Vidal Medical Telemedicine Practice HIPAA Compliance Policy
Purpose
This document outlines our telemedicine practice’s policies for managing Protected Health Information (PHI), ensuring patient privacy, and complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It includes:
- How we treat PHI or medical records
- Patients’ rights concerning PHI
- Contact information for our Privacy Officer
- Authorization to release records to a health coach
How We Handle Protected Health Information (PHI)
Our practice is committed to safeguarding the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI in compliance with HIPAA regulations. We handle PHI as follows:
- Collection and Use: PHI is collected only as needed for medical care, billing, or authorized operational purposes.
- Storage: All electronic PHI is stored securely using encryption and access control mechanisms. Physical records are secured in locked facilities.
- Access Control: Only authorized personnel with a legitimate business need have access to PHI. Access is restricted to the minimum necessary information. ● Disclosure: PHI is disclosed only with patient consent or as required by law. Unauthorized access, use, or disclosure is strictly prohibited.
Your Rights Concerning Protected Health Information
As a patient, you have the following rights regarding your PHI:
- Right to Access: You can request and obtain copies of your medical records. 2. Right to Amend: You may request corrections to your PHI if inaccuracies are identified. 3. Right to Restrict Use: You can request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI, subject to legal requirements.
- Right to Confidential Communications: You may request alternative communication methods or locations for receiving PHI.
- Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or the Department of Health and Human Services.
Contact Information for Privacy Officer
For any questions or concerns about this policy or to file a complaint, please contact: Megan Del Corral
Privacy Officer
Email: megan@vidalmed.com
Phone: 513-995-6564
Address: 700 W Pete Rose Way. Suite 430
Cincinnati, OH 45215
Authorization to Release Records
You may authorize the release of your records to a health coach by signing the authorization section below. This ensures compliance with HIPAA guidelines while supporting your health and wellness goals.
Acknowledgment and Authorization
Patient Name: ________________________________________
Signature: ___________________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________
Authorization to Release Records to Health Coach:
I authorize Vidal Medical to release my PHI to my health coach as specified in my care plan. Health Coach Name: ___________________________________
Patient Signature: ____________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________
Last updated: November 20, 2024
PRIVACY
Vidal Medical is committed to protecting the privacy of our members’ personal health information. Part of that commitment is complying with the Privacy Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which requires us to take additional measures to protect personal information and to inform our members about those measures.
INTERPRETATION
The words in which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.
DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:
Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service. Company(referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to Vidal Medical, 700 w Pete Rose Way.
Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device, or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.
Country refers to: United States
Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone, or a digital tablet.
Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
Protected Health Information (PHI) isinformation about you, including information that can reasonably be used to identify you and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of health care to you or the payment for that care.
Service refers to the Website.
Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.
Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).
Website refers to Vidal Medical LLC, accessible from https://vidalmed.com
You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.
The Notice of Privacy Practices describes how Vidal Medical may use and disclose a member’s personal health information, to protect personal health information about you, and how a member of a Vidal Medical health plan can get access to this information. The Notice of Privacy Practices was recently updated to reflect the way your health information is shared via secure electronic data sharing networks called Health Information Exchanges. You can also call to request a copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices by contacting Vidal Medical support.
We protect your privacy by:
limiting who may see your PHI;
limiting how we may use or disclose your PHI;
informing you of our legal duties with respect to your PHI;
explaining our privacy policies;
and adhering to the policies currently in effect.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Describes how Vidal Medical may use and disclose a member’s personal health information and how a member of a Vidal Medical health plan can get access to this information.
Notice of Privacy— For Vidal Medical customers
GENERAL HIPAA INFORMATION
HIPAA Resources: Covered entities, HIPAA Privacy Rule, Permitted Uses & Disclosures, & HIPAA Security Rule
HIPAA INQUIRIES
If you have questions regarding HIPAA, please contact
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.
We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.
You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:
By email: operations@VidalMed.com
By letter: 700 W Pete Rose Way, Cincinnati, OH 45203
By phone: (513) 995-6564