The following categories describe ways that we use and disclose your health
information. Examples of each category are included. Not every use or
disclosure in each category is listed; however, all of the ways we are
permitted to use and disclose information falls into one of these categories:
- For Treatment:
We may use medical information about you to provide, coordinate, or
manage your health care treatment or related services. We may disclose
medical information about you to other physicians or health care providers
who are or will be involved in taking care of you. For example, we would
disclose your health information, as necessary, when you need a prescription,
lab work, x-ray, physical therapy, or other health care services. Another
example is that your health information may be provided to a health
care professional to whom you have been referred or who may treat you
during a break between semesters to ensure that the health care professional
has the necessary information to diagnose or treat you.
- For Payment:
We may use and disclose medical information about you in order to bill
you, an insurance company, or third party for the treatment and services
you receive from one of our health care components. We may also tell
your health insurance plan about a treatment you are going to receive
to obtain prior approval, to determine whether or not your plan will
cover the treatment, and for undertaking utilization review activities.
For example, obtaining approval for a hospital stay may require that
relevant information be disclosed to the health plan to obtain approval
for the hospital admission. Additionally, if you are responsible for
a portion of the bill the charges will be sent to your University Bill
(U Bill) maintained by UNI Accounts Receivable.
- For Health Care Operations: We may use or disclose your health information in order to support the business activities of our practice. These operations allow us to improve the quality of care that we provide to our patients. They include, but are not limited to, quality assessment activities and employee review activities. For example, we may disclose your health information to our peer review committee or accrediting agencies. We may call you by name in the waiting room when your physician is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment. We may share your health information with third party “business associates” that perform various activities (e.g., billing and collection or transcription services) for UNI. Whenever an arrangement between our office and a business associate involves the use or disclosure of your health information, we will have a written contract that contains terms that will protect the privacy of your health information.