HIPAA Privacy Policy & Notice of Privacy Practices

R+ Med Spa (“R+”) is committed to protecting your privacy. It is important for you to understand that it is not mandatory for you to provide your personally identifiable information or personal healthcare information and other possible information about you to use or visit www.rplusmedspa.com.

During your visit to our website, remember that the medical and health information presented here is intended to be general in nature, and should not be viewed as a substitute for professional advice. Please consult with a health care professional for all matters relating to personal medical and health care issues.

To protect your privacy, you should not submit any information that contains personal healthcare information or personally identifiable information (like name, phone number, email address) regarding your personal situation, as R+ cannot protect the confidentiality of your personal healthcare information or personally identifiable information in such circumstances. Any personal healthcare information or personally identifiable information submitted is done so at your own risk.

Certain health and medical information about you is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) and Kentucky state law. This information may be provided by you online or offline, or may be collected by us from other methods such as through a health care provider. R+ protects covered health and medical information as we may be required by HIPAA and Kentucky state law. Similarly, R+ may use covered health and medical information as permitted by HIPAA and Kentucky state law.

To read more about our privacy practices regarding health and medical information under HIPAA, please read below. In the event of any conflict between our Notice of Privacy Practices and this Website HIPAA Privacy Policy, the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices shall control.

R+ will not collect your personally identifiable information unless it has been clearly provided by you. If you decide to sign up to any tools (newsletters, alerts, participate in games, polls, sweepstakes or other activities, participate in forums or blogs, etc), you will need to provide your personally identifiable information to us along with your clear consent for us to use it.

As R+ does not control third party websites to which we provide links, the collection and use of your personally identifiable information by such websites shall be subject to the policies and procedures of those third party websites.

R+ does not sell, rent, release or trade personal customer information to outside parties. R+ reserves the right to disclose information if necessary to comply with any legal proceedings.

R+ does not sell or distribute healthcare information, but may utilize anonymously submitted health data you give voluntarily for surveys, research projects or data collection.

R+’s web site may use “cookies” to store information about a visit to its web site. Cookies are text files stored on your computer which can retain small pieces of information between visits to the web site. This way, your personal preferences may be retained between visits. Most web browser software can be configured to refuse cookies or to notify you when a web site attempts to send you a cookie.

R+ reserves the right to make changes to its privacy policy without prior notice. Announcements of such changes will be displayed on this web site.

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.

R+ is dedicated to protecting your protected health information (“PHI”). We are required by law to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. R+ is required by law to abide by the terms of the Notice that is currently in effect. The effective date of this Notice of Privacy Practices is May 5, 2021.

WHO WILL FOLLOW THIS NOTICE?

This notice describes the practices of R+ and the practices that will be followed by all R+ workforce members who handle your medical information.

HOW YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION WILL BE USED AND DISCLOSED:

R+ will ask you to sign a consent form that allows R+ to use and disclose your PHI for treatment, payment and health care operations. You will also be asked to acknowledge receipt of this Notice.

Treatment: We may use and disclose your PHI for treatment purposes to doctors, nurses, technicians, and other caregivers. Your PHI may be used to order diagnostic tests, choose appropriate drugs and determine your treatment plan. If permitted to so do, we may also disclose your PHI to individuals or facilities that will be involved with your care after you leave R+ and for other treatment reasons. Your PHI may also be used in an emergency situation.

Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI so that the services we provide may be billed and payment be collected from you, an insurance company or a third party. This includes cellular, home and work phone numbers.

Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI to support our health care operations. For example, we may use or disclose your medical information in order for us to review the quality of our services, to evaluate our staff’s performance or to perform general administrative activities of R+.

We may also use and/or disclose your PHI in accordance with federal and state laws for the following purposes:

The following uses of your PHI may be made without any additional authorization from you. (Not every use or disclosure is listed, but be assured that all uses and disclosures made by R+ are only those which are permitted under the law).

Appointment reminders

We may use and disclose PHI to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment at R+. This includes your home, cellular and work phone numbers and your email address. If you request that such communications be made confidentially, please contact our office in writing at 210 Shane Drive, Glasgow, KY 42141. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.

