HIPAA Statement and Notice of Eden Health Privacy Practices

Effective Date: March 1, 2017

Updated Date: Aug, 2020

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requires us to ask each of our patients to acknowledge receipt of our Notice of Privacy Practices. The Notice is published on this page. You acknowledge receipt of this notice by accepting terms and conditions for joining Eden Health.

Eden Health, Inc. and Eden Health Medical, P.C. (a New York professional corporation), together, designate themselves as a single Affiliated Covered Entity ("ACE") for purposes of compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"). Each of the entities, sites, locations and care providers will follow the terms of this joint notice. In addition, the entities, sites, locations and care providers may share medical information with each other for treatment, payment, or health care operations related to the ACE. This designation may be amended from time-to-time to add new covered entities that are under common control with Eden Health, Inc.

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1. YOUR RIGHTS

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you. To exercise a right listed below, please send a written request to either admin@edenhealth.com or Eden Health, 108 Reade Street Suite 4F, New York, New York 10013.

a. Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record. You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request.

b. Ask us to correct your medical record. You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. We may say “no” to your request, but we'll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

c. Request confidential communications. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail or email to a different address. We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

d. Ask us to limit what we use or share. You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

e. Get a list of those with whom we've shared information. You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we've shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why. We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make).

f. Get a copy of this privacy notice. You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

g. Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will confirm the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.

h. File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated. You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us via email at admin@edenhealth.com or via letter at Eden Health, 108 Reade Street Suite 4F, New York, New York 10013. You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

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2. YOUR CHOICES

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, reach out to us via admin@edenhealth.com. Tell us in writing what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

a. Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care. To authorize the release of information to your family, close friends, or another individual involved in your care, please request a copy of our release form via email at admin@edenhealth.com or in person at your next appointment with Eden Health.

b. Share information in a disaster relief situation.

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In the following cases, we never share your information unless you give us written authorization:

a. Substance abuse treatment records. We will never share substance abuse treatment records unless you expressly write to request that we do so.

b. Sharing of psychotherapy notes. We will never share psychotherapy notes unless you expressly write to request that we do so.

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In the following case, we never share your information:

a. We never sell or market your personal information.

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3. OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES

We typically use or share health information about you in the following ways:

For treatment.

We may use health information about you and share it with other professionals to provide you with medical treatment or services.  Such professionals may include, without limitation, the following:

• Our physicians, nurses, and others involved in your health care or preventive health care;

• Other health care providers to coordinate such activities as prescriptions, lab work, and x-rays; and

• Other health care providers such as specialists, emergency room staff, or hospital staff to ensure your proper treatment and care.

To run our organization.

We may use and share health information about you to support our business activities, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.  For example, we may use health information to manage your treatment and services and send you reminders about your treatment and health.  We may also disclose health information to third-party “business associates” that perform various services on our behalf, such as billing and collections services.  In these cases, we will enter into a written agreement with the business associate to ensure they protect the privacy of health information.  

For payment.

We may use and disclose health information about you to others so they will pay us or reimburse your for your treatment.  For example, we give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for services provided to you.

Potential disclosure and use for other purposes.

In addition, we are allowed or required to share your information in other ways, as described below.  We must meet the applicable legal requirements before we can share your information for these purposes.

Comply with the law. We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services to review our compliance with applicable law.

a. Help with public health activities. We may use or disclose health information about you for certain public health activities and purposes.  

b. Victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic abuse. We may disclose health information about an individual whom we believe to be a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to a government authority.

c. Health oversight. We may disclose health information about you to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law.  

d. Judicial and administrative proceedings.  We may disclose health information about you in the course of certain judicial or administrative proceedings.

e. Law enforcement. We may disclose health information about you for law enforcement purpose to a law enforcement official in some circumstances.

f. Information about decedents.  We may disclose health information about you to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director in some circumstances.

g. Organ donation. We may use or disclose health information about you to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of cadaveric organs, eyes, or tissue for purpose of facilitating organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation.

h. Research purposes.  We may use or disclose health information about you for research in some circumstances.

i. Avert serious threat to health or safety. We may use or disclosed health information about you as necessary to avert serious threat to health or safety of person or the public.  

j. Specialized government functions. We may use or disclose health information about you for certain specialized government functions, such as military and veterans activities, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, medical suitability determinations, correctional institutions and other law enforcement custodial situations, public benefits, and the national instance criminal background check system.

k. Workers’ compensation. We may disclose health information about you as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws.

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4. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

•. We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice.

•. We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you authorize such use in writing and it is otherwise permitted by law. If you provide authorization for a certain use or disclosure, you may revoke your authorization in writing at any time.  

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For more information see the link below.

http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html

Changes to the Terms of this Notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available on the website and upon request.

Email and SMS Messaging

By utilizing our services or replying to our emails or SMS messages, you acknowledge that you are aware that email and SMS messaging are not secure methods of communication, and that you agree to the risks. If you would prefer not to exchange personal health information via email or SMS messaging, please notify us at admin@edenhealth.com.

Questions and Complaints

If you have any questions about this Notice or would like an additional copy, please contact the Privacy Officer at admin@edenhealth.com.

If you think that we may have violated your privacy rights or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your PHI, you may send a written complaint to the Privacy Officer at 108 Reade Street Suite 4F, New York, New York 10013.