This Notice was updated January 2018.

 

NOTICE OF SPEECH Inc. PRIVACY PRACTICES

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RESPONSIBILITIES AND PATIENT/CLIENT INFORMATION & RIGHTS

 

Your records at SPEECH Inc. are personal and private. We are committed to protecting your health information. The treatment information we create and maintain is known as Protected Health Information, or PHI. SPEECH Inc. is required by Federal and State laws to protect the privacy of your medical information and obtain a signed authorization before we make certain disclosures.

 

SPEECH Inc. is required to provide this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information. SPEECH Inc. provides you with a copy of our Privacy Practices upon commencement of therapy/enrollment. We have also made it available on our website. We reserve the right to change the provisions of this Notice and make it effective for all health information we maintain.

 

Unless otherwise required by law, the health record is the physical property of the health care practitioner or facility where it is compiled. However, Patients/Clients and their legally authorized representatives have certain rights with respect to the

information. To exercise any of the below rights, please contact SPEECH Inc. at (415) 563-6541.

 

• You have the right to assign medical power of attorney or to have a legally authorized representative exercise these rights on your behalf, and otherwise make choices about your health information.

• You have the right to Inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of the medical record.

• Upon request, you or your legally authorized representative may inspect and/or receive an electronic or paper copy of the medical records, billing records, and other records that we use to make decisions about your care.

• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. You also may ask us to forward a copy of your health information to a third party. A reasonable copying/labor charge may apply.

• In writing you have the right to revoke an authorization to share or disclose health information.

• We are required by law to retain your medical treatment records, regardless of any authorization to use or share the information.

• You have the right to receive notification of a breach of unsecured health information, to the extent that it affects your personal health information.  

• You do not have the right to have accurate information removed from your record. Any amendments will be an addition to, and not a replacement of, already existing records.

• You or your legally authorized representative may request restrictions on how we use or disclose certain health information for treatment.

• If health care services are paid in full out-of-pocket, we will abide by a request to not share information about such services, for the purposes of payment or operations, with your health insurer, unless otherwise required by law.

• You or your legally authorized representative may request an accounting of all the times we have shared your health information.

• Complaints may be filed for any perceived violation of your privacy rights by contacting SPEECH Inc. (415) 563-6541. No retaliation will result from your making any complaint.

• Complaints to the Department of Health and Human Services may be filed with: Office for Civil Rights (877) 696-6775 https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/smartscreen/main.jsf

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BILLING FOR SERVICE

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We may share your health information to bill and obtain payment from health plans or other entities, including for determinations of eligibility and coverage and other utilization review activities.

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RESPONDING TO LEGAL ACTIONS

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• We may share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

• We may share your information in health oversight activities authorized by law.

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