Others involved in your healthcare

We may disclose your PHI to family members, other relatives or close friends when the medical information is directly relevant to that person’s involvement with your care or payment for care. R+ ask if there is a particular member of your family or close friend that you wish to serve as your personal representative, you will inform us as early in your visit as possible. Likewise, if there should be anyone in particular that you do not want included in your medical treatment plan, that you will let us know that information as well. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, R+ may disclose your PHI if it is determined that it is in your best interest based on your health care provider’s professional judgment or if R+ may reasonably infer that you would not object.

Emergency situations

R+ may use or disclose your PHI in an emergency treatment situation. If this happens, your physician will attempt to obtain your acknowledgment of this Notice as soon as reasonably practicable after the delivery of treatment.

Health-related benefits or services

From time to time, R+ may use and disclosure PHI to tell you about certain health related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

Required by law

R+ may disclose medical information about you when required to do so by federal, state or local law.

Communicable diseases

R+ may disclose your PHI, if authorized by law, to a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading the disease or condition.

Health oversight activities

R+ may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law including audits, investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, administrative and/or legal proceedings.

Abuse or neglect

Federal laws and regulations do not protect any information about suspected abuse or neglect from being reported under state law to appropriate state or local authorities.

Food and drug administration

R+ may disclose your PHI to a person or company required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to report adverse events, product defects or other problems, biologic product deviations, track products; to enable product recalls; to make repairs or replacements; or to conduct post-market surveillance, as required.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings

If you are involved in a lawsuit or dispute, R+ may disclose your PHI in response to your authorization or a court or administrative order. R+ may also disclose your PHI in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process if such disclosure is permitted by law.

Law enforcement

R+ may disclose your PHI for certain law enforcement purposes if permitted or required by law. Examples include: to report emergencies or suspicious deaths, to comply with a court order warrant or similar legal process, or to answer certain requests for information concerning crimes.

Coroners, funeral directors, and organ donation

R+ may disclose PHI about you to a coroner or medical examiner for identification purposes, determining cause of death, or for the coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties required by law. R+ may also disclose PHI about you to a funeral director in order to permit the funeral director to carry out legal duties, and may do so if death is reasonably anticipated. Your PHI may also be disclosed for certain organ donations to which you may have agreed.

Research

R+ may disclose your PHI to researchers when their research has been approved and protocols have been established to ensure the privacy of your information. R+ may also disclose a limited set of your information, as allowed under the law, for research purposes.

Public Safety

R+ may use or disclose your PHI to prevent or lessen a serious threat to your health and safety or the health or safety of another person or to the public. Any disclosure, however, would be to someone able to help prevent the threat.

Workers’ Compensation

R+ may release PHI about you for Workers’ Compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

1. RIGHT TO ACCESS, INSPECT, AND COPY
   You have the right to access, inspect and receive copies of your PHI that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes medical and billing records. To request a copy of your medical record, please contact R+ at (270) 651-4772. We will respond to your request within thirty (30) days of the request or sixty (60) days if your medical information is not available at the time of request. We shall be granted a thirty (30) day extension upon written notice to you providing the reason for the extension of time.
   
   
   •  Fees. There may be a fee for copies of your record; you will be notified before any charges are applied. The patient’s first requested copy is free; there will be a charge of $1.00 per page for subsequent copies.
     
     
   • Denials. We may deny your request to inspect and/or receive copies of your medical information if it is not in writing and in other, very limited circumstances. You will receive a written notice of denial containing the reason for denial and the procedure for review. In some circumstances, another licensed health care professional chosen by R+ may review your request and the denial. The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the review. You may also have the right to request a review of our denial of access through a court of law. All requirements, court costs and attorneys’ fees associated with a review of a denial by a court are your responsibility. You should seek legal advice if you are interested in pursuing such rights.
     
