Home Therapeutic Services Specializations Credentials Privacy Fees and Insurance Contact Information

Privacy

Your privacy is respected in all aspects of Dr. Conroy’s practice. All communications with Dr. Conroy, either by telephone, fax, or e-mail are considered to be privileged. 

Privacy Policies: The guidelines set forth in The Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), require that all medical records and all identifiable health information be kept confidential.

Your medical records, including diagnoses, types of treatment, and records from other health care professionals,  are considered Protected Health Information (PHI).  This information may only be utilized for the following transactions:

  1. Treatment:  This refers to coordinating your care with other health care providers.
  2. Payment:  This includes obtaining a prior authorization for treatment, confirming insurance coverage, and billing your insurance company.
  3. Oversight:  This refers to internal evaluation of my therapeutic approaches as well as government agency review of quality of care; in these cases, all clinical information is de-identified.

All other releases of your PHI will be made only with your written authorization, which you can rescind at any time.

In accordance with HIPAA, you have the following rights concerning your protected health information:

  1. The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including  those related to disclosures to family members, personal  friends, or other individuals you identify.
  2. The right to receive confidential communications, such as appointment reminders, by alternative means or at alternative locations.
  3. The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.
  4. The right to amend your protected health information.
  5. The right to receive an accounting of disclosures, such as to your referring physician, of protected health information.
  6. You have the right to obtain a copy of this notice.

Under the guidelines of HIPAA as well as North Carolina Law, Dr. Conroy must disclose PHI in the following conditions:

  1. If Dr. Conroy must report suspected child abuse, elder abuse, or abuse of a dependent adult;
  2. If you are involved in a legal proceeding and Dr. Conroy receives a subpoena, some of your PHI may have to be released. However, this would not occur until Dr. Conroy has consulted with your lawyer and tried to get a court order denying such a release;
  3. If government agencies audit Dr. Conroy to determine if she is complying with privacy laws;
  4. If government programs covering military personnel and veterans request PHI to determine eligibility; also if PHI may be disclosed to workers’ compensation and disability programs, as well as to correctional services;
  5. If Dr. Conroy perceives that you are at risk of self-harm or are unable to care for yourself, she will release PHI to an individual or agency who can intervene;
  6. If Dr. Conroy perceives that the safety of another individual or the public is at serious risk or has received a serious threat, she will notify an individual or agency that can intervene.

If you need more information relative to how your PHI is handled, please telephone Dr. Conroy.  Also, if you are not comfortable with the manner in which your PHI has been processed and you feel that your privacy has been violated, you may file a written complaint with Dr. Conroy or with the following agency:

  The U. S. Department of Health & Human Services
  Office of Civil Rights
  200 Independence Avenue, S. W.
  Washington, D. C. 20201
  202-619-0257; Toll Free:  1-877-696-6775

 

Home | Therapeutic Services | Specializations | Credentials | Privacy | Fees and Insurance | Contact Information