Patient Rights and Confidentiality

Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed by WTAMU Student Medical Services and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

West Texas A&M University Student Medical Services is required by law to maintain the privacy of certain confidential health information known as Protected Health Information (PHI), and to provide you with a Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI. We are required to abide by the terms of the version of this notice most currently in effect.

In order to protect the privacy of your medical information, West Texas A&M University Student Medical Services follows the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information (PHI)

West Texas A&M University Student Medical Services may use PHI for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations, in most cases without your written permission. Examples of our use of PHI for these purposes are:

• For Treatment
• For Payment
• For Health Care Operations
• Business Associates

Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures of PHI

Other ways in which West Texas A&M University Student Medical Services is permitted to use and/or disclose your PHI are:

• As Required by Law
• For Public Health Activities
• For Health Oversight Activities
• Legal Proceedings
• Law Enforcement
• For Research
• Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation
• To Prevent Serious Threat to Health or Safety
• Military Activity and National Security, Protective Services
• Inmates
• Worker’s Compensation
• Others Involved in Your Health Care

Required Disclosures of Your PHI

• Disclosures to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Disclosure to You

Other Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI

Other uses and disclosure of your PHI that are not described above will be made only with your written authorization. If you provide us with such an authorization, you may revoke the authorization in writing at any time, and this revocation will be effective for all future disclosures of PHI. However, the revocation will not be effective for information that we have used or disclosed when the previous authorization had been implemented.

Your Rights

• Right to Request a Restriction on What We Share
• Right to Request Confidential Communications
• Right to Inspect a Copy of Your Medical Record
• Right to Request an Amendment to Your Medical Record
• Right to a List of Those with Whom We’ve Shared Information
• Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice
• Right to Choose Someone to Act for You as Medical Power of Attorney

Complaints

You also have the right to complain to us, or the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint with us or to the government. Should you have any questions, comments, or complains you may direct all inquiries to the privacy officer listed at the end of this notice.

West Texas A&M University Student Medical Services reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time, and the changes will be effective immediately and will apply to all PHI that we maintain. Any material changes to the Notice will be promptly posted in our facilities and posted on our website. You can get a copy of the latest version of this notice by contacting the Privacy Officer as listed at the end of this notice.

If you have any questions or if you wish to file a complaint or exercise any rights listed in this Notice, please contact:

LuAnne Rickwartz, Compliance Officer
West Texas A&M University Student Medical Services
Virgil Henson Activities Center, Room 104
WTAMU Box 61401
Canyon, TX 79016

(806) 651-3287