Privacy Policy

Revised Effect Date: 10/01/21

THIS NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES DESCRIBES HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

This Notice explains how we may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment or healthcare operations and for other purposes permitted or required by law, without your signed authorization. This Notice also describes your rights with respect to your protected health information and how you can exercise those rights. It also explains certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information. 

We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal and we are committed to protecting your information. We create a record of care and services when you receive medical equipment from our company. We need this record to provide you with quality care and comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records we create and receive concerning your medical care. It also applies to billing information used to obtain payment for services you receive.

Our Responsibilities, Regarding Your Protected Medical Information: 

  • Make sure that your protected health information is kept private and only used and disclosed in accordance with state and federal law and our privacy practices.

  • Give you this Notice, which informs you of our privacy practices as well as our legal duties and your individual rights with respect to medical information about you.

  • Notify you, the Department of Health and Human Services and in some cases the media, in the event the security or privacy of your unsecured protected health information is breached.

  • Follow the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices that are currently in effect.

“Protected health information” is information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health condition and related health care services including payment for those services.

Permitted Disclosures of Protected Health Information:

The following categories describe different ways that we are entitled to use and disclose your medical information. 

For Treatment: We may use or disclose your medical information to other healthcare providers in order to coordinate or manage your healthcare and any related services. This may include other institutions, such as hospitals or pharmacies, as well as individual providers, such as physicians, physical and occupational therapists, or nurses.

For Payment: We may use and disclose your medical information and services provided in order to bill and collect payment from you, your insurance company or a third party payer. Example: we may need to give your insurance company information about the services requested from us to get authorization for payment. 

For Healthcare Operations: Our staff and/or quality improvement team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it. For example, we may combine medical information about multiple patients to evaluate the need for new services. We may combine some of your medical information with that of other patients to see where we can make internal improvements. Any identifying information may be removed to protect your privacy.

Regarding Appointments: We will use your personal information when establishing appointments for a consultation or fitting and training of your equipment. We also may use or disclose your medical information when contacting you regarding an upcoming appointment or to follow up on other issues. 

To Our Business Associates: On occasion we may be required to coordinate your services with a contracted business associate. For example, working with a third-party billing company. We may disclose your health information to our contracted business associate so that they can perform the job we’ve asked them to do. To protect your health information we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.

For Research: Under certain circumstances we may use and disclose healthcare information about you for research purposes. We may also disclose healthcare information about you to people preparing to conduct a research project, for example, to help them look for patients with specific healthcare needs. We will follow any legal requirements necessary to allow us to use your healthcare information to conduct research.

As Required by Law: We may use and disclose health information for the following types of entities, including but not limited to: 

  • Correctional Institutions

  • Workers Compensation Agents

  • Organ and Tissue Donation Organizations

  • Military Command Authorities

  • Report Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence

  • Funeral Directors, Coroners and Medical Directors

  • Health Oversight Agencies (Examples: Audits, Investigations, Inspections, Civil or Criminal Proceedings)

  • Public Health or Legal Authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability

  • Law Enforcement/Legal Proceedings: For purposes as required by IL law or in response to a valid subpoena.

State-Specific Requirements:  Many states have requirements for reporting including population-based activities relating to improving health or reducing health care costs. Some states have separate privacy laws that may apply legal requirements. If the State privacy laws are more stringent than Federal privacy laws, the State law preempts the Federal law.

To Your Family and Friends: Patients often include family members or close friends in their healthcare and want us to share information with them to help with providing care or arranging for payment. We may disclose your healthcare information to involved family members or friends, as long as you do not object. If you do object, you must tell us and we will not share your healthcare information.

With Written Authorization: Uses and disclosures other than those described above will only be made with your written authorization. Except in certain limited circumstances, uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes or of protected health information used in marketing or for a sale of that protected health information also require your written authorization. If you give written authorization to use or disclose your healthcare information you may revoke it, in writing, at any time. We will honor your revocation except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance upon your authorization.

Your Health Information Rights:

Although your health record is the physical property of the healthcare practitioner or facility that compiled it, the information belongs to you. You have the following rights regarding the health information we maintain about you:

Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you. However, we are not required to agree to your request.  You may be required to submit your request in writing.  Your request must specify the information you want to limit; whether you want us to limit our use, disclosure or both; and to whom you want the limit to apply. If we agree to the additional restrictions, we will abide by the agreement, unless the information is needed to provide for your care in an emergency. We also reserve the right to terminate any agreement to restrict the use or disclosure of your information.

Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. A request for confidential communications may be required to be made in writing, must detail the alternative means or location of communication you seek, and must specify how payments for care will be handled.

Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and to receive a copy of your healthcare information. You have the right to request an electronic copy or summary of your electronic health record. There will be a reasonable cost-based fee for providing you the electronic copy.

Right to Amend: If you feel the medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for any records created by our office. We cannot make any changes to medical information not created by our office.

If we deny your request, we will send you a written explanation on why your request was denied. You will have the right to respond to the denial with a written statement of disagreement. Your denial will append to the disputed information upon your request.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures” of your health information that we make to others for purposes other than your treatment, payment, or health care operations and certain other activities. The maximum disclosure accounting period is six years immediately preceding the accounting request. You must submit your request in writing.

Right to a Copy of This Notice: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Copies of the current Notice of Privacy Practices will be available upon request at Joint Active Systems, Inc. at PO Box 1367, Effingham, IL 62401. This Notice is also be available on our web site at www.jointactivesystems.com.  

How to Get Additional Information or File a Complaint:

We welcome your questions about our privacy practices. If you want more information about our privacy practices, or you have a concern, please contact us using the contact information below. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us at the same location. You may also file a written complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We will provide you with the address to file your complaint with HHS upon request. We support the exercise of your privacy rights and we will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with HHS.  

If you have any questions about this Notice or want to file a complaint you may contact our Privacy Officer at Phone: 217 342-3412 or Fax: 217-347-3384

ADDRESS: 

JOINT ACTIVE SYSTEMS, INC.
PRIVACY OFFICER
PO BOX 1367
EFFINGHAM, IL 62401

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE:

We reserve the right to change our Privacy Practices and the terms of this Notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the changes in our Privacy Practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for protected health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. Copies of the current Notice will be posted in our facilities. The Notice will contain the current effective date. 

This notice applies to Joint Active Systems, Inc.  All employees, staff and other personnel of our organization are required to follow the terms of this notice.