Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you may gain access to this information.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) directs health care providers, payers, and other health care entities to develop policies and procedures to ensure the security, integrity, privacy, and authenticity of health information, and to safeguard access to and disclosure of health information. The federal government has privacy rules which require that we provide you with information on how we might use or disclose your identifiable health information.

Your Rights
As a health care provider, we use your confidential health information and create records regarding health information to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. We understand that this health information is personal, and we are dedicated to maintaining your privacy rights under Federal and State law. This notice applies to records of your care created or maintained by Grand Therapeutic Services that are subject to HIPAA. We are required by law to (1) make sure we have reasonable processes in place to keep your health information private; (2) provide you access to this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information, and (3) follow the terms of the notice that are currently in effect.

Receive a copy of your paper or electronic medical record. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical record or billing record. To inspect and copy your medical or billing record, you must submit your request in writing to Grand Therapeutic Services. You need to include in your request your name, or if acting as a personal representative, include the name of the patient, your contact information, date of birth, and dates of service if known. To the extent that your health information is maintained electronically, and you request the information in an electronic format, to the extent possible we will provide you a readable copy. If you request a copy, you will be charged a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request. We may deny your request to inspect and copy records in certain limited circumstances; however, you may request that the denial be reviewed. Grand Therapeutic Services is not responsible to release medical records obtained from other facilities for inclusion in your medical record.

Correct your paper or electronic medical record. If you feel that the health information we have about you is incorrect, you may ask us to amend it. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the health information is kept by or for Grand Therapeutic Services. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to the medical records department of the Grand Therapeutic Services provider location from whom you received your services. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request. You need to include in your request your name, contact information, date of birth, and dates of service if known. If you are acting as a personal representative, include the name of the patient, your contact information, date of birth, and dates of service if known. We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend health information that:

  • Was not created by Grand Therapeutic Services, unless the person or entity that created the health information is no longer available to make the amendment;
  • Is not part of the health information kept by or for Grand Therapeutic Services;
  • Is not part of the health information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
  • Is accurate and complete

Request Confidential Communication. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way. To request confidential communication, you must make your request in writing to Grand Therapeutic Services. You will need to include your name, or if acting as a personal representative, include the name of the patient, contact information, date of birth, and dates of service if known. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will work to accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how you wish to be contacted.

Ask us to limit the information we share. You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You will be provided an Access Code upon admission for you to share with others you permit to gain information about your care and services. You have the right to request a limit on the health information we disclose about you regarding the payment for your care. Except as otherwise required by law, we will comply with a request to restrict disclosure of health information to a health plan for purposes of carrying out payment or healthcare operations, but only if the health information you ask to be restricted from disclosure pertains solely to a health care item or service for which you have paid out of pocket, in full. We are not required to agree to any other requests. We have the right to revoke our agreement at any time, and once we notify you of this revocation, we may use or disclose your health information without regard to any restriction or limitation you may have requested.

Receive a list of those with whom we have shared your information. You have the right to request a list of the disclosures we made of your health information except for disclosures:

  • For treatment, payment, or health care operations;
  • Pursuant to an authorization;
  • Incident to a permitted use or disclosure; or
  • For certain other limited disclosures defined by law

To request this list of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to Grand Therapeutic Services. Your request must specify a time period for which you are seeking an accounting of disclosures and include your name, contact information, date of birth, and dates of service if known. If you are acting as a personal representative, include the name of the patient, your contact information, date of birth, and dates of service if known. You may not request disclosures that are more than six years from the date of your request. Your request should indicate if you desire the list in paper or electronic form. The first list you request within a 12- month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs associated with providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.

Receive a copy of this privacy notice. Even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically, you have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice, which you may ask for at any time. You may obtain a copy of this Notice at www.grandtherapeuticservices.com.To obtain a paper copy, please call Grand Therapeutic Services.

Choose someone to act for you. Various state laws enable family members, friends, or guardians to make medical treatment decisions for patients who lack the ability to make and communicate decisions about medical care, and do not have a Power of Attorney for health care or a living will declaration, or in some cases, other advance directives.

File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint by writing or calling Grand Therapeutic Services: Grand Therapeutic Services 36 S Charles Street Suite 203 Baltimore, Maryland. calling 410-878-1014 You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

Uses and Disclosures
Provide you services. We may use health information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose health information about you to health care personnel who are involved in taking care of you at Grand Therapeutic Services.

Run our organization. We may use and disclose health information about you for Grand Therapeutic Services operations. We may also combine health information about our patients to decide what additional services should be offered, what services are not needed, and whether certain treatments are effective. We may disclose your health information to healthcare personnel for review and learning purposes. We may combine the health information we have with health information from other health care providers to discern where we can make improvements in the care and services we offer.

Bill for services we provide. We may use or disclose health information about you to bill and collect payment for the services or items you may receive from us. We may disclose to other health care providers health information about you for their payment activities.

Help with public health and safety issues. We may use or disclose health information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another person or the public. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

Do Research. The research includes our ability to review health information in medical records and conduct projects to compare outcomes to advance our best practices. Grand Therapeutic Services does not perform Clinical Research related to drugs, devices, procedures, or other interventions with participants.

Comply with the law. We will also use or disclose health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, workers’ compensation, or similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.
Respond to lawsuits and legal action. If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, or in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful processes by someone else involved in the dispute, we may disclose health information, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the health information requested.

Your Choices
Tell family and friends about your outcomes. To prevent Grand Therapeutic Services from disclosing health information to a friend or family member who is not involved in your care, we will provide you an Access Code that you may choose to share with your family or friends for use to gain information about your general condition.

Provide disaster relief. We may use or disclose health information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of another person or the public. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

Provide mental health care. Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes require authorization and will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization by giving written notice to the records department of the Grand Therapeutic Services provider from whom you received your care. If you revoke your authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your health information as permitted by your initial authorization. Please understand that we will not be able to take back any disclosures we have already made and that we are still required to retain our records containing your health information that documents the care that we provided to you.

Market our services and sell your information. Grand Therapeutic Services will not use or disclose your information for marketing purposes. Any pictures, videos, or other content for possible marketing materials requires authorization and will be used only with your written authorization.

Other Uses and Disclosures
We may also use or disclose your health information in the following situations:
Organ and Tissue Donations. If requested, Grand Therapeutic Services will release to organizations that handle organ procurement or organ, eye, or tissue transplantation or to an organ donation bank, as necessary, to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.

Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors. Release of information to a coroner or medical examiner may be necessary to determine the cause of death, if necessary. We will also release health information to funeral directors to carry out their duties.

Changes to this Notice
We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will make available to you a copy of the current Notice at www.grandtherapeuticservices.com