PRIVACY NOTICE

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.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law designed to protect your privacy whenever your health care providers (i.e. lactation consultants) have to discuss your case, or send information about you to different offices. We keep a file to record our consult and promise that the private, protected health information in it will be kept confidential.

Opus Lactation will share the details of your personal health information (PHI) for purposes of treatment, payment and health care operations. This allows Opus Lactation to talk to you about your situation as well as discuss it with your health care providers. If you are referred to other specialists, we can send the information on to them. The lactation consultant can also share information with your health insurance company if they need it.

The law may require us to share your information for other reasons such ,but not limited to, research, compliance with government requests or public safety.

You have four rights under HIPAA:

*Access (ask Opus Lactation to see your own PHI as needed);
*Amendment (ask Opus Lactation to change any inaccurate PHI);
*Disclosure Accounting (ask where your PHI has been shared)
*Restriction Request (you can put limits on the lactation consultant’s use and sharing of your PHI).

Under HIPAA, the lactation consultant can call or write you to remind you to come back for an appointment, or to tell you how you can get a product or service that might interest you and your family.

Our duty under to HIPAA is to give you this notice, so you understand we have promised to keep your private health information confidential. If we change this notice in the future, we’ll give you a new copy.

Your personal information will never be sold or marketed. You will be added to our mailing list after our first visit, but you may unsubscribe at any time.

If you think your privacy hasn’t been protected by the lactation consultant, you may file a complaint. Please reach out to Opus Lactation first to see if a resolution can be made by clearing up the situation. If this does not suffice, you may make 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/.

Opus Lactation  will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Effective 5/18/2018