Notice of Privacy Practices
(Effective May 1, 2022)
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.
This Notice applies to the clients receiving, or who have received, joint services from a Home Instead franchise business and Honor Technology, Inc. via the Honor Care Platform (also referred to as “We,” “Us,” or “Our”). This notice is applicable to each entity as your care provider.
YOUR CLIENT RECORD
We are committed to protecting your privacy. Your client record may contain protected health information, which may include medical information from your healthcare provider or others, such as notes about your symptoms, diagnoses, care, and a plan for future care.
We provide you with this notice to explain the ways in which we may use and disclose information about you, our responsibilities and privacy practices, and your privacy rights. The law requires covered entities to maintain the privacy of protected health information. We will provide you with a paper copy of this Notice, promptly upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this Notice electronically. This notice is not a contract and does not expand our obligations or create any rights not already provided by applicable law.
OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES
The following categories describe different ways that we may use and disclose your information. Not every possible use or disclosure within a category will be listed. We will abide by the restrictions on such uses and disclosures in applicable law.
Our Typical Uses and Disclosures– We may use of disclose your health information for the following purposes without your authorization:
- Treatment - We may use your health information and share it with other health professionals who are treating you. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury asks about your overall health condition.
- Run our organization - We may use and share your health information to run our business, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. For example, we may share information to: improve and enhance our services; measure and understand your experience through satisfaction surveys; ensure franchise/ brand standards are being achieved; receive technical support, data back-up and storage; business continuity; and recordkeeping. We may contract with individuals and entities to perform various functions on our behalf or to provide certain types of services, but only after these third-parties agree in writing to contract terms designed to safeguard your information. Third-parties may include global survey partners, technology companies that provide support to our business, and consultants. We may also share information with our affiliates, including Home Instead, Inc., or transfer information in connection with a merger, sale, or transfer of all or part of our business or as part of a corporate reorganization, stock sale, or other change in control.
- Payment – We may use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities and persons. Example: We may share information with your long-term health insurance company so it will pay for your services.
Other Possible Uses and Disclosures - We may also use of disclose your health information for the following purposes without your authorization; however, certain conditions may apply before We can share.
- Individuals Involved in Your Care – We may share information with a family member, friend, or others involved in your care or payment for your care, if using our professional judgment, we believe that you do not object or you instruct us to do so. If you are unable to agree due to your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we may share where we believe sharing is in your best interest.
- Public Health and Safety - We may share health information about you for certain situations such as:
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
- Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety - Research - We may use or share your information for health research, but only where approved by an institutional review board or privacy board in accordance with applicable regulatory standards.
- Comply with the Law - We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with authorized regulatory authorities seeking to verify our compliance with law and regulation. We may disclose confidential information related to communicable diseases only as permitted or required by federal, state, or local law.
- Organ and Tissue Donation Requests – If you are an organ donor, we may share health information about you with organ procurement organizations as necessary to facilitate donation and transplantation.
- Medical Examiner or Funeral Director - We may share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
- Workers’ Compensation, Law Enforcement, and Other Government Requests - We may use or share health information about you, as authorized or required by law:
- For workers’ compensation claims or similar programs;
- For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official;
- With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law;
- For special government functions like military, national security, and presidential protective services - Lawsuits and Legal Actions - We may share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order or in response to a subpoena.
For all other uses or disclosures, we will obtain your prior written authorization. You may also initiate the transfer of your records to another person by completing a written authorization form. You may revoke that written authorization at any time, except to the extent that we have already relied upon it. To revoke a written authorization, please contact us in writing using the information at the bottom of this form.
YOUR RIGHTS
Get a copy of your personal records
- You can ask to see or get a copy of your paper or electronic health records We have about you. Please contact us using the information below. We will provide you with a PHI release form that specifies the information to be released, to whom, and for how long.
- We will review your request and generally provide a copy or a summary of your information within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask Us to correct your records
- You may ask Us to correct your paper or electronic records if you think they are incorrect or incomplete.
- In certain cases, We may deny your request, but We’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days. For example, We may deny your request if the information you want to amend is maintained by another entity.
Request confidential communications
You may ask Us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address. We will consider all reasonable requests.
Ask Us to limit what We use or share
You may ask Us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or Our operations. For example, if you pay for care out-of-pocket in full, you may ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We may agree to such requests where required by law, but will not agree to limit sharing we have determined is necessary to provide care or for Our business.
Receive a list of those with whom We’ve shared information
- You can ask for a list of the times We’ve shared your health records for six years prior to the date you ask, who We shared it with, and why.
- We will include disclosures except for those made for treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked Us to make). You may request one list a year for free but We will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
Choose someone to act for you
- You may give someone the right to act on your behalf, you must submit a written notice and documentation supporting that person’s right to act on your behalf.
- If someone has medical power of attorney or is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your information.
We will confirm the person has this authority and can act for you before We take any action.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
We will let you know promptly and to the extent required by law of any breaches of unsecured health information that have compromised the privacy or security of your information. In such a case, We will notify you of the information involved, steps you may take, and a summary of actions being taken to investigate the breach, reduce harm to you, and protect against future breaches.
We reserve the right to change the provisions of the Notice and the changes will apply to all information We have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, on our web site, or We will mail a copy to you.
ADDITIONAL LAWS
State and federal state privacy laws may apply to your information. Where such laws apply, We will follow the more stringent privacy laws. Certain states have requirements that relate to uses and disclosures of HIV/ AIDS status, STDs and communicable diseases, reproductive health, mental health, alcohol and drug abuse, genetic information, or abuse and neglect. Unless state or federal law allows or requires Us to make the specific type of use or disclosure without your authorization, We will not release any such information without the specific authorization required by law.
COMPANY & CONTACT
If you have questions about this Notice, please contact us as described below. You may also register a complaint with us or the Secretary of HHS if you believe your privacy rights have been violated and you will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Please contact us with any questions or concerns using our online form linked here:
You may also reach us via a toll-free phone call or mail:
Attn: Privacy Team
Honor Technology, Inc.
13323 California Street
Omaha, NE 68154
Call toll-free: 855-969-6345