Cadia Healthcare Privacy Policy

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Your privacy is a high priority for us and it will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality. This Notice applies to all information and records related to your care that we have received or created. It extends to information received or created by our employees, staff, volunteers, physicians and health care personnel. This Notice informs you about the possible uses and disclosures of your protected health information. It also describes your rights and obligations regarding your protected health information.

In order for us to be able to provide you with the best service and care, we need to receive protected health information from you. However, we want to emphasize that we are committed to maintaining the privacy of this information in accordance with state and federal laws.

Maintain the privacy of your protected health information.
Provide to you this detailed Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices relating to your protected health information.
Abide by the terms of the Notice that is currently in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and make the new Notice provisions effective for all protected health information that the facility maintains.

While receiving care from the facility, information regarding your healthcare history, treatment and payment for your health care may be originated and/or received by us. State and federal law protects information that can be used to identify you and which relates to your health care or your payment for health care. This is your protected health information.

We collect protected information about you to help us provide the best service, assistance and care, to provide billing services and to fulfill legal and regulatory requirements. The type of information the facility may receive from you varies according to the assistance and care that you may need.

If we become aware that an item of your protected health information is materially inaccurate, we will make a reasonable effort to re-verify its accuracy and correct any error as appropriate.

We continue to assess new technology to evaluate our ability to provide additional protection for your protected health information. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards that comply with state and federal standards to guard your protected health information.

USING AND DISCLOSING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT AND HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS

We have described the uses and disclosures below and provide examples of the types of uses and disclosures we may make in each of these categories.

Treatment: We will use and disclose certain protected health information so that we can bill and receive payment for the treatment and services you receive at the facility. Bills requesting payment will usually include information that identifies you, your diagnosis and any procedures performed or supplies used. We may disclose your protected health information to facility and non-facility personnel who also may be involved in your care, including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses, nurse aides and physical therapists. Our workforce has access to such information on a need to know basis. For example, a nurse caring for you will report any change in your condition to your physician. Your physician may need to know the medications you are taking before prescribing additional medications. It may be necessary for the physician to inform the nurses or staff of the medications and monitor any possible side effects. In addition, we may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services, which may be of interest to you.

We may also disclose protected health care information to individuals who will be involved in your care after you leave the facility. Anyone who has access to protected health care information is required to protect it and keep it confidential.

Payment: We may use and disclose certain protected health information so that we can bill and receive payment for the treatment and services you receive at the facility. Bills requesting payment will usually include information, which identifies you, your diagnosis and any procedures performed or supplies used. We may disclose your protected health information to your legal representative, insurance or managed care companies, Medicare, Medicaid or other third party payors. For example, we may contact Medicare or your health plan to confirm your coverage or to request prior approval for a proposed treatment or service.

Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose your protected health information for facility operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to monitor the health status of residents, manage the facility and monitor the quality of our care. For example, we may use protected health information to evaluate our facility's services, including the performance of our staff. In addition, we may release your protected health information to another individual or covered entity for quality assessment and improvement activities or for review of or evaluation of health care professionals.

Health Care Operations may also include the use of information for quality assurance, training, accreditation, medical review, auditing and business planning.

Facility Directory: The facility maintains a directory of resident names and their location within the facility. Unless you object, we will include certain limited information about you in our facility directory. This information may include your name and your room location in the facility. Our directory does not include health information about you. We may release information in our directory to people who ask for you by name. We may provide the directory information to any member of the clergy. You are not obligated, however, to consent to the inclusion of your information in the facility directory. You may restrict or prohibit these uses and disclosures by notifying the facility in writing of your restriction or prohibition.

The culture of our facility includes informing residents and staff of changes in your health status to maintain our sense of "community". For example, if you are under the weather and unable to participate in an activity that you regularly attend, and a friend asks about your absence, we like to explain your absence. You may restrict or prohibit these uses and disclosures by notifying the facility in writing.

Emergencies: In the event of an emergency or your incapacity, we will do what is consistent with your known preference (if any), and what we determine to be in your best interest. We will inform you of uses or disclosures of protected health information under such circumstances and give you an opportunity to object as soon as practicable.

Disaster Relief: We may disclose your protected health information to an organization assisting in a disaster relief effort.

As Required by Law: We will disclose your protected health information when required by law to do so.

