Notice of Privacy Rights

Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast Inc.

This notice describes how medial information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.

  • To receive a paper copy of the agency’s Notice of Privacy Practices
  • To lodge complaints about the agency’s privacy practices.
  • To request restrictions on the uses and disclosures of health information.
  • To request to receive confidential communication.
  • To access their protected health information for inspection and/or copying.
  • To amend their healthcare information.
  • To request an accounting of disclosures of health information.

The VNA may use your protected health information for purposes of providing you treatment, obtaining payment for your care and conducting healthcare operations. The VNA has established policies to guard against unnecessary disclosure of your health information.

For example:
To Provide Treatment. The VNA may use your health information to coordinate care with others involved in your care. An example is your physician who will need information about your symptoms in order to prescribe appropriate medications, or a medical supplier, or family member involved in your care.

To Obtain Payment. The VNA may include your health information to collect payment from third parties or may be required by your health insurer to provide information regarding your health status for reimbursement to us.

To Conduct Healthcare Operations. Examples of these activities are quality improvement activities, training programs, accreditation, licensure, credentialing, business planning and management.

The following is a summary of the circumstances and purposes for which your health information may be used and disclosed:

The VNA may use your health information to coordinate care within the agency and with others involved in your care, such as your physician and other healthcare professionals who have agreed to assist the VNA in coordinating care. The VNA also may disclose your health care information to individuals outside of the agency involved in your care including family members, pharmacists, suppliers of medical equipment, or other healthcare professionals.

The VNA may include your health information in invoices to collect payment from third parties for the care you receive from us. The VNA will disclose only the minimum necessary information about your health information that is necessary to receive reimbursement. The VNA may use and disclose health information for its own operations in order to facilitate the function of the agency and as necessary to provide quality care.

For Fundraising Activities. The VNA may use your name, address, telephone number and the dates you received care in order to contact you to raise money for the VNA. We may also release this information to the related VNA & Hospice Foundation. If you do not want the Foundation to use your information for fundraising purposes please, notify the Director of Regulatory & Compliance at 772.567.5551.

The VNA is permitted to use or disclose information about you without consent or authorization in the following circumstances:

When legally required to do so by state, federal, or local laws.

When there are risks to public health to prevent or control disease, report adverse events, product defects or recalls, to notify a person who has been exposed to a communicable disease or who may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease, or to notify an employer about a member of the workforce, when legally required.

  1. To report abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
  2. To conduct health oversight activities.
  3. In conjunction with judicial and administrative proceedings, if subpoenaed.
  4. For law enforcement purposes.
  5. To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors.
  6. For organ, eye, or tissue donations.
  7. In the event of a serious threat to health or safety of you or the public.
  8. For specified government functions, such as national security and intelligence.
  9. For worker’s compensation or similar programs.

Authorization to use or disclose health information

Other than is stated above, the VNA will not disclose your health information other than with your written authorization. If you or your representative authorizes the VNA to use or disclose your health information, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time.

Your rights with respect to your health information

You or your representative have the following rights regarding your health information that the VNA maintains:

  1. Right to request restrictions. You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. You have the right to request limiting the VNA’s disclosure of your health information to someone who is involved in your care or the payment of your care. However, the VNA is not required to agree to your request.
  2. Right to receive confidential communications. You have the right to request that the VNA communicate with you in a certain way. For example, you may ask that the VNA only conduct communications pertaining to your health information with you privately with no other family members present. The VNA will not require that you provide any reasons for your request and will attempt to honor your reasonable requests for confidential communications.
  3. Right to inspect and copy your health information. You have the right to inspect and copy your health information, including billing records: The VNA may charge a reasonable fee for copying and assembling costs associated with your request.
  4. Right to amend healthcare information. You have the right to request that the VNA amend your records, if you believe that your health information is incorrect or incomplete. That request may be made as long as the information is maintained by the VNA. A request for an amendment of records must be made in writing. The VNA may deny the request if it is not in writing or does not include a reason for the amendment. The request also may be denied if your health information records were not created by the VNA, if the records you are requesting are not part of the VNA’s records, if the health information you wish to amend is not part of the health information you or your representative are permitted to inspect and copy, or if, in the opinion of the VNA, the records containing your health information are accurate and complete.
  5. Right to an accounting. You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures of your health information made by the VNA for certain reasons, including reasons related to public purposes authorized by law. The request must be in writing. The request should specify the time period for the accounting starting on or after April 14, 2003. Accounting requests may not be made for periods of time in excess of six (6) years. The VNA would provide the first accounting you request during any 12-month period without charge. Subsequent accounting requests may be subject to a reasonable cost-based fee.
  6. Right to a paper copy of this notice. You have a right to a separate paper copy of this Notice at any time even if you or your representative have received this Notice previously, by requesting a copy in writing or by visiting our website, www.vnatc.com.

