively complete the collection process.

Government oversight activities: Information may be released as required for audits, investigations, licensure requirements, and inspections for compliance with government programs and laws, or contractual obligation with insurance payers.

As required by law: Court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process when requested by National security, intelligence and other federal officials and/or when the patient is an inmate or under the custody of law enforcement. As required by military command.

Patient outcome and compliance studies are routinely preformed by staff. The information gathered for these studies is patient identifiable but is de-identified for the purpose of reporting. No patient will be identified in any study without prior consent.

Public health responsibilities: Suspected neglect, child abuse, domestic violence, problems with products, reactions to medications, product recalls, disease/infection exposure and to prevent /control disease injury or death.

Patients have a right to view, copy and amend their own medical records. Such requests must be made in the form of a written release. Requested amendments in medical records cannot be made to reflect action that may lead to the inference of medical malpractice. The physician reserves the right to make notation to the medical record reflecting the record has been amended. Notations must be in keeping with standards of medical practice. No record will be altered by the patient, physician or clinic once any litigation has begun. Litigation may include insurance accident claims, liability claims, or issues of malpractice claim. The physician and clinic reserve the right to retain a copy of the original record as an individually identifiable record not to be released except in case of subpoena.

Patients have a right to an accounting of all disclosures of their own medical records.

Patients have the right to file a grievance with Office of Civil Rights (877) 627-7748 or if you have questions regarding any disclosures of medical or demographic information please feel free to ask at anytime.