Privacy Policy
Wise Patient greatly respects your right to privacy.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by Congress in 1996 in response to several issues facing health care coverage, privacy, security, and fraud in the United States. The legislation consists of 168 pages written in size 8 font. It’s complex. It was also a landmark consumer protection bill.
Here are the HIPPA basics:
Your health information is protected whenever it is connected to your identity. This is your name, address, social security number, billing information, or identifying statements within your provider’s notes. Wise Patient Internal Medicine is permitted to use your protected health information (PHI)
- for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations
- with authorization or agreement from you, the individual patient
- for disclosure to you, the individual patient
- for incidental uses such as physicians talking to patients in a semi-private room.
Your rights:
The right to request restricted use: You can request that Wise Patient not disclose your PHI during one of our above permitted activities (treatment, payment, or operational activities). However, Wise Patient has the right to decide whether to honor your request. HIPAA protects you, the patient, and it protects us, the health care provider.
The right to request nondisclosure to health plans items or services that are self-paid: If you pay 100% of the cost of your treatment yourself, you have the right to request that the treatment you received is not disclosed to your health insurance plan. Let Wise Patient know in writing, prior to the treatment.
The right to receive confidential communications: You have the right to request in writing that we communicate with you about medical matters in a particular way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at one phone number. We will grant all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
The right to inspect and receive copies: In most cases, you have the right to inspect and receive a copy of certain health care information including certain medical and billing records. If you request a copy of the information, we may charge a fee for the costs of copying. mailing, or for other resources associated with your request.
The right to request an amendment to your record: If you believe that information in your record is incorrect or that important information is missing, you have the right to request in writing that we make a correction or add information. In your request for the amendment, you must give a reason for the amendment. We are not required to agree to the amendment of your record, but a copy of your request will be added to your record.
The right to know about disclosures: You have the right to receive a list of instances when we have disclosed your health information. Certain instances will not appear on the list, such as disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations or when you have authorized the use or disclosure. Your first accounting of disclosures in a calendar year is free of charge. Any additional request within the same calendar year requires a processing fee.
The right to make complaints: If you are concerned that we have violated your privacy, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your records, you may file a complaint. Contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
2201 Sixth Ave. – Mail Stop RX-11
Seattle, WA 98121-1831
206.615.2290
206.615.2296 (TTY)
206.615.2297 (fax)
Toll free: 1.800.362.1710;
1.800.537.7697 (TTY)
We will notify you if any changes are made to this privacy policy.