Terms and Conditions / Privacy Policy
Access to and use of this site is provided by Accredited Medical Equipment & Supply (AMES) and are subject to the following:
Your use of this site constitutes acceptance of the following Terms and
Conditions, which take effect on the date of your first use of the site.
AMES reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions at any time
by posting changes on-line. Your continued use of the site after changes
are posted constitutes acceptance of this agreement as modified by the
posted changes.
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USE AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Disclaimer
1. Views and opinions of non-AMES groups or individuals that appear
on the website do not necessarily reflect the views of AMES.
AMES does not endorse or recommend any commercial products, processes or
services linked from or provided within this website.
AMES website and the information, names, images, pictures, logos and
icons contained therein are provided "AS IS" and on an "IS AVAILABLE"
basis without any representation or endorsement made and without
warranty of any kind.
In no event will AMES or any of its member organizations accept
liability for any damages, including, without limitation, indirect or
consequential damages, or loss of profits, or any damages whatsoever
arising out of or in connection with the use or loss of use of this
site.
AMES does not warrant that the service continuity of this website will
be uninterrupted or error-free, nor that this site or the server that
makes it available are free of viruses, bugs or defects.
External links
Links from this site to other internet sites are provided only for
the convenience of visitors to AMES website. AMES and its members do not
endorse the content or services delivered through these external
websites and are not responsible for their availability, reliability or
accuracy. Permission to reproduce information from these sites may be
required from the website provider.
The existence of a link from any organization's site to AMES site does
not imply that AMES endorses the activities or views of that
organization.
USE AN DISCLOSURE OF HEALTH INFORMATION
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM may use your health information, information that
constitutes protected health information as defined in the Privacy Rule
of the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, for purposes of providing
your treatment, obtaining payment for your care and conducting health
care operations. The Agency has established policies to guard against
unnecessary disclosure of your health information.
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND
PURPOSES FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USE AND DISCLOSED:
To Provide Treatment. The Agency may use your health information to
coordinate care within the Agency and with others involved in your care,
such as your attending physician and other health care professionals who
have agreed to assist the Agency in coordinating care. For example,
physicians involved in your care will need information about your
symptoms in order to prescribe appropriate medications. The Agency also
may disclose your health care information to individuals outside of the
Agency involved in your care including family members, pharmacists
suppliers of medical equipment or other health care professionals.
To Obtain Payment. The Agency may include your health information in
invoices o collect payment from third parties for the care you receive
from the Agency. For example, the Agency may be required by your health
insurer to provide information regarding your health care status so that
the insurer will reimburse you or the Agency. The Agency also may need
to obtain prior approval from your insurer and may need to explain to
the insurer your need for home ca a and the services that will be
provided to you.
To Conduct Health Care Operations.
The Agency may use and disclose health information for its own
operations in order to facilitate the function of the Agency and as
necessary to provide quality care to all of the Agency's patients.
Health care operations includes such activities as:
Quality assessment and improvement activities.
Activities designed to improve health or reduce health care costs.
Protocol development, case management and care coordination.
Contacting health care providers and patients with information about
treatment alternatives and other related functions that do not include
treatment.
Professional review and performance evaluation.
Training programs including those in which students, trainees or
practitioners in health care learn under supervision.
Training of non-health care professionals.
Accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Review and auditing, including compliance reviews, medical reviews,
legal services and compliance programs.
Business planning and development including cost management and planning
related analyses and formulary development.
Business management and general administrative activities of the Agency.
Fundraising for the benefit of the Agency.
For example the Agency may use your health information to evaluate its
staff performance, combine your health information with other Agency
patients in evaluating how to more effectively serve all Agency
patients, disclose your health information to Agency staff and
contracted personnel for training purposes, use your health information
to contact you as a re minder regarding a visit to you, or contact you
as part of general fundraising and community information mailings
(unless you tell us you do no want to be contacted).
For Fundraising Activities. The Agency may use information about you
including name, address, phone number and the dates you received care in
order to contact you to raise money for the agency. The Agency may also
release this information to a related Agency foundation. If you do not
want the Agency to contact you, notify:
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974 -1234
and indicate that you do not wish to be contacted.
For Appointment Reminders. The Agency may use and disclose your health
information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment
for a home visit.
For Treatment Alternatives. The Agency 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.
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND PURPOSES
FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED WITHOUT
FIRST RECEIVING YOUR WRITTEN CONSENT.
When Legally Required. The Agency will disclose your health information
when it is required to do so by any Federal, State or local law.
When There Are Risks to Public Health. The Agency may disclose your
health information for public activities and purposes in order to:
Prevent or control disease, injury or disability, report disease,
injury, vital events such as birth or death and the conduct of public
health surveillance, investigations and interventions.
Report adverse events, product defects, to track products or enable
product recalls, repairs and replacements and to conduct post marketing
surveillance and compliance with requirements of the Food and Drug
Administration.
Notify a person who has been exposed to a communicable disease or who
may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease.
Notify an employer about an individual who is a member of the workforce
as legally required.
To Report Abuse, Neglect Or Domestic Violence. The Agency is allowed t
notify government authorities if the Agency believes a patient is the
victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. The Agency will make this
disclosure only when specifically required or authorized by law or when
the patient agrees to the disclosure.
