Laboratory Tests Help Confirm Swine Flu Cases
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising doctors and other health care providers to consider testing for Swine influenza in patients who present with flu-like symptoms. If the initial flu test is positive for influenza A, the laboratory performing the initial test will send the sample to their state Public Health Laboratory or the CDC to perform tests that detect the swine-origin H1N1 virus.
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Introduction
At Bio-Chem Technology Laboratory Inc, we are committed to treating and using protected health information about you responsibly and protecting your privacy is important to us. This Notice of Health Information Practices describes the personal information we collect, and how, when we use or disclose that information. It also describes your rights as they relate to your protected health information. This Notice is effective today and applies to all protected health information as defined by federal regulations.
Understanding Your Health Record/Information
Each time when we receive specimen along with the requisition form from your physician or your visit to Bio-Chem on the advise of your physician a record is made. This record contains your name, address, S/S# Health Insurance ID#..etc. We at Bio-Chem Tech Lab, run the tests of your specimen according to the request of your physician. The results of the lab tests are kept secure and access to these results is only by authorized persons. It is their responsibility to send these results to your physician who needs this lab report for treatment and can plan future care.
Your Health Information Rights
Although your health record is the physical property of Bio-Chem Technology Laboratory Inc, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:
Obtain a paper copy of this notice of information practices upon request,
Inspect and copy your health record as provided for in 45 CFR 164.524,
Amend your health record as provided in 45 CFR 164.528,
Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information as provided in 45 CFR 164.528,
Request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information as provided by 45 CFR 164.522, and
Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken.
Our Responsibilities
Bio-Chem Technology Lab, Inc. is required to:
Maintain the privacy of your health information,
Provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you,
Abide by the terms of this notice,
Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction, and
Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, we will mail a revised notice to the address you've supplied us, or if you agree, we will email the revised notice to you.
We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice. We will also discontinue to use or disclose your health information after we have received a written revocation of the authorization according to the procedures included in the authorization.
For More Information or to Report a Problem
If have questions and would like additional information, you may contact the practice's Privacy Officer, at
718-548-4811
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with the practice’s Privacy Officer, or with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint with either the Privacy Officer or the Office for Civil Rights. The address for the OCR is listed below:
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Operations
We will use your health information for treatment
For example: We will provide your physician or a subsequent health care provider with copies of various lab test reports that should assist him or her in treating you.
We will use your health information for payment
For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used.
We will use your health information for regular health operations
Business associates: There are some services provided in our organization through reference Laboratories. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your information to our business associate so that they can perform the job we’ve asked them to do and bill you or your third-party payer for services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information
Research: We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.
Workers compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.
Public health: As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
Law enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.
Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney, provided that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the public.
