An entity covered by these HIPAA rules (such as your health care provider) or its business associate must comply with your request that health information regarding a specific health care item or service not be disclosed to the Plan for purposes of payment or health care operations if you have paid out of pocket and in full for the item or service. Right to receive confidential communications of your health information If you think that disclosure of your health information by the usual means could endanger you in some way, the Plan will accommodate reasonable requests to receive communications of health information from the Plan by alternative means or at alternative locations.
If you want to exercise this right, your request to the Plan must be in writing and you must include a statement that disclosure of all or part of the information could endanger you.
Right to inspect and copy your health information With certain exceptions, you have the right to inspect or obtain a copy of your health infor mation in a “designated record set.” This may include medical and billing records maintained for a health care provider; enrollment, payment, claims adjudication, and case or medical management record systems maintained by a plan; or a group of records the Plan uses to make decisions about individuals. However, you do not have a right to inspect or obtain copies of psychotherapy notes or information compiled for civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings. The Plan may deny your right to access, although in certain circumstances, you may request a review of the denial.
If you want to exercise this right, your request to the Plan must be in writing. Within 30 days of receipt of your request, the Plan will provide you with one of these responses:
The access or copies you requested
•
• A written denial that explains why your request was denied and any rights you may have to have the denial reviewed or file a complaint • A written statement that the time period for reviewing your request will be extended for no more than 30 more days, along with the reasons for the delay and the date by which the Plan expects to address your request You may also request your health information be sent to another entity or person, so long as that request is clear, conspicuous and specific. The Plan may provide you with a summary or explanation of the information instead of access to or copies of your health information, if you agree in advance and pay any applicable fees. The Plan also may charge reasonable fees for copies or postage. If the Plan doesn’t maintain the health information but knows where it is maintained, you will be informed where to direct your requ est. If the Plan keeps your records in an electronic format, you may request an electronic copy of your health information in a form and format readily producible by the Plan. You may also request that such electronic health information be sent to another entity or person, so long as that request is clear, conspicuous, and specific. Any charge that is assessed to you for these copies must be reasonable and based on the Plan’s cost. Right to amend your health information that is inaccurate or incomplete With certain exceptions, you have a right to request that the Plan amend your health information in a designated record set. The Plan may deny your request for a number of reasons. For example, your request may be denied if the health information is accurate and complete, was not created by the Plan (unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available), is not part of the
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