To Conduct Health Oversight Activities. The Agency may disclose your
health information to a health oversight agency for activities including
audits, civil administrative or criminal investigations, inspections,
licensure or disciplinary action. The Agency, however, may not disclose
your health information if you are the subject of an investigation and
your health information is not directly related your receipt of health
care or public benefits.
In Connection With Judicial And Administrative Proceedings. The Agency
may disclose your health information in the course of any judicial or
administrative proceeding in response to an order of a court or
administrative tribunal as expressly authorized by such order or in
response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process, but
only when the Agency makes reasonable efforts to either notify you about
the request or to obtain an order protecting your health information.
For Law Enforcement Purposes. As permitted or required by State law, the
Agency may disclose your health information to a law enforcement
official for certain law enforcement purposes as follows:
As required by law for reporting of certain types of wounds or other
physical injuries pursuant to the court order, warrant, subpoena or
summons or similar process.
For the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material
witness or missing person.
Under certain limited circumstances, when you are the victim of a crime.
To a law enforcement official if the Agency has a suspicion that your
death was the result of criminal conduct including criminal conduct at
the Agency.
In an emergency in order to report a crime.
To Coroners And Medical Examiners. The Agency may disclose your health
information to coroners and medical examiners for purposes of
determining your cause of death or for other duties, as authorized by
law.
To Funeral Directors. The Agency may disclose your health information to
funeral directors consistent with applicable law and if necessary, to
carry out their duties with respect to your funeral arrangements. If
necessary to carry out their duties, the Agency may disclose your health
information prior to and in reasonable anticipation of your death.
For Organ, Eye Or Tissue Donation. The Agency may use or disclose your
health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities
engaged in the procurement. banking or transplantation of organs, eyes
or tissue for the purpose of facilitating the donation and
transplantation.
For Research Purposes. The Agency may, under very select circum-stances,
use your health information for research. Before the Agency discloses
any of your health information for such research purposes, the project
will be subject to an extensive approval process. The Agency will almost
always request your written authorization before granting access to your
individually identifiable health information.
In the Event of A Serious Threat To Health Or Safety. The Agency may,
consistent with applicable law and ethical standards of conduct,
disclose your health information if the Agency, in good faith, believes
that such disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and
imminent threat to your health or safety o to the health and safety of
the public. For Specified Government Functions. In certain
circumstances, the Federal regulations authorize the Agency to use or
disclose your health information to facilitate specified government
functions relating to military and veterans, national security and
intelligence activities, protective services for the President and
others, medical suitability determinations and inmates and law
enforcement custody.
For Worker's Compensation. The Agency may release your health
information for worker's compensation or similar programs.
AUTHORIZATION TO USE OR DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION
Other than is stated above, the Agency will not disclose your health
information other than with your written authorization. If you or your
representative authorizes the Agency to use or disclose your health
information, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time.
YOUR RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
You have the following rights regarding your health information that the
Agency maintains:
Right to request restrictions. You may request restrictions on
certain uses and disclosures of your health information. You have the
right to request a limit on the Agency's disclosure of your health
information to someone who is involved in your care or the payment of
your care. However, the Agency is not required to agree to your request.
If you wish to make a request for restrictions, please contact
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974-1234
Right to receive confidential communications. You have the right
to request that the Agency communicate with you in a certain way. For
example, you may ask that the Agency only conduct communications
pertaining to your health information with you privately with no other
family members present The Agency will not request that you provide any
reasons for your request and will attempt to honor your reasonable
requests for confidential communications.
Right to inspect and copy your health information. You have the
right to inspect and copy your health information, including billing
records. A request to inspect and copy records containing your health
information may be made to
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974-1234 If you request a copy of your
health information, the Agency may charge a reasonable fee for copying
and assembling costs associated with your request.
Right to an accounting. You or your representative have the right
to request an accounting of disclosures of your health information made
by the Agency for any reason other than for treatment, payment or health
operations. The request for an accounting must be made in writing:
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974-1234
The request should specify the time period for the accounting starting
on r after April 14, 2003. Accounting requests may not be made for
periods of time in excess of seven (7) years. The Agency would provide
he first accounting you request during any 12-month period without
charge. Subsequent accounting requests may be subject to a reasonable
cost-based fee.
Right to a paper copy of this notice. You or your representative
have a right to a separate paper copy of this Notice at any time even if
you or your representative have received this Notice previously. To
obtain a separate paper copy, please contact:
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974-1234
DUTIES OF -THE AGENCY The Agency is required by law to maintain
the privacy of your health information and to provide to you and your
representative this Notice of its duties and privacy practices. The
Agency is required to abide by the terms of this Notice a may be amended
from time to time. The Agency reserves the right to change a terms of
its Notice and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all
health information that it maintains. If the Agency changes its Notice,
the Agency will provide a copy of the revised Notice to you or your
appointed representative. You or your personal representative have the
right to express complaints is to the Agency and to the Secretary of
DHHS if you or your representative believe that your privacy rights have
been violated. Any complaints to the Agency should be made in writing
to:
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974-1234
The Agency encourages you to express any concerns you may have regarding
the privacy of your information. You will not be retaliated against in
any way for filing a complaint.
CONTACT PERSON
The Agency has designated Neil Rotter as its contact person for all
issues regarding patient privacy and your rights under the Federal
privacy standards. You may contact this person at:
Neil Rotter, Privacy Officer
MEDEQUIPMENT4HOME.COM
5955 De Soto Ave, Suite 160
Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Telephone (800) 974-1234