Piedmont Access to Health Services, Inc s2

PIEDMONT ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES, INC.

Policy Number: 01-01-013

SUBJECT: Permitted Disclosures Not Requiring an Authorization from the Patient and Not Requiring an Opportunity to Agree or Object

EFFECTIVE DATE: 04/01/2004

REVIEWED/REVISED: 09/18/2006, 03/03/2009, 04/01/2010, 09/16/2011, 02/11/2013, 10/15/2014,

03/11/2016

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POLICY: PATHS is permitted by HIPAA rules to disclose health information without a written authorization and without providing the patient with an opportunity to agree or object only in the circumstances described below.

DEFINITIONS:

1. Use means, with respect to individually identifiable health information, the sharing, employment application, utilization, examination, or analysis of such information within an entity that maintains such information.

2. Disclosure means the release, transfer, provision of access to, or divulging in any other manner of information outside the entity holding the information.

3. Required by Law means a mandate contained in law that compels a covered entity to make a use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI) and that is enforceable in a court of law. Required by law includes but is not limited to, court orders and court-ordered warrants, subpoenas or summons issued by a court, grand jury, a governmental or tribal inspector general, or an administrative body authorized to require the production of information; a civil or an authorized investigative demand, Medicare conditions of participation with respect to health care providers participating in the program, and statues or regulations that require the production of information, including status or regulations that require such information if payment is sought under a government program providing public benefits.

4. Health Oversight Agency means an agency or authority in the United States, a state, a territory, a political subdivision of a state or territory, or an Indian tribe, or a person or entity acting under grant of authority from a contract with such public agency, including the employees or agents of such public agency or its contractors or persons or entities to whom it has granted authority, that is authorized by law to oversee the health care system (whether public or private) or government programs in which health information is necessary to determine eligibility or compliance, or to enforce civil rights laws for which health information is relevant.

5. Law Enforcement Official means an officer or employee of an agency or authority of the United States, a state, a territory, a political subdivision of a state or territory, or an Indian tribe, who is empowered by law to: (1) investigate or conduct an official inquiry into a potential violation of law; or (2) Prosecute or otherwise conduct a criminal, civil or administrative proceeding arising from an alleged violation of law.

6. Public Health Authority means an agency or authority of the United States, a state, a territory, a political subdivision of a state or territory, or an Indian tribe, or a person or entity acting under a grant of authority from or contract with such public agency, including the employees or agents of such public agency or its contractors or persons or entities to whom it has granted authority, that is responsible for public health matters as part of its official mandate.

PROCEDURE:

1. Permitted Disclosures: PATHS is permitted to make disclosures in accordance with this policy without:

a. Obtaining an authorization from the patient; or

b. Providing the patient with the opportunity to agree or object to the use or disclosure.

2. Verification and Documentation: Prior to making a disclosure, if PATHS does not know the requesting person or entity’s identity or authority to make such a request, PATHS must verify this information. In addition, PATHS must obtain any documentation, statements, or representations from the person requesting the PHI prior to disclosure of such information when required as discussed below.

a. As Required by Law:

i. PATHS may use or disclose PHI to the extent that such use or disclosure is required by law. The disclosure must comply with and be limited to the relevant requirements of such law. However, the minimum necessary requirements (See PATHS’ “Minimum Necessary Policy”) are not applicable to those disclosures required by law.

ii. The following are examples of disclosures that are required by law and therefore permitted under this policy:

(a) Court orders and court-order warrants;

(b) Subpoenas or summons issued by a court, grand jury, a governmental inspector general, or an administrative body (such as the Department of Health) authorized to require the production of information;

(c) Civil or authorized investigative demand;

(d) Medicare conditions of participation;

(e) Statues or regulations that require disclosure if payment is sought under a government program involving public benefits;

(f) Other status and regulations requiring the production of PHI; or

(g) Disclosures required by HIPAA (see PATHS’ “Disclosure to Patients” policy).

iii. For disclosures required by law about victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, for judicial and administrative proceedings and for law enforcement purposes, there are additional prerequisites to disclosing information as described below.

b. For Law Enforcement Purposes: PATHS may disclose PHI to law enforcement officials:

i. As required by law including laws that require the reporting of certain types of wounds or other physical injuries;

ii. Pursuant to, or in compliance with, and as limited by the relevant requirements of:

(a) A court order or court-ordered warrant, or a subpoena or summons issued by a judicial officer;

(b) A grant jury subpoena; or

(c) An administrative request, including an administrative subpoena or summons, a civil or an authorized investigative demand, or similar process authorized under law, provided that:

(1) The information sought is relevant and material to a legitimate law enforcement inquiry;

(2) The request is specific and limited in scope to the extent reasonably practical in light of the purpose for which the information is sought; and

(3) De-identified information could not reasonably be used.

iii. In response to law enforcement official’s request for information for the purposes of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person, provided that PATHS may disclose only the following information:

(a) Name and address;

(b) Date and place of birth;

(c) Social security number;

(d) ABO blood type and rh factor;

(e) Type of injury;

(f) Date and time of treatment;

(g) Date and time of death (if applicable); and

(h) A description of distinguishing physical characteristics, including height, weight, gender, race, hair and eye color, presence or absence of facial hair (beard or mustache), scars, and tattoos.

