Privacy Policies

Federal law requires Healthkeeperz, Inc. to maintain the privacy of individually identifiable health information (protected health information) and to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to such information. Healthkeeperz, Inc. must abide by the terms and conditions of this Privacy Notice, as Healthkeeperz, Inc. may revise this Privacy Notice from time to time. 

A. USES OR DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT & HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS 

Healthkeeperz, Inc. may use your individually identifiable health information for treatment, payment and health care operations. Examples of treatment, payment and health care operations include:

• “Treatment” could include consulting with or referring your case to another health care provider. The type of health information that could be used or disclosed includes such health conditions as HIV status, a diagnosis of AIDS or other communicable diseases that are subject to public health reporting requirements.
• “Payment” could include Healthkeeperz, Inc.’s efforts to obtain reimbursement from you or a responsible third party for services that Healthkeeperz, Inc. has provided to you.
• “Health care operations” could include activities such as quality assessment and improvement activities and audits of the process of billing you or a third party for health care services Healthkeeperz, Inc. provides to you. As part of Healthkeeperz, Inc.’s treatment of you and operation of a health care organization, Healthkeeperz, Inc. may contact you, by phone or by mail, to provide appointment reminders or to provide information about treatment alternatives or other health-related services that may be of interest to you. Healthkeeperz, Inc. may also contact you for fundraising purposes.

B. USES OR DISCLOSURES WE MAY MAKE WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT OR AUTHORIZATION

In addition to treatment, payment and health care operations, and unless this Privacy Notice recites a more stringent restriction in Section C, the law permits or requires Healthkeeperz, Inc. to use or disclose individually identifiable health information without your written consent or authorization to: (i) comply with public health reporting and notification requirements, including reporting of adverse product events to the Food and Drug Administration, (ii) report suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence, as required by law, (iii) submit information to health oversight agencies for oversight activities, such as audits, authorized by law, (iv) respond to a final order or subpoena of a court or administrative tribunal, (v) assist law enforcement personnel, as required by law, or to fulfill a law enforcement request for certain limited information for the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, witness, or victim in an investigation, or to report a potential crime (vi) assist a medical examiner or funeral director, (vii) assist an organ procurement organization or organ bank in facilitating organ or tissue donation and transplantation, (viii) further research, provided that Healthkeeperz, Inc. complies with federal requirements, (ix) avert a serious and imminent threat to public health safety, (x) assist with government activities related to the military, veterans, or national security, (xi) comply with workers’ compensation or similar laws, (xii) allow individuals responsible for your care to assist you in the event of your incapacity or an emergency. With your oral agreement, Healthkeeperz, Inc. may also disclose certain information for purposes of its patient directory or to inform relatives or other individuals directly involved in your care or payment for your care regarding your condition.

C. MORE STRINGENT PROTECTION FOR YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION 

In certain cases North Carolina law provides more stringent privacy protections of your health information than this Privacy Notice recites above. Specifically, the following:

