PRIVACY POLICY
EFFECTIVE DATE: 8/2019
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES FOR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.
Gynemed Surgical Center and staff are committed to protecting the privacy of your health record and the confidentiality of your visit. In accordance with the Federal Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), our commitment to your privacy EXCEEDS the requirements of the law.
Your healthcare record, known as a chart, and the information it contains will not be disclosed or released to anyone outside this office without your written authorization except as allowed by state or federal law.
NO ONE, including your parent or spouse, will be allowed access to your information without your written authorization except when required by law.
Gynemed Surgical Center will use your health information for the purpose of:
Treatment
For example, information obtained by us will be used by staff members to determine the best treatment for you. When you choose to give us personal information, we keep it confidential, and solely for scheduling your requested appointment.
Payment
If you want to submit a claim to your insurance company for reimbursement, we will assist you in preparing the necessary forms. Most insurance companies do NOT pay for our services, but every company is different and some may pay in special circumstances.
Regular Healthcare Operations
For example, members of our staff may use some information in your chart to assess the care you received and the outcomes for the purpose of our Continuous Quality Improvement Program.
Business Associates
Gynemed Surgical Center may share information with our insurance company in response to litigation. De-identified statistical information may be released to the National Abortion Federation (NAF) and other organizations to improve the quality of our care. Any outside agency will also be required to safeguard your information.
Non-Personal Identification Information
We may collect non-personal identification information about Users whenever they interact with our site. Non-personal identification information may include the browser name, the type of computer and technical information about Users means of connection to our site, such as the operating system and the Internet Service Providers (ISP) utilized and other similar information.
Web Browser Cookies
Our site may use ‘cookies’ to enhance User experience. User’s web browser places cookies on their hard drive for record-keeping purposes and sometimes to track information about them. User may choose to set their web browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If they do so, note that some parts of the site may not function properly.
Third Party Websites
Users may find content on our site that link to third party websites. We do not control the content or links that appear on these sites and are not responsible for the practices employed by websites linked to or from our site. In addition, these sites or services, including their content and links, may be constantly changing. These sites and services may have their own privacy policies. Browsing and interaction on any other website, including websites which have a link to our site, is subject to that website’s own terms and policies.
Disclosures Required by Law
United States Government Gynemed Surgical Center may be required by law to report health information related to adverse events with regard to defective products to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the Health and Human Services Administration (HHS).
State of Maryland
The state requires reporting of statistical information regarding abortions, including age, race, marital status, and city of residence. We WILL NOT release your name, address, or any identifying information.
Public Health
Gynemed Surgical Center may be required by law to report health information related to preventing certain communicable diseases, injury or disability.
Law Enforcement
Gynemed Surgical Center may be required to report health information in response to a valid subpoena, such as in cases of abuse or other crimes.
We do not sell, rent, share, or otherwise disclose mailing lists or other personally identifiable information. We maintain medical records of former patients should you need to contact us in the future.
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We can change the terms of this privacy policy, and the changes will apply to all the information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
Your acceptance of these terms
By using this site, you signify your acceptance of this policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our site. Your continued use of the site following the posting of changes to this policy will be deemed your acceptance of those changes