PATHS may not disclose for the purposes of identification or location any PHI related to the individual’s DNA analysis, dental records, or typing, samples or analysis of body fluids or tissue unless the patient is a suspect.

iv. In response to a law enforcement official’s request for information about an individual who is or is suspected to be a victim of crime, if:

(a) The individual aggress to the disclosure; or

(b) PATHS is unable to obtain the individual’s agreement because of incapacity or other emergency circumstance, provided that the law enforcement official represents that such information is needed to determine whether a violation of law by a person other than the victim has occurred, and such information is not intended to be used against the victim, the law enforcement official represents that immediate law enforcement activity that depends upon the disclosure would be materially and adversely affected by waiting until the individual is able to agree to the disclosure, and the disclosure is in the best interests of the individual as determined by the covered entity, in the exercise of professional judgment.

v. For the purposes of alerting law enforcement of the death of an individual if PATHS has a suspicion that such death may have resulted from criminal conduct.

vi. When PATHS believes, in good faith, that the PHI constitutes evidence of criminal conduct that occurred on the premises.

vii. When providing emergency health care in response to a medical emergency (other than such emergency on the premises of the covered health care provider) if a disclosure appears necessary to alert law enforcement to:

(a) The commission and nature of a crime;

(b) The location of such crime or of the victim(s) of such crime; and

(c) The identity, description, and location of the perpetrator of such time.

viii. If PATHS believes that the medical emergency is the result of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, see section “e” of this policy.

c. Pursuant to Judicial or Administrative Proceedings, including Subpoenas: In the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding, PATHS is permitted to disclose protected health information:

i. In response to a court or administrative order provided that the covered entity discloses only the PHI expressly authorized by such order.

ii. In response to an attorney issued subpoena, discovery request, or other legal process in one of the following three instances:

(a) PATHS receives satisfactory assurance from the party seeking the information that reasonable efforts have been made by such party to ensure that the individual who is the subject of the PHI that has been requested has been given notice of this request. Satisfactory assurances means that the practices receives from such party a written statement and accompanying documentation that:

(1) The party requesting such information has made a good faith attempt to provide written notice to the individual (or, if the individual’s location is unknown, to mail a notice to the individual’s last known address);

(2) The notice included sufficient information about the litigation or proceeding in which the PHI is requested to permit the individual to raise an objection to the court or administrative tribunal; and

(3) The time for the individual to raise objections to the court or administrative tribunal has elapsed and no objects were filed or all objections filed by the individual have been resolved by the court or administrative tribunal and the disclosures being sought are consistent with such resolution.

(b) The covered entity receives satisfactory assurance from the party seeking the information that reasonable efforts have been made by such party to secure a qualified protective order. In this case satisfactory assurances means that the provider receives from such party a written statement and accompanying documentation demonstrating that:

(1) The parties to the dispute giving rise to the request for information have agreed to a qualified protected order and have presented it to the court or administrative tribunal with jurisdiction over the dispute; or

(2) The party seeking the PHI has requested a qualified protective order from such court or administrative tribunal.

A qualified protective order means an order of a court or of an administrative tribunal or a stipulation by the parties of the litigation or administrative proceeding that:

(3) Prohibits the parties from using or disclosing the PHI for any purpose other than the litigation or proceeding for which such information was requested;

(4) Requires that the PHI either be returned to PATHS or destroyed (including all copies made) at the end of the litigation or proceeding, or

(c) If PATHS does not receive the satisfactory assurances described above but makes reasonable efforts to provide notice to the individual patient or to seek a qualified protective order sufficient as described in section 2 above.

If PATHS cannot comply with any of the above, PATHS may comply with the subpoena by sending the subpoenaed information “under seal” to the clerk of the court issuing the subpoena or to the clerk whose court the action is pending. Under seal means that you place the records in a sealed envelope and attach to the sealed envelop a cover letter that, to the clerk of the court, which states that confidential health care records are enclosed and are being submitted under seal for the court’s review.

d. For Public Health Activities, including STD Reporting: PATHS may disclose PHI for public health activities and purposes to:

i. A public health authority that is authorized by law to collect or receive such information for the purpose of:

(a) Preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability (including the reporting of disease, injury, vital events such as birth or death);

(b) The conduct of public health surveillance, public health investigations, and public health interventions;

(c) This includes disclosures to an official of a foreign government agency that is acting in collaboration with a public health authority at the direction of a public health authority.

ii. A public health authority or other appropriate government authority authorized by law to receive reports of child abuse or neglect.

iii. A person subject to the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with respect to an FDA-regulated product or activity for which that person has responsibility, for the purpose of activities related to the quality, safety, or effectiveness of such FDA-regulated product or activity including:

(a) To collect or report adverse events (or similar reports with respect to food or dietary supplements), product defects or problems (including problems with the use or labeling of a product), or biological product deviations;

(b) To track FDA-regulated products;

(c) To enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement or retroactive review (including locating and notifying individuals who have received products that have been recalled, withdrawn, or are the subject of retroactive review); or

(d) To conduct post marketing surveillance.

iv. A person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition, if the covered entity or public health authority is authorized by law to notify such person as necessary in the conduct of a public health intervention or investigation; or

v. An employer, about an individual who is a member of the workforce of the employer, if:

(a) PATHS provides health care to the individual at the request of the employer to conduct an evaluation related to medical surveillance of the workplace or to evaluate whether the individual has a work-related illness or injury;

(b) The PHI that is disclosed consists of findings concerning a work-related illness or injury or a workplace-related medical surveillance;

(c) The employer needs such findings in order to comply with its federal or state obligations to record such illness or injury or to carry out responsibilities for workplace medical surveillance; and