Notice of Privacy Practices

Notice of Privacy Practices Policy

NOTE: These guidelines are provided to assist UNMC workforce, including those in the patient treatment areas of the Munroe-Meyer Institute, the College of Medicine Optical Shop, the Lions Eye Bank and the College of Dentistry, as applicable, comply with HIPAA regulations. Those departments and clinics which fall under the jurisdiction of The Nebraska Medical Center and/or University Medical Associates should consult the policies and procedures of those entities for authoritative guidance.

Basis for Policy

It is the policy of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) to use and disclose protected health information in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) requirements and Executive Memorandum No. 27.

Policy

Patients receiving treatment at UNMC shall receive the joint Notice of Privacy Practices that describes how Protected Health Information (PHI) about them may be used and disclosed and their rights regarding PHI.

Definitions

Direct Treatment – a treatment relationship in which the health care provider delivers care based on his/her own orders and typically provides services or products, or reports the diagnosis or results associated with the health care directly to the patient rather than through another health care provider (an indirect treatment relationship).

Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) is a document notifying individuals receiving direct treatment at UNMC about the uses and disclosures of their PHI and their rights regarding PHI. The NPP shall be written in plain language and contain the following elements:

A header that must read: “THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.”
A list of the covered entities and classes of service delivery sites the joint notice covers
A description of uses and disclosures of PHI expected to be made without individual authorization
A statement that all other uses and disclosures would be made with the individual’s authorization and that the individual can revoke such authorization
Descriptions of the individual’s rights to request restrictions, inspect and copy PHI, amend or correct PHI, and receive an accounting of disclosures of PHI
Statements about the entities’ legal requirements to protect privacy, provide notice and adhere to the notice
A statement about how the individual would be informed of changes to the joint NPP
Instructions on how to make complaints with UNMC or the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
Name and telephone number of a contact person to answer questions regarding the NPP
The date the NPP is effective

Protected Health Information (PHI) is individually identifiable health information. Health information means any information, whether oral or recorded in any medium, that:

is created or received by UNMC; and
relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; the provision of health care to an individual; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual.

Records containing PHI, in any form, are the property of UNMC. The PHI contained in the record is the property of the individual who is the subject of the record.

For more information, see Notice of Privacy Practices Procedures or contact Sheila Wrobel, Privacy Officer.

Notice of Privacy Practices Procedures /

Notice of Privacy Practices /

Notificación de Prácticas Para Asegurar su Privacidad

This policy is a new UNMC Policy.

This page Monday, February 16, 2004, by dkp.