Notice of Privacy Practices

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. Your Rights When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you. You have the right to: Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
  • You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
  • We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask us to correct your medical record
  • You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
  • We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
Request confidential communications
  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way about your medical information (for example, home or office phone) or to send your medical information to a different address.
  • We will say, “yes” to all reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
  • You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
  • If you pay for a service or healthcare item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information
  • You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared (disclosed) your health information, for up to six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
  • We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
Get a copy of this privacy notice You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.   Choose someone to act for you If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.   Health Information Exchange Opt-Out This organization endorses, supports, and participates in electronic Health Information Exchange (HIE) through Big Sky Care Connect (BSCC) as a means to improve the quality of your health and healthcare experience. The HIE provides us with a way to securely and efficiently share patients’ clinical information electronically with other physicians and healthcare providers that participate in the HIE network. Using the HIE helps your healthcare providers to more effectively share information and provide you with better care. The HIE also enables emergency medical personnel and other providers who are treating you to have immediate access to your medical data that may be critical for your care. Making your health information available to your healthcare providers through the HIE can also help reduce your costs in a variety of ways, such as eliminating unnecessary duplication of tests and procedures. However, you may choose to opt-out of participation in the HIE by contacting our privacy and security officer through a request for restriction on disclosure. Opting out means your data will still be shared with BSCC, but, your health data will not be viewable in the BSCC system. Opting out of the HIE is an “all-or-nothing” choice, because BSCC cannot block access to some types of medical information while at the same time permit access to other medical information. Opting out of BSCC may limit your health care providers’ ability to provide the most effective care for you. BSCC provides a “global” HIE-level opt-out option. The records continue to be shared but are placed “behind glass” and are inaccessible. Patients can exercise global, HIE-level opt-out at any time. Patients can also opt back in at any time using the same methods. Opt-out methods:
  1. Patient to complete the opt-out form available on BSCC’s website at https://www.mtbscc.org/bscc-patients and mail it to BSCC Opt-out Team 2021 11th Avenue, Suite 11 Helena, MT 59601
  2. Complete Opt-out Form online and submit it directly on BSCC’s website: https://www.mtbscc.org/opt-out
Request information regarding your health information You can submit a written request to recordsrequest@greatergoodhealth.com or by asking us for more information.   File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated You can file a complaint with us if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting our Privacy Officer. To file a complaint with our organization, please submit your request in writing to the Privacy Officer, 300 Continental Blvd, Suite 635, El Segundo CA 90245, 1 (888) 814-5985 , compliance@greatergoodhealth.com
  • You can file 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, by calling 877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/
  • We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
  Your Choices For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, contact us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.   In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care
  • Share information in a disaster relief situation
  • Include your information in a hospital directory
If you are not able to tell us your preference – for example, if you are unconscious, we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest to do so. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety. In the following cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
  • Marketing purposes
  • Sale of your protected health information
  • Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
In the case of fundraising: • We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again. We will honor your request to not contact you again.   Our Uses and Disclosures We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:
  • Treatment We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks another doctor about your overall health condition.
  • Run our organization We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.
  • Bill for your services We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.
How else can we use or share your health information? We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. Help with public health and safety issues We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
  • Preventing disease
  • Helping with product recalls
  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications
  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
Do research We can use or share your information for health research.   Comply with the law We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.   Respond to organ and tissue donation requests We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.   Work with a medical examiner or funeral director We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.   Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests We can use or share health information about you:
  • For workers’ compensation claims
  • For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
  • With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
  • For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective service
  Respond to lawsuits and legal actions We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.   Patient Portal and Other Patient Electronic Correspondence Greater Good Health may use and disclose your PHI through various secure patient portals that allow you to view, download and transmit certain medical and billing information and communicate with certain health care providers in a secure manner through the portal.   Our Responsibilities
  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
  • We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
  Contact: For questions or concerns regarding your privacy, please contact Greater Good Health’s compliance officer at compliance@greatergoodhealth.com or toll-free at 1 (888) 814-5985. Effective Date of Notice: 7/13/202