Effective Date: 1-1-2021 12:01 AM MT
LifeHealth recognizes whether you are an existing client or are considering a relationship with us, you have an interest in how we collect, maintain, and use information about you. We respect your right to privacy and want you to know how we handle the information we receive from you via the Internet.
When you visit the LifeHealth website and use it to communicate with us, we will not collect personal information about you, unless you provide that information voluntarily. If you provide personal information voluntarily, we will not sell, license or transmit that information outside LifeHealth and those affiliated companies involved in administering or providing programed services, unless required to do so by legal, judicial or governmental proceedings, or in accordance with an express authorization you have given us. Once we have responded to your communication, it may be discarded or archived, depending on the nature of the inquiry. Personal information can be anything that identifies you or your accounts. It may be volunteered in a form submitted through our website or sent to LifeHealth via e-mail.
When you visit our website, LifeHealth may collect general or usage information such as the type of browser you use, the pages you visit, and your domain name. We may use this information to improve the performance and content of our site to better meet your needs. Users’ IP addresses help us project problems with our server and functionally administer our website. LifeHealth may also use IP addresses to collect broad demographic information about visitors. This information does not identify you personally, and therefore, LifeHealth cannot use this information for direct marketing or solicitation of business.
Please note that your e-mail, like most, if not all, non-encrypted Internet e-mail communications, may be accessed and viewed by other Internet users, without your knowledge and permission, while in transit to the receiver. To best protect your privacy, please do not use e-mail for confidential communication. We encourage customers to send confidential correspondence through the postal service or by using the telephone to speak to our employees. We are not responsible for the security or confidentiality of communications you send to us through the e-mail process. There are locations on our website with special provisions for a more secure environment in which we can exchange information with you. At each of these locations, we will provide you with appropriate instructions.
Effective Date: 1-1-2021 12:01 AM MT
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.
LifeHealth is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information. LifeHealth is also required to provide you with a notice that describes LifeHealth’s legal duties and privacy practices and your privacy rights with respect to your health information. We will follow the privacy practices described in this notice. If you have any questions about any part of this Notice, or if you want more information about the privacy practices of LifeHealth, please contact:
LifeHealth Privacy Officer
5951 S Middlefield Rd. Suite 102
Littleton, CO 80123
LifeHealth reserves the right to change the privacy practices described in this notice in the event that the practices need to be changed to be in compliance with the law. We will make the new notice provisions effective for all the protected health information that we maintain. If we change our privacy practices, we will have them available upon request. It will also be posted at the location of service.
There are several safeguards that LifeHealth implements to protect the individual’s protected health information.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
i) Restricting access to the individual’s protected health information.
ii) Limiting the use and disclosure of the individual’s protected health information.
iii) Notifying the individual of their rights on protected health information.
iv) Training employees and associates about LifeHealth’s privacy policies and procedures.
Where as required by law, LifeHealth must use and disclose protected health information to the individual or someone who has the legal right to act on the individual’s behalf and to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. LifeHealth has the right to use and disclose protected health information as follows:
i) Treatment – Coordination or management of a individual’s health care with a third party; consultation between health care providers related to a individual; referral of an individual to a health care provider.
ii) Payment – Activities related to the review of health care services with respect to medical necessity, coverage under a health plan, appropriateness of care or justification of charges; activities related to utilization review, including pre-certification and pre-authorization of services, concurrent and retrospective review of services; activities undertaken to determine eligibility, coverage (including coordination of benefits or the determination of cost sharing amounts) and adjudication or subrogation of health benefit claims; activities related to billing and claims management, including reinsurance activities.
iii) Health Care Operations – Conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, including outcomes evaluation and development of clinical guidelines, population based activities relating to improving health or reducing health care cost, protocol development, case management and care coordination; contacting of providers and individuals with information about treatment alternatives and related functions that do not include treatment; conducting or arranging for medical review, legal services and auditing functions including fraud and abuse detection and compliance programs; business management and general administrative activities of the client including data analyses for which LifeHealth is programed to provide to its covered entity clients.
iv) Information Provided to the Individual – LifeHealth may use and disclose health information to the individual. An individual’s written request for a copy of his/her medical records will include health information originating from LifeHealth. Individuals will be directed to seek medical records, disclosed to LifeHealth by other health care providers, from the originating party.
The following categories describe the ways that LifeHealth may use and disclose your health information without your authorization. For each type of use and disclosure, we will explain what we mean and present some examples
i) Notification and Communication with family – LifeHealth may disclose health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, a personal representative or another person responsible for the individual’s health care and general condition. The individual has the right to agree or object, by verbally notifying LifeHealth staff. Our health professionals will use his/her best judgment in any communication with family and others if not otherwise directed by the individual.
ii) Public Health – As required by law, LifeHealth may disclose health information to public health authorities for purposes related to: preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability; reporting abuse or neglect; reporting domestic violence; reporting problems with products and reactions to medications, and reporting disease or infection exposure to the Food and Drug Administration.
iii) Health oversight activities – LifeHealth may disclose health information to health agencies during the course of audits, investigations, inspections, licensure and other proceedings.
iv) Judicial and administrative proceedings – LifeHealth may disclose health information in the course of any administrative or judicial proceeding.
v) Required by law – LifeHealth may use and disclose individual health information as required by law.
vi) Research – LifeHealth may disclose de-identified health information to researchers conducting research that has been approved by LifeHealth’ Quality Management Committee.
vii) Public safety – LifeHealth may disclose health information to appropriate persons in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or the general public.
viii) Specialized government functions – LifeHealth may disclose health information for military, national security and prisoner benefit purposes.
ix) Worker’s compensation – LifeHealth may disclose health information as necessary to comply with worker’s compensation laws.