     
2. RIGHT TO AMEND
   If you feel that medical information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by, or for, R+. In your written request, you must provide a reason that supports your request for amendment. If we approve your request, we shall make the amendment to your medical information, inform you that we have made the amendment, and make a reasonable effort to tell others that need to know about the change to your medical information. 
    
   • Send request to: Compliance Officer at TJRH, 1301 North Race Street, Glasgow, KY 42141
     
     
   • Denials. We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:
     •  Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
     • Is not part of the medical information kept for or by R+;
     • Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
     • Is accurate and complete.
       
       If your request for amendment is denied, we will provide you with a written statement of the basis for the denial and a description of how you may file a written statement of disagreement. If you do not file a statement of disagreement, you may request that your request for amendment and our written denial be provided with any future disclosures of your medical information.
       
       
3. RIGHT TO AN ACCOUNTING OF DISCLOSURES
   You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures”. This is a list of the disclosures we made regarding medical information about you.
   •  Exclusions.
     The list will not include: disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations; disclosures made directly to you; disclosures authorized by you pursuant to a signed authorization; disclosures made for national security or intelligence purposes; and disclosures to correctional institutions and for other law enforcement purposes. This list also will not include disclosures made before April 14, 2003. Your request must include a time period, which may not exceed six (6) years prior to the date of the request and may not include any dates prior to April 14, 2003. Your request should also indicate in what form, i.e., electronic or paper, you would like your request to be processed. We will provide the first list to you at no charge; however, if you make more than one request in the same year, we may charge you up to $1.00 per page for each additional request. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.
     
     
   • Electronic Health Record.
     An accounting of disclosures from the electronic health record related to treatment, payment or health care operations will be made only for the six (6) year period preceding the request.
     
     
4. RIGHT TO REQUEST RESTRICTIONS
   You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the PHI we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a surgery you had. You may request a restriction or revise a restriction of your PHI by providing a written request stating the specific restriction required. However, we are not required to grant your request unless it involves the disclosure of PHI to a health plan for purposes of carrying out payment or health care operations that pertains solely to a health care item or service for which R+ has been paid out of pocket in full. If we do grant your request, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency medical treatment. If restricted PHI is disclosed to a health care provider for emergency treatment, we will request that such health care provider not further use or disclose the information. In addition, you and/or R+ may terminate the restriction if the other party is notified in writing of the termination. Unless you agree, the termination of the restriction is only effective with respect to PHI created or received after you have been informed of the termination.
   
   
5. RIGHT TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
   You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may request that we only contact you at work or by mail. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your written request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
   
   
6. RIGHT TO PAPER COPY OF THIS NOTICE
   You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time.
   
   You may obtain a copy of this Notice at our website: https://www.rplusmedspa.com
   
   To obtain a paper copy of this Notice, contact (270) 651-4772.
   
   To learn more about these procedures, or to make any of these requests, you should contact our Office Manager at (270) 651-4772.
   
   If you would like to inspect, amend or copy your medical information, receive an accounting of disclosures of your medical information, or to request a restriction on your medical information, please submit your request and reason in writing.
   
   T.J. Regional Health
   Compliance Officer
   1301 North Race Street
   Glasgow, KY 42141
   (270) 651-4513
   
   Changes to this notice
   R+ reserves the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for PHI we already have about you, as well as any information we create or receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice on R+ website: https://www.rplusmedspa.com.
   
   Complaints
   You have the right to complain to us and/or the United States Department of Health and Human Services if you believe that we have violated your right to privacy. If you choose to file a complaint, you will not be retaliated against in any way. To complain to us or to contact us for additional information about this Notice or our privacy practices, please contact:
   
   T. J. Regional Health
   Patient Advocate Office
   1301 North Race Street
   Glasgow, KY 42141
   (270) 651-4242
   
   Other uses of protected health information
   Other uses and disclosures of your PHI not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to will be made only with your written permission (“authorization”). If you provide us permission to use or disclose PHI about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose PHI about you for the reasons covered by your authorization. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission, and that we are required to retain our records of the medical treatment or other services that we have provided to you.
   
   Questions?
   If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact the Office Manager at R+ Med Spa.