~ Supporting Independence & Quality of Life

Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how Protected Health information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.  Please review it carefully.

 Introduction

The effective date of this notice is April 15, 2005. 

This notice describes the practices of Senior Solutions, LLC,  with regard to your protected health information.  “Protected health information” is individually identifiable health information which includes items such as your name, age, address, social security number, and e-mail address.  This Notice of Privacy Practices is provided to you as required by Section 164.520 of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  It describes how we may or may be required to use or disclose your protected health information, with whom that information may be shared, and the safeguards we have in place to protect it.  This notice also describes your rights to access and amend your protected health information. 

Information pertaining to HIV, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, mental health and genetics is highly sensitive and has additional protections under federal and state law.  You may request a copy of our policy regarding disclosure of this information.

Independent contractors, including those recommended by Senior Solutions, may have different privacy practices from those described in this notice.  For more information about the privacy practices of independent contractors, please contact them directly.

Changes to our Privacy Practices

We reserve the right to change our Privacy Practices as necessary.  If we make changes to our Privacy Practice, the changed Privacy Practices are effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future.  Should the Notice of Privacy Practices change, the revised notice will be available on our website at www.seniorsolutions-baltimore.com.  Upon request, a written copy of the revised notice will be provided to you.

Use of Email Communication

As part of the Contract for Services you signed with Senior Solutions, LLC, for the purposes of facilitating communication regarding your care, you authorized the use of email transmission of both protected health information and non-health-related information about you within Senior Solutions, LLC, from Senior Solutions, LLC to you, and from Senior Solutions, LLC to other third parties, provided that all such communication complies with the relevant provisions in this Notice of Privacy Practices.

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information

Senior Solutions, LLC may or may be required to use or disclose your protected health information, under the conditions and for the purposes described below.  

With the exception of disclosures made to a health care provider for treatment purposes and disclosures under an authorization signed by you, Senior Solutions, LLC must make reasonable effort not to disclose more than the minimum necessary protected health information to accomplish the intended purpose, as determined by professional judgment and standards.

§   Treatment

Within Senior Solutions, LLC, all care managers who provide your services may use your protected health information in order to assist you to obtain, manage, and coordinate your health care.

If you provide written authorization, Senior Solutions, LLC may disclose your protected health information to third parties authorized by you, in order to assist you in obtaining, managing and coordinating your health care.

If an Senior Solutions, LLC care manager makes a professional determination that an immediate disclosure to a third party is necessary in order to provide for your emergency health care needs, such disclosure may be made without your authorization.

Disclosure of your protected health information may be made to another health care provider in connection with involuntary commitment and competency proceedings about you, as provided by Maryland law.

§   Payment

As part of the Contract for Services you signed with Senior Solutions, LLC, you authorized the disclosure of information contained in your monthly bill from Senior Solutions, LLC to the Payor, if any, specified in the Contract.

If you provide a written authorization, Senior Solutions, LLC may disclose your protected health information to assist you to obtain payment for your health care services from any other third party.  In the case of assisting you to seek payment for your health care, the use or disclosure of your protected health information may include activities to verify your level of insurance benefits, to request authorizations for treatment and to bill for services provided to you.

§   Health Care Operations

Without your prior authorization, we may use or disclose your protected health information to perform health care operations.  Health care operations refer to a variety of business activities, which may be conducted by Senior Solutions, LLC.  These activities might include but are not limited to quality assurance activities, licensing of professionals, client complaints, chart or financial audits, utilization reviews or reviews for medical necessity of services.  

We may disclose your protected health information with third party “business associates” that perform various activities (e.g. billing and collections, transcription services) for Senior Solutions, LLC.  Whenever an arrangement between Senior Solutions, LLC and a business associate involves the use or disclosure of your protected health information, we will have a written contract that contains terms that protect the privacy of that information.

We may use or disclose your protected health information, as necessary, to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services which may be of interest to you.  For example, your name and address may be used to send you information about additional services offered by Senior Solutions, LLC.  You may contact our Privacy Officer and request that these materials not be sent to you.

§   Appointments and Other Health Benefits

Without your authorization, Senior Solutions, LLC may contact you to schedule appointments or to remind you about your scheduled appointments. We may also contact you to provide information about treatment alternatives and other health-related benefits and services, which may be of interest to you.

§   Others Involved in Your Health Care

Except if you have instructed Senior Solutions, LLC not to make a disclosure, and excepting any mental health services, disclosure may be made to immediate family members or any other individual with whom you are known to have a close personal relationship, so long as the judgment to disclose the information is made in accordance with good professional practice.

§   Marketing

Without your authorization, Senior Solutions, LLC may contact you to request your participation in our marketing efforts, where applicable by law.

§   Public Health Risks

Senior Solutions, LLC must disclose your medical information to public health officials authorized by law to collect or receive information for purposes related to prevention and control of disease, injury, or disability.

§   Abuse or Neglect

Senior Solutions, LLC is required by law, under certain circumstances, to disclose your protected health information to a public health authority that is authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.  In addition, if your Senior Solutions, LLC care manager(s) believe(s) that you have been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, Senior Solutions, LLC is required to disclose your protected health information to the governmental entity or agency authorized to receive such information.

§   Health Oversight

Senior Solutions, LLC may disclose your protected health information to governmental agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections.

§   Law and Legal Proceedings

Senior Solutions, LLC must disclose your protected health information to the extent that the disclosure is required in legal proceedings.  The disclosure will be made in compliance with the law.  Senior Solutions, LLC must disclose your protected health information in response to an order of the court and/or administrative tribunal (to the extent that such disclosure is expressly authorized) and in response to a lawful subpoena.

§   Law Enforcement

Senior Solutions, LLC may be required to disclose your protected health information to grand juries, prosecution agencies, law enforcement agencies or their agents or employees to further an investigation or prosecution, pursuant to a subpoena, warrant, or court order for the sole purposes of investigating and prosecuting criminal activity, provided that the prosecution agencies and law enforcement agencies have written procedures to protect the confidentiality of the records.

§   Prevention of Serious Harm

Senior Solutions, LLC must disclose your protected health information if the Senior Solutions, LLC care manager(s) believe(s) that disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of any person or the national security.

Your Rights

As a client of Senior Solutions, LLC, you have the right to:

§   Request restrictions on Senior Solutions, LLC’s use or disclosure of your protected health information which are permitted without your authorization in the Section above entitled “Use and Disclosure of Protected Health Information;” however, Senior Solutions, LLC is not required to accept your request.

§   Request confidential communication of your protected health information.

§   Request copies of your protected health information to be delivered to other locations.  You will be responsible for any expenses incurred by us for copying your records; however, you will not be denied copies if you cannot afford to pay for them.

§   Request to view your protected health information except for notations compiled for potential legal proceedings, information kept by a federal agency, or if the medical information was obtained under a confidentiality agreement from another provider or entity.

§   Request an addition or amendment be made to your protected health information, subject to certain restrictions.

§   Request an accounting of disclosed medical information, except for disclosures to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations.

§   Receive this Notice of Privacy Practices in a paper copy.

§   Contact Susan Newhouse, Privacy Officer, at Senior Solutions, LLC, if you have a question or are concerned that your privacy rights have been violated or disagree with a decision that was made about access to your health information.  You may also file a written complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

Senior Solutions, LLC’s Duties

§   We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health care information.

§   We are required by law to provide you with a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.

§   We are required by law to abide by the statements within this Notice of Privacy Practices, effective April 15, 2005

Acknowledgement of Receipt of This Notice