Except as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices, LifeHealth will not use or disclose an individual’s health information without the individual’s written authorization. If an individual does authorize LifeHealth to use or disclose health information for other purposes, he/she may revoke that authorization in writing at any time.
i) Marketing purposes – LifeHealth will not use or sell any protected health information without prior authorization.
ii) Genetic Information – LifeHealth is prohibited from using or disclosing genetic information for insurance underwriting purposes.
i) An individual has the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of his/her health information. LifeHealth is not required to agree to these restrictions; however, if agreed to, LifeHealth will comply with these restrictions. The individual can terminate these restrictions at any time.
ii) An individual has the right to receive a copy of his/her health information or a summary of this information. LifeHealth may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of copying and postage.
iii) An individual has the right to inspect and copy his/her health information.
iv) An individual has the right to request that LifeHealth amend his/her health information that is incorrect or incomplete. LifeHealth may deny such request if the information was not created or maintained by LifeHealth or if it is believed to be correct and complete. The individual has the right to response with a written explanation that will be included with the protected health information.
v) An individual has the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of his/her health information made by LifeHealth. LifeHealth does not have to account for the disclosures described in parts labeled: Treatment, Payment, Health Care Operations, Information provided to the Individual, and certain government functions. LifeHealth may charge a reasonable fee for the cost of copying and postage.
vi) The individual has the right to receive confidential communications of protected health information in a different manner or at a different place to avoid life threatening conditions. LifeHealth will make every reasonable effort to accommodate this request.
vii) An individual who pays out-of-pocket has the right to restrict protected health information disclosures from their health plan.
viii) An individual has the right to opt out of receiving any fundraising communications.
ix) An individual has a right to receive notifications whenever a breach of his or her unsecured protected health information occurs.
x) An individual has the right to a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
xi) If a more detailed explanation of these rights is desired or to exercise one or more of these rights, a written request should be sent to:
LifeHealth Privacy Officer
5951 S Middlefield Rd. Suite 102
Littleton, CO 80123
i) Retaliation against anyone filing a complaint is unlawful.
ii) Complaints about this Notice of Privacy Practices or how LifeHealth handles health information should be directed in writing to:
LifeHealth Privacy Officer
5951 S Middlefield Rd. Suite 102
Littleton, CO 80123
iii) Complaints may also be filed directly with the Health and Human Service Department. These requests may be filed in writing, either on paper or electronically. Electronic fillings may be done over the Internet at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/index.html or by writing:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Business Associate – A person or client that received protected health information from a covered entity to provide services to or on behalf of the covered entity, or one that performs a professional service for the covered entity that involves the use of protected health information.
Covered Entity – A health care provider (provider of health care services), health plan (individual or group or combination, HMO, etc), or health care clearinghouse (billing services, etc.) that transfers health information electronically in connection with HIPAA transaction.
De-identified Information – Information that has been stripped of personal and individually identifying characteristics. It is not protected health information if the risk of identification is very small and the other criteria specified in the rule are met.
Disclosure – The act of releasing, transferring, divulging, or providing access to information to an client other than the covered entity.
Health Information – broadly defined as any information, in any form or medium, that relates to the past, present or future physical or mental health, condition, provision of healthcare, or future payment for the provision of healthcare of or to an individual.
HIPAA – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. HIPAA is the federal government’s version of health care reform. It is a comprehensive law that addresses not only privacy, security and uniform standards for electronic transactions, but also portability, fraud and abuse in health care, and many other issues.
Individual – The person who is the direct subject of health information.
Individually Identifiable Health Information – Any information that may identify an individual and relates to the past, present, or future mental or physical condition of the individual—for example, a name, address, telephone number, birth date, or Social Security number. Individually Identifiable Health Information is a subset of health information.
Notice of Privacy Practices – The document required by HIPAA in which a covered entity must disclose its privacy practices as related to protected health information. The notice must also provide information on use and disclosure activities, give examples of certain uses and disclosures, and describe the individual’s rights in relation to the covered entity’s privacy practices. (This document is also known as the “privacy notice” or simply “the notice.”)
Operations (Health Care Operations) – The activities of a covered entity or performed by a business associate that relate to: quality assessment and improvement, review of health care professional qualifications, underwriting and health insurance or health benefit functions, medical review or auditing functions, and legal services. Health care operations also include business planning, development, management, and administrative functions: HIPAA compliance; customer service; grievance processes; mergers and acquisitions; and the created of de-identified information.
Payment – The functions of a health plan of health care provider to obtain reimbursement for services rendered or for premiums, which include the following activities: eligibility or coverage, risk adjustment, billing and claims management, debt collection activities, medical necessity determinations and utilization review.
Personal Representative – A person designated by the individual to have access to protected health information.
Protected Health Information – Individually identifiable health information transmitted by electronic media, maintained in electronic media, or transmitted or maintained in any other form or medium, whether electronic, paper or oral.
Treatment – A health care provider’s provision, coordination and management of an individual’s health care and related services, which includes referrals and consultations with other health care providers.
Use – The sharing, use, examining, or analysis of protected health information.