Nothing is more important than ensuring your privacy
At Family Medicine Associates, we understand your privacy is vitally important. As your medical provider, we are very proactive in safeguarding your information. We understand that with each office visit, you are placing your trust in us. And we will do everything we possibly can to ensure this trust is not breached.
This booklet was developed to provide you with information regarding your rights to privacy and confidentiality. It contains our policies regarding privacy according to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules and regulations. We encourage you to read this information so that you are fully informed and comfortable with the manner in which we treat your privacy. We welcome any questions you may have regarding this information.
Notice of privacy practices
Family Medicine Associates maintains the privacy of Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA) and Authorization for Release of Your Medical Record.
We are required by all applicable federal and state laws to maintain the privacy of your health information. We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other health care provider that provides treatment to you.
We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment from insurance companies or third parties for treatment and services we provide to you, unless notified in writing that you do not want us to disclose your health information to your insurance provider, in which case you would be a self-paying patient and would be responsible for paying your claims out-of-pocket.
Read our HIPPA Notice of Privacy Practices for more information.
Provision of Notice
Family Medicine Associates provides its Notice of Privacy Practices to every patient with whom it has a direct treatment relationship.
Family Medicine Associates makes its Notice available to any member of the public to enable prospective patients to evaluate the Group’s privacy practices when making his or her decision regarding whether to seek treatment from the Group. The Group provides its Notice at each office to any patient or other individual who so requests the Notice.
Documentation of Provision of Notice
When a direct treatment patient receives the Notice from the Group, the Group asks the patient to sign its “Receipt of Notice of Privacy Practices” form. The form is filed with the patient’s medical record. If the patient refuses to sign the form, it is noted in the medical record that the patient was given the Notice and refused to sign the form.
Effective Date & Changes to Notice
This Notice was dated March 1, 2017. Family Medicine Associates reserves the right to revise this Notice whenever there is a material change to the uses or disclosures, the individual’s rights, the covered entity’s legal duties or other privacy practices stated in the Notice. Except when required by law, a material change to any term of the Notice will not be implemented prior to the effective date of the notice in which such material change is reflected.
If the Notice is revised, the Group makes the revised Notice available upon request beginning on the revision’s effective date. The revised notice is posted in the Group’s reception area and made available to all patients, including those who have received a previous Notice. Upon receipt of a revised Notice, a patient is asked to acknowledge receipt of the Notice.
Complaints
Family Medicine Associates allows all patients and their agents to file complaints with the Group and with the Secretary of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services. A patient or his or her agent may file a complaint with the Group whenever he or she believes that the Group has violated their rights.
Complaints to Family Medicine Associates must be in writing, must describe the acts or omissions that are the subject of the complaint and must be filed within 180 days of the time the patient became aware or should have become aware of the violation. Complaints must be addressed to the attention of the Family Medicine Associates’s privacy officer at the Group’s address. The Group investigates each complaint and may, at its discretion, reply to the patient or the patient’s agent.
Complaints to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services must be in writing, must name the Group, must describe the acts or omissions that are the subject of the complaint and must be filed within 180 days of the time the patient became aware or should have become aware of the violation.
Complaints must be addressed to:
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201
Family Medicine Associates does not take any adverse action against any patient who files a complaint (either directly or through an agent) against the Group.
To place a complaint with the Texas Medical Board:
Submit your complaint electronically via the Online Complaint Form, or print the COMPLAINT FORM (.PDF) and mail it in, or call the Complaint Hotline 1-800-201-9353 and follow the automated prompts to request a complaint form.
Contact Person
Family Medicine Associates has a privacy officer who serves as the contact person for all issues related to the Privacy Rule.
If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact:
Privacy Officer at Family Medicine Associates
9398 Viscount Blvd. El Paso, TX. 79925