• If you are a patient with AIDS or HIV infection or a communicable disease or condition subject to public health reporting requirements, Healthkeeperz, Inc. will only disclose information regarding your AIDS, HIV or communicable disease status with your written permission except (i) if you cannot be identified from the information, (ii) as disclosure is required or permitted under communicable disease law or laws specifically authorizing or requiring disclosure of AIDS information or records, (iii) if a subpoena or court order requires disclosure, or (iv) if release is necessary to protect public health. When you sign a written consent, you are agreeing that Healthkeeperz, Inc. may disclose or use this information for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes. If Healthkeeperz, Inc. reveals your information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations purposes, then you must sign a different permission form.
• If you’re an adult care home patient, your personal and medical records may not be disclosed by the adult care home without your written release unless disclosure is required by law. The written release must specify to whom the disclosure may be made except if disclosure is: (a) for the purposes of payment, treatment or health care operations and is to a party contracted with the adult care home (and the contract requires disclosure), (b) to the treating physician, or (c) to agencies/institutions/ individuals providing emergency medical services. You may object in writing to a treating physician’s access to your medical records and the adult care home may not refuse to abide by such objection.
• If you are a nursing home patient, then the nursing home will not reveal your confidential information to anyone, unless you give permission in writing. When you sign a written consent, you are agreeing that the nursing home may disclose your confidential information for purposes of payment, treatment or healthcare operations. If the nursing home discloses information for any purpose other than payment, treatment or healthcare operations, you must sign a different permission form. However, please note that the nursing home may reveal the information without your written consent if the law requires the nursing home to do so or if the communication is to family members provided that you do not object or in other limited circumstances.
• If you provide confidential information to a social worker, the social worker will not reveal that information to anyone unless you give permission in writing. When you sign a written consent, you are agreeing that a social worker may share information you have provided to the social worker when the social worker discloses this information for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes. If the social worker reveals your information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations purposes, then you must sign a different permission form. However, please note that the social worker may reveal information you have given to the social worker without your written permission if the law requires the social worker to do so or not revealing the information may present a clear and imminent danger to you or others.
• If you provide personal information to an optometrist, then the optometrist will not reveal that information to anyone, unless you give permission in writing. When you sign a written consent, you are agreeing that an optometrist may share information you have provided to the optometrist when the optometrist discloses this information for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes. If the optometrist reveals your information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations purposes, then you must sign a different permission form. However, please note the optometrist may reveal the information without your written permission if the law requires the optometrist to do so.
• If you provide confidential information to a substance abuse professional, then the substance abuse professional will not reveal that information to anyone, unless you give permission in writing. When you sign a written consent, you are agreeing that a substance abuse professional may share information you have provided to the substance abuse professional when the substance abuse professional discloses this information for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes. If the substance abuse professional reveals your information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations purposes, then you must sign a different permission form. However, please note that the substance abuse professional may reveal the information without your written permission if there is a clear and imminent danger to you or to others; in a medical emergency, but then only to an appropriate professional or to public authorities; or, when the law requires the substance abuse professional to disclose the information.
• If you provide confidential information to a massage or bodywork therapist, then the massage or bodywork therapist will not reveal that information to anyone, unless you give permission in writing. When you sign a written consent, you are agreeing that a massage or bodywork therapist may share information you have provided to the massage or bodywork therapist when the massage or bodywork therapist discloses this information for treatment, payment and health care operations purposes. If the massage or bodywork therapist reveals your information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations purposes, then you must sign a different permission form. However, the massage or bodywork therapist may reveal the information without your written permission if the law or a court order may require the therapist to do.
• For adult day care and adult day health program patients, Healthkeeperz, Inc. will not disclose confidential information to anyone unless you name a person in writing. You will need to provide Healthkeeperz, Inc. with written consent or authorization to disclose your confidential information each time Healthkeeperz, Inc. needs to disclose the information, unless the law requires Healthkeeperz, Inc. to disclose the information.
• If you are seeking treatment and rehabilitation for drug dependence, Healthkeeperz, Inc. shall not reveal your name to law enforcement officers or agencies, unless you provide us with written permission. Healthkeeperz, Inc. shall also not reveal your name in any court, grand jury or administrative proceeding without your written permission, unless the law compels Healthkeeperz, Inc. to reveal your name.
• For patients of nursing home facilities, home health care, ambulatory surgery facilities, nursing pool facilities, you have the right to object in writing to Healthkeeperz, Inc.’s disclosing your individually identifiable health information to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services during an inspection.
• If you are an unemancipated minor under North Carolina law, then Healthkeeperz, Inc.’s physicians and staff will not disclose, without your consent, information related to your health status regarding treatment for venereal disease, pregnancy (except in the case of an abortion), abuse of drugs or alcohol or emotional disturbance to a parent, legal guardian, person standing in loco parentis or a legal custodian who has legal authority to provide permission for your medical or psychiatric care. However, the physician or staff may notify these individuals if in the physician’s or staff’s opinion the notification is essential to your life or health. In addition, the physician or staff may give such information if your parent, legal guardian, person standing in loco parentis or legal custodian contacts the physician or staff concerning your treatment.
• For patients receiving mental health, developmentally disabled or substance abuse services:
  • Except as described in these paragraphs, Healthkeeperz, Inc. may only use or disclose your confidential information if you sign a consent or authorization that specifies the name of the persons to whom Healthkeeperz, Inc. may disclose the information. Your consent and authorization must also state the specific time period during which the permission is valid.
  • If a court has adjudicated you incompetent or you are a minor, Healthkeeperz, Inc. will not disclose your health information to a person acting as an external client advocate on your behalf, unless both you and your legally responsible person have executed a consent or authorization.
  • Healthkeeperz, Inc. may also disclose your health information, without your consent or authorization, in the following circumstances: (i) to other health care providers treating you, as necessary to meet an emergency, provided that we attempt to obtain your consent after the emergency; (ii) to health oversight agencies for oversight activities (e.g., audits); (iii) to internal client advocates to monitor services that Healthkeeperz, Inc. is providing to you and to serve as an advocate; (iv) to provide law enforcement agencies and other persons with information regarding your escape from, breach of condition of release from and/or return to a 24-hour facility, in order to assure your expeditious return and protect the public; (vi) to an attorney upon your request or to your personal representative; (vii) to comply with the provisions of a court order; (viii) to the court, certain attorneys and/or other interested parties in connection with certain legal proceedings (including involuntary commitment, guardianship, criminal cases, and others) where your confidential information is relevant to the proceeding; (ix) in some circumstances, to attorneys representing Healthkeeperz, Inc. or its employees; (x) as the law requires, including laws requiring reporting of abuse or neglect; (xi) to a correctional institute to facilitate your treatment; (xii) to avert an imminent and serious threat to the health or safety of yourself or another individual; (xiii) to business associates who perform services for Healthkeeperz, Inc. and who have a contract with Healthkeeperz, Inc. that prohibits the business associate from further disclosing the information; (xiv) in certain cases, limited information, such as the act of admission or discharge, certain transfers, decision to leave against medical advice, referral and appointment information for treatment after discharge to certain individuals you designate, your next of kin, and/or certain other family members, to provide them with basic information related to your treatment. Healthkeeperz, Inc. will not disclose more detailed information about your treatment to these individuals (e.g., diagnosis, prognosis, medications prescribed, dosage, side effects, progress and additional information), unless you have given your consent or authorization. However, please note that Healthkeeperz, Inc. can disclose your health information to these individuals only if your health care professional deems the disclosure to be therapeutically beneficial to you.

NOTE: References in this Privacy Notice to health care professionals include only those professionals that Healthkeeperz, Inc. employs.

D. NO OTHER USES OR DISCLOSURES WITHOUT YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION

Healthkeeperz, Inc. will not make any other uses and disclosures of your individually identifiable health information without your written authorization. Your authorization may be revoked at any time if you provide written notice to Healthkeeperz, Inc. However, if Healthkeeperz, Inc. has provided you with mental health, developmentally disabled and substance abuse services, then you may revoke an authorization orally.