Privacy Policy

"At Home Assisted Living"
Notice of Privacy Practices

Introduction
"THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY."

Policy
At Home Assisted Living (AHAL) respects the rights and safeguards of all information of the patients it serves. All patients or their legal representatives will receive a copy of AHAL privacy notice no later than the first day of service delivery. AHAL will make a good faith effort to obtain the patients written acknowledgement of receipt of this notice.

Procedure
During the admission visit the patient will be given a notice of privacy practices that is written in plain English, and contains the following elements:
A. Permitted uses and disclosures of protected health information "PHI".
B. Patient rights and
C. Agency responsibility:

We are permitted to use your PHI for each of the following purposes:

• Treatment - information may be used to diagnose your condition and assess your health care needs. This information includes, but is not limited to X-rays, prescriptions and lab work.
• Payment - your PHI may be used for determining our need to bill and collect payment for services rendered. This includes, but is not limited to billing Medicare, HMO, MediCal and any other payors.
  Health care operations- in an effort to make ongoing improvements in our operations, your PHI may be used for quality care initiatives, training, evaluation, licensing and accreditation.
• Business associates - our agency contracts with various vendors to perform certain activities on our behalf.
• As required by law - these include but are not limited to disclosure to state and federal regulatory agencies who may periodically review our compliance efforts, which may result in reviewing our medical records.
• Marketing - your PHI may be used to contact you about various services and benefits we can provide for you.
• Law enforcement - we may disclose your PHI to assist in law enforcement. These include, but are not limited to attaining a search warrant, or to help identify or locate someone.
• Research purposes - we may use or disclose your PHI for research when the use has been reviewed and approved by an institutional board of reviewers or privacy board.
• Worker's compensation - we may release your information to comply with worker compensation laws.
• Coroners - we may disclose your PHI to a coroner or medical examiner to assist in determining cause of death.
• Lawsuits and legal disputes - we may use PHI in responding to a court or administrative order, subpoena, or a discovery request.
• Serious threat to public safety - we may use your PHI when it is necessary to avoid a credible threat to you or to others.

  All other disclosure requires your prior written consent. Your consent may be withdrawn at any time.

  We will make changes and amendments to the above policy as the need arises.

Patient's rights
1. You have the right to view and receive copies of your medical records at any time. To view your medical records, simply contact a clinical supervisor by mail. We reserve the right to deny your request. However, if we do, we will tell you why.
2. If you believe there is an error in your medical records, you may write us to request an amendment at the address below.
3. You have the right to restrict the uses and disclosures of certain parts of your PHI. You may also request that we not disclose your PHI to certain members of your family or friends who are involved in your care. Your request must state the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.
4. You have the right to request receipt of confidential communications from us by alternative means IE fax or email or at an alternative location. Requests must be made in writing to our privacy officer.
5. You have the right to file a complaint with the DHS if you feel your rights have been violated.

Agency responsibility
AHAL is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.

Contact Person
Daniel Fialkoff
5805 Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 740
Sherman Oaks, CA 91411
ATTN: Privacy Officer