Privacy Notice

 

 

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. THE PRIVACY OF YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO US.

Effective Date: This notice became effective on October 22, 2024.

This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) describes your rights concerning your Protected Health Information (“PHI”). PHI is information that may identify you and relates to: (i) your past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition; (ii) the provision of health care to you; or (iii) the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to you. This Notice also describes how we may use and disclose your PHI.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) requires us to:

We reserve the right to change this Notice as permitted by law, and such change will apply to all medical information that we maintain, including PHI received before the effective date of the new Notice. If we make a material change to this Notice, we will post a copy of the revised Notice on our website at www.ltcareadvocates.com and provide information about the changes as required by law.

This Notice applies to individual or group products that provide or pay the cost of medical care, including long-term care insurance policies. It does not apply to products whose primary function is not the reimbursement of the costs of medical or long-term care.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

  1. To Obtain Payment. We may use or disclose your PHI to collect payment from third parties, such as certain health care plans or providers, for the care you receive. For example, we may provide information regarding your coverage or health care treatment to health plans to coordinate benefits.
  2. Business Associates. We contract with individuals and entities (known as “business associates”) to perform various functions on our behalf or provide certain types of services, such as insurance agents or claim payment administrators. We may disclose PHI to these business associates, but they are required to follow federal privacy and security rules.
  3. For Administrative Operations. We may use or disclose PHI to certain long-term care insurance carriers for their administrative operations to meet the requirements listed in their individual policies.
  4. For Health-Related Benefits and Services. We may use or disclose your PHI to provide you with information on health-related benefits and services.
  5. When Legally Required. We will disclose your PHI when required by federal, state, or local law.
  6. For Health Oversight Activities. We may disclose your PHI to health oversight agencies for activities such as audits, investigations, and inspections.
  7. In Judicial and Administrative Proceedings. We may disclose your PHI in response to court orders, subpoenas, or other lawful processes, provided reasonable efforts are made to notify you.
  8. For Law Enforcement Purposes. We may disclose your PHI to law enforcement officials as required by law or in cases of suspected criminal conduct.
  9. To Prevent Serious Threats to Health or Safety. We may disclose your PHI if we believe it is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the public’s health or safety.
  10. For Government Functions. We may disclose your PHI for certain government functions, such as military or veterans’ activities, national security, or correctional institutions.
  11. For Worker’s Compensation. We may disclose your PHI to comply with worker’s compensation laws.

Mobile phone contact information will not be shared or sold to third parties for marketing purposes.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

You have the following rights regarding your PHI:

  1. Right to Request Restrictions. You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to your request.
  2. Right to Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a specific manner if you feel the disclosure of your PHI could endanger you.
  3. Right to Access, Inspect, and Copy Your PHI. You have the right to inspect and copy your PHI maintained by us.
  4. Right to Amend Your PHI. If you believe your PHI is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request that we amend the records.
  5. Right to an Accounting. You have the right to request a list of disclosures of your PHI made by us.
  6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You have the right to request a paper copy of this Notice at any time.

DUTIES OF LONG TERM CARE ADVOCATES

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI and provide you with this Notice of our duties and privacy practices. We will notify you following any breach of unsecured PHI as required by law. We are required to follow the terms of this Notice, which may be amended from time to time.

COMPLAINTS

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

CONTACT

We have designated as our HIPAA Contact Person for all issues regarding patient privacy and your privacy rights. You may contact us at:

Long Term Care Advocates
860 Tabor Street Unit 101, Lakewood, CO 80401
(303) 536 1261

Effective Date: October 22, 2024

This privacy notice provides comprehensive details of how Long Term Care Advocates handles, protects, and uses your personal health information.