A. Routine Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information
We are permitted under federal law to use and disclose PHI, without your written authorization, for certain routine uses and disclosures, such as those made for treatment, payment, and the operation of our business. The following are examples of the types of routine uses and disclosures of PHI that we are permitted to make. While this list is not exhaustive, it should give you an idea of the routine uses and disclosures we are permitted to make.

For Treatment: We will use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your treatment. For example, a physician may share your PHI with another health care provider who is also treating you.

For Payment: Your PHI will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for the health care services we provide you. For example, our practice may provide information regarding the treatment you received when submitting claims for reimbursement to your health plan.

For Health Care Operations: We may use or disclose your PHI in order to support the business activities of this facility. For example, we may use your PHI for quality assessment reviews.

B. Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made Without Your Authorization or Opportunity to Object

We may use or disclose your PHI in the following situations without your authorization or providing you the opportunity to object.

Required by the Secretary of Health and Human Services: We may be required to disclose your PHI to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of the final rule on Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information.

Required By Law: We may use or disclose your PHI to the extent that the use or disclosure is otherwise required by federal, state or local law.

Public Health: We may disclose your PHI for public health activities, such as disclosures to a public health authority or other government agency that is permitted by law to collect or receive the information (e.g., the Food and Drug Administration).

Health Oversight: We may disclose PHI to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections. Oversight agencies include government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs and civil rights laws.

Abuse or Neglect: If you have been a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, we may disclose your PHI to a government agency authorized to receive such information. In addition, we may disclose your PHI to a public health authority that is authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: We may disclose your PHI in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal (to the extent such disclosure is expressly authorized), and, in certain conditions, in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process.

Law Enforcement: We may disclose your PHI, so long as applicable legal requirements are met, for law enforcement purposes, such as providing information to the police about the victim of a crime.

Coroners and Funeral Directors: We may disclose your PHI to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director if it is needed to perform their legally authorized duties.

Organ Donation: If you are an organ donor, we may disclose your PHI to organ procurement organizations as necessary to facilitate organ donation or transplantation.

Research: Under certain circumstances, we may disclose your PHI 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 PHI.

Serious Threat to Health or Safety: We may disclose your PHI if we believe it is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to the public health or safety and it is to someone we reasonably believe is able to prevent or lessen the threat.

Specialized Government Functions: When the appropriate conditions apply, may disclose PHI for purposes related to military or national security concerns, such as for the purpose of a determination by the Department of Veterans Affairs of your eligibility for benefits.
National Security and Intelligence Activities: We may disclose your PHI to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, protection of the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state, for purpose of determining your own security clearance and other national security activities authorized by law.
Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your PHI as necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws and other similar programs.
Inmates: We may use or disclose your PHI if you are an inmate of a correctional facility and we created or received your PHI in the course of providing care to you.
Business Associates: We may disclose your PHI to persons who perform functions, activities or services to us or on our behalf that require the use or disclosure of PHI. To protect your health information, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.
C. Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made Either With Your Agreement or the Opportunity to Object
Unless you object, we may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, orally or in writing, your PHI that directly relates to that person’s involvement in your health care. If you are unable to agree or object to such disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment. We may use or disclose your PHI to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative or any other person that is responsible for your care of your location or general condition.
D. Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information Based upon Your Written Authorization
Psychotherapy Notes: We must obtain your written authorization for most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if applicable.
Marketing: We must obtain your written authorization to use and disclose your PHI for most marketing purposes.
Sale of PHI: We must obtain your written authorization for any disclosure of your PHI which constitutes a sale of PHI.
Other Uses: Other uses and disclosures of your PHI, not described above, will be made only with your written authorization (unless otherwise permitted or required by law). You may revoke your authorization, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that we have taken action in reliance on the authorization.