Notice Of Privacy Practices - HIPAA

At Methodist Hospitials, we are committed to providing you with the highest quality of care. An essential part of this commitment is our dedication to protecting the privacy and the confidentiality of your medical information.

This notice has been prepared in response to new federal regulations that enforce the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which is known by the acronym HIPAA. The new regulations, effective April 14, 2003, set forth certain legal requirements regarding how hospitals and healthcare providers must protect your medical information. To comply, Methodist Hospitals must provide you with a Notice of Privacy Practices, which describes how your medical information may be used and disclosed. This notice also discusses your rights as a patient under the law.

Methodist Hospitals has coordinated its response to the new HIPAA regulations among all entities operating under Methodist Hospitals, Inc. This has been done to ensure that you will receive this notice the first time you seek care at Methodist or any of our facilities. You will be asked to sign a form acknowledging that you have received this document.

Because the new regulations apply to all healthcare providers, ours is not the only notice you will receive. Though the format may vary, you will receive a notice from other healthcare entities providing care or service such as doctors, pharmacies, nursing homes and healthcare plans.

We encourage you to read the information contained in this handbook in its entirety. It will explain how Methodist may use and disclose your medical information and it will help you understand your rights as a patient. For your convenience, what follows is a summary of key provisions of our notice.

HIPAA Summary

Methodist Hospitals may use and disclose your medical information to:

• Medical staff and personnel who provide you with care.

• Remind you about an appointment.

• Talk to family or friends involved in your care.

• Ensure that we follow the rules of regulatory agencies regarding quality of care and effective use of resources.

• Comply with legal requirements, subpoenas or court orders for mandatory reporting, such as with cases involving child or elder abuse.

• Research personnel as they develop and seek out the best possible treatments for diseases and medical conditions. All researchers must follow specific regulations to ensure the privacy of patient information.

• Tell you about care-related benefits or services that may be of interest.

• Request payment from your insurance company.

• Include information in our hospital directory such as name and room number for the benefit of your visitors or members of the clergy.

Your medical record is the physical property of Methodist Hospitals, but the information contained in the record belongs to you. You have important rights concerning your medical information.

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You have a right to:

• See and obtain a copy of the medical information used to make decisions about your care.

• Ask us to amend the medical information we have about you, if you feel the information we have is wrong or incomplete.

• Ask us to restrict or limit the medical information we use and share about you.

• Ask us to communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or location.

• Obtain a list of individuals or entities that have received your medical information from Methodist for reasons other than treatment, payment or healthcare operations.

• Submit a complaint.

• To obtain a copy of your medical record print the AUTHORIZATION FOR ACCESS, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION form. To download a copy of the form CLICK HERE. Please complete all sections, sign and date and fax or mail to:
  
  
  Methodist Hospitals
  Attn: Medical Record Department
  8701 Broadway
  Merrillville, IN 46410
  Fax: 219-738-6616
  For further information call the department at: 219-738-5586

If you have any questions about this notice or would like to report a concern or problem regarding the handling of your medical information, please contact :

The Methodist Hospitals, Inc.
600 Grant Street
Gary, Indiana 46402
Attn: Rick Rhew, Privacy Official

You may also find additional information on HIPAA on our Privacy Policies section.

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