Seneca Area Agency on Aging Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

Seneca Area Agency on Aging is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information. If you have any questions about this Notice, please contact our privacy officer at 641- 682-2270.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF HEALTH INFORMATION
Seneca Area Agency on Aging collects health information from you and stores it in a record or on a computer. This record is the property of the Seneca Area Agency on Aging, but the information in the record belongs to you. Seneca may use your health information for purposes of providing you treatment, obtaining payment for your care and conducting health care operations. Seneca has established policies to guard against unnecessary disclosure of your health information. Seneca may use or disclose your health information for the following purposes:

• Treatment. Seneca may use your health information to coordinate care within Seneca and with others involved in your care such as your attending physician, members of the interdisciplinary team and other health care professionals who have agreed to assist Seneca in coordinating care. Seneca may also disclose your health information to individuals outside of Seneca involved in your care including family members, clergy who you have designated, pharmacists, suppliers of medical equipment, dieticians or other health care professionals.

• Conduct Health Care Operations. Seneca may use and disclose health information for its own operations in order to facilitate the function of Seneca and as necessary to provide quality services to all of Seneca' s clients. Health care operations include such activities as evaluating the quality of health care services, compliance with federal and state regulations, case management and care coordination, professional review and performance evaluation, business planning and development and general administrative activities of Seneca.

  For example, Seneca may use your health information to evaluate its staff performance, combine your health information with other Seneca clients in evaluating how to more effectively serve all of its clients, disclose your health information to Seneca staff and contracted personnel for training purposes, use your health information to contact you as a reminder regarding a visit to you, or contact you as part of general fund raising and community information mailings unless you tell us you do not want to be contacted.

• Obtain Payment. Seneca may include your health information and invoices to collect payment from third parties for the care you receive from Seneca. For example, Seneca may be required by the federal or state government to provide information regarding your health care status so that the federal or state government will reimburse you or Seneca. Seneca may also need to obtain prior approval from your insurer or state or federal government and may need to explain your need for services that would be provided to you.

• Fundraising Activities. Seneca may use information about you including your name, address, phone number, and the dates you received services in order to contact you or your family to raise money for Seneca. If you do not want Seneca to contact you or your family, notify Connie Holland, Executive Director, Seneca Area Agency on Aging, 117 N. Cooper, Suite 2, Ottumwa, IA 52501, 641-682-2270 and indicate that you do not wish to be contacted.

• Appointment Reminders. Seneca may use and disclose your health information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for a home visit.

• Treatment Alternatives. Seneca may use and disclose your health information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.