Duties of the agency

The VNA is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide to you and your representative this Notice of its duties and privacy practices. The VNA is required to abide by the terms of this Notice as may be amended from time to time. The VNA reserves the right to change the terms of its Notice and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all health information that it maintains. You or your personal representative has the right to express complaints to the VNA and to the Secretary of DHHS if you or your representative believes that your privacy rights have been violated. Please direct any complaints and all verbal and written requests to the Director of Regulatory & Compliance, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960, 772.567.5551. The VNA encourages you to express any concerns you may have regarding the privacy of your information. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint. This Notice is effective April 14, 2003.

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.

  • Below is a description, including at least one (1) example, of the types of uses and disclosures that the above organization is permitted to make for each of the following purposes: treatment, payment and health care operations.

Disclosures to other health care providers, including, for example, to patients’ attending physicians.  Submission of claims and supporting documentation including, for example, to organizations responsible to pay for services provided by the organization. Disclosures to conduct the operations of the organization, including, for example, sharing information to supervisors of staff members who provide care to patients

  • Below is a description of each of the other purposes for which the organization is permitted or required to use or disclose protected health information without an individual’s written consent or authorization.

To patients, incident to another permitted use or disclosure, by agreement, to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as required by law, for public health activities, information about victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, health oversight activities, for judicial and administrative proceedings, for law enforcement proceedings, about decedents, for cadaveric organ, eye or tissue donation, for research purposes, to avert a serious threat to health or safety, for specific government functions, to business associates of the organization, to personal representatives, de-identified information, to workforce members who are victims of crimes, to workers’ compensation programs, for involvement in the individual’s care and for notification purposes, with the individual present, for limited uses and disclosures when the individual is not present, and for disaster relief purposes.

  • Other uses and disclosures, such as disclosure of psychotherapy notes, use of protected health information for marketing activities and the sale of protected health information, will be made only with the individual’s written authorization and the individual may revoke such authorization.
  • The organization may contact the individual to schedule visits and for other coordination of care activities.
  • The individual has the right to request further restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, but the organization is not required to agree to any requested restriction(s), except disclosures must be restricted to health plans if the disclosure is for the purpose of carrying out payment or health care operations and is not otherwise required by law and the protected health information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which the individual or person other than the health plan on behalf of the individual has paid the organization in full.
  • The VNA may use certain information (name, address, telephone number or e-mail information, age, date of birth, gender, health insurance status, dates of services, department of service information, treating physician information or outcome information to contact you for the purpose of raising money for the Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast Inc., its various entities or the VNA & Hospice Foundation and you will have the right to opt out of receiving such communication with each solicitation. For the same purpose we may provide your name to the VNA & Hospice Foundation. The money raised will be used to expand and improve the services and programs we provide to the community. You are free to opt out of fundraising solicitation and your decision will have no impact on your treatment or payment for services at the Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast Inc. or its various entities.
  • The individual has the right to receive confidential communications of protected health information, the right to inspect and copy protected health information, the right to amend protected health information, the right to receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information and the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice from the organization upon request.
  • The organization is required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide individuals with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information and to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information.
  • The organization is required to abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect.
  • The organization reserves the right to change the terms of its Notice and to make the new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that it maintains.  Individuals may obtain a revised copy of this Notice upon request.
  • Individuals may complain to the organization and/or to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if they believe their privacy rights have been violated. If you have complaints or require further information, please contact the Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast and ask for the Director of Regulatory & Compliance at the following telephone number: 772.567.5551.