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Effective date of notice: July 1, 2003
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
We respect our legal obligation to keep health information that identifies you private. We are obligated by law to give you notice of our privacy practices. This Notice describes how we protect your health information and what rights you have regarding it.
TREATMENT, PAYMENT, AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS
The most common reason why we use or disclose your health information is for treatment, payment or health care operations. Examples of how we use or disclose information for treatment purposes are: setting up an appointment for you; testing or examining your eyes; prescribing glasses, contact lenses, or eye medications and faxing them to be filled; showing you low vision aids; referring you to another doctor or clinic for eye care or low vision aids or services; or getting copies of your health information from another professional that you may have seen before us. Examples of how we use or disclose your health information for payment purposes are: asking you about your health or vision care plans, or other sources of payment; preparing and sending bills or claims; and collecting unpaid amounts (either ourselves or through a collection agency or attorney). "Health care operations" mean those administrative and managerial functions that we have to do in order to run our office. Examples of how we use or disclose your health information for health care operations are: financial or billing audits; internal quality assurance; personnel decisions; participation in managed care plans; defense of legal matters; business planning; and outside storage of our records.
We routinely use your health information inside our office for these purposes without any special permission. If we need to disclose your health information outside of our office for these reasons, we usually will not ask you for special written permission.
USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR OTHER REASONS WITHOUT PERMISSION
In some limited situations, the law allows or requires us to use or disclose your health information without your permission. Not all of these situations will apply to us; some may never come up at our office at all. Such uses or disclosures are:
Unless you object, we will also share relevant information about your care with your family or friends who are helping you with your eye care.
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
We may call or write to remind you of scheduled appointments, or that it is time to make a routine appointment. We may also call you at the numbers you provided to us or write to notify you of other treatments or services available at our office that might help you. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will mail you an appointment reminder on a post card, and/or leave you a reminder message on your answering machine or with someone who answers your phone.
ORDER CONFIRMATION
We may call or write to confirm orders placed by you or to provide status of orders. Unless you tell us otherwise, we will make contact by mail and/or at the numbers you provide to us, whether it be with you, by leaving you a message on your answering machine or with someone who answers your phone.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
We will not make any other uses or disclosures of your health information unless you sign a written "authorization form." The content of an "authorization form" is determined by federal law. Sometimes, we may initiate the authorization process if the use or disclosure is our idea. Sometimes, you may initiate the process if it's your idea for us to send your information to someone else. Typically, in this situation you will give us a properly completed authorization form, or you can use one of ours.
If we initiate the process and ask you to sign an authorization form, you do not have to sign it. If you do not sign the authorization, we cannot make the use or disclosure. If you do sign one, you may revoke it at any time unless we have already acted in reliance upon it. Revocations must be in writing. Send them to the office contact person named at the beginning of this Notice.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
The law gives you many rights regarding your health information. You can:
OUR NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
By law, we must abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices until we choose to change it. We reserve the right to change this notice at any time as allowed by law. If we change this Notice, the new privacy practices will apply to your health information that we already have as well as to such information that we may generate in the future. If we change our Notice of Privacy Practices, we will post the new notice in our office, have copies available in our office, and post it on our Web site.
COMPLAINTS
If you think that we have not properly respected the privacy of your health information, you are free to complain to us or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you if you make a complaint. If you want to complain to us, send a written complaint to the office contact person at the address shown at the beginning of this Notice. If you prefer, you can discuss your complaint in person or by phone.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
If you want more information about our privacy practices, call or visit the office contact person at the address or phone number shown at the beginning of this Notice.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT
VISUAL FIELDS AND RETINAL IMAGING EXAMINATIONS
A new, sophisticated computerized instrument allows us to provide a more thorough medical analysis of your eyes. Our HUMPHREY FDT VISUAL FIELD ANALYZER electronically measures retinal function and sensitivity to light. This procedure not only assesses the central and peripheral fields of vision, but the function of the retina, optic nerve, and visual pathways.
The TOPCON RETINAL CAMERA allows us to take an image of your retina. This technology helps the doctor evaluate the appearance and health of the back of the eyes and serves as a baseline for future comparison.
These two instruments assist in the early detection of many disorders including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and brain tumors. When detected early, treatment is more effective and vision loss and even death itself may be prevented.
Dr. Bindal recommends that all of his patients receive these tests. The Visual Field is highly recommended at every annual visit and the retinal photos at least every two years. These tests are especially important for people who have:
These screening tests are optional. There is an additional charge of $25.00 for each test or $39 for both tests. Under certain circumstances, these tests may be medically necessary. If so, your insurance company may pay for the full medical test(s).
Please check the appropriate line below and sign at the bottom.*
Dr. Neeraj Bindal, Optometrist
FINANCIAL & COMMUNICATION CONSENT
COMMUNICATIONS WITH YOU AND CONSENT TO CONTACT YOU
I, *, agree to be financially responsible for the charges for these services. If my account is assigned to a collection agency, I agree to pay all collection fees of 25%, court costs and reasonable attorney fees. I understand that all accounts with a balance over 30 days will be assessed interest at the rate of 18% annually on the unpaid balance.
In addition, you agree, in order for us to service our account or to collect any amounts you may owe, we, our agents, assignees, third party(s) or servicing agent(s) may contact you by telephone at any telephone number associated with your account and/or number you provided by you, including wired or wireless telephone numbers, which could result in charges to you. Your also agree all to allow us, our agents, assignees, third party(s) or servicing agents to communicate with you to include text messaging, e-mail, facsimile, and any other electronic communications You also agree that Methods of contact may include the use of pre-recorded/artificial voice messages and/or use of an automated telephone dialing device or system, as applicable. You agree that we, our agents, assignees, third party(s) or servicing agent(s) may, for training purposes or to evaluate the quality of service, may listen to and record phone conversations you have with us and/or our agents, assignees third party(s) or servicing agent(s).
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