Public Health Activities: We may disclose your protected health information for public health activities. These activities may include, for example:

Reporting for preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability.
Reporting deaths.
Reporting abuse or neglect of a dependant adult.
Reporting reactions to medications or problems with products.
Notifying a person who may have been exposed to a communicable disease or may otherwise be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition.
Disclosing for certain purpose involving workplace illness or injuries.

Reporting Victims of Abuse, Neglect or Domestic Violence: Delaware law requires that we disclose certain protected health information to government authorities, if we reasonably believe you have been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.

Health Oversight Activities: Delaware law also imposes certain duties on facilities such as this one to disclose certain protected health information to regulatory agencies for oversight activities authorized by law. These may include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections and licensure actions, judicial/administrative proceedings to which you are not a party, or other legal proceedings. In most cases, the oversight activities will be for the purpose of determining whether the care rendered by the facility was appropriate or whether the facility complied with certain laws and regulations. The facility does not control or define what information is needed by these regulatory agencies.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: We may be required to disclose your personal health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also be required to disclose information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful legal process. Efforts will be made to contact you regarding the request or to obtain an order or agreement protecting the information.

Law Enforcement: We may also release your protected health information to law enforcement officials for the following purposes:

Pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena/summons, or administrative request.
Identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person.
Regarding a crime victim, but only if the victim consents or the victim is unable to consent due to incapacity and the information is needed to determine if a crime has occurred, non-disclosure would significantly hinder the investigation, and disclosure is in the victim's best interest.
Regarding a decedent, to alert law enforcement that the individual's death was caused by suspected criminal conduct.
For reporting suspected criminal activity.

Coroner, Healthcare Examiners, Funeral Homes: We may release your personal health information to a coroner, medical examiner and funeral director. We may also release information to an organization involved in the donation of organs if you are an organ donor.

You have the following rights regarding your protected health information at the facility:

The right to receive notice of our policies and procedures used to protect your protected health information.
The right to request that certain uses and disclosures of your protected health information be restricted.
The right to access to your protected health information.
The right to obtain an accounting of certain disclosures by us of your protected health information for the past six years after April 13, 2003.
The right to obtain an accounting of certain disclosures by us of your protected health information for the past six years after April 13, 2003.
The right to request the method by which your protected health information is communicated.

We have the right not to agree to your requested restrictions on the use or disclosure of your protected health information. If we do agree to accept your requested restriction, we will comply with your request except as needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
We have the right to deny your request to inspect or receive copies of your protected health information in certain circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
We have the right to deny your request for amendment of protected health information if it was not created by us, if it is not part of your personal health information maintained by us, if it is not part of the information to which you have a right of access, or if it is already accurate and complete, as determined by us.

Use and disclosures of your protected health information not allowed by law under our Notice of Privacy Practices will only be made with your authorization. You can revoke the Authorization as described in your written Authorization. If you revoke your Authorization, we will no longer use or disclose your protected health information for the purpose covered by the Authorization, except where we have already relied on the Authorization.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violate you may file a written complaint with our Privacy Official. The Privacy Official will review and respond to your complaint in a timely manner. At any time, you can contact the office of Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regional office located at The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201, with a toll free number of 1-866-627-7748.

We will promptly revise and distribute this Notice whenever there is a material change to the permitted uses or disclosures, your individual rights, our legal duties, or other privacy practices stated in this Notice. We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the revised or new Notice provisions effective for all protected health information already received and maintained by the facility as well as for all protected health information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice in the facility. In addition, we will provide a copy of the revised Notice to all Residents.

We request that you sign an Acknowledgement of Receipt of Notice of Privacy Practices, attached as Exhibit "A".

If you have any questions about this Notice or would like further information concerning your privacy rights, please contact:

Lisa MacLennan, MSW, NHA, Corporate Compliance Officer
Cadia Healthcare
150 Onix Drive
Kennett Square, PA 19348.

Telephone number: (484) 731-2488.

Emergency questions or concerns use toll free Corporate Compliance Hotline at 866-691-1969.

The facility has a Notice of Privacy Practices its policies and procedures with respect to the treatment, use and disclosure of individually identifiable protected health information.

The Notice of Privacy Practices shall include all elements and statements that are required by law. The Notice shall inform the residents about the potential uses and disclosures of their protected health information, as well as their rights: (1) a description of each of the purposes for which the facility is permitted to disclose their protected health information, including, for example, treatment, payment and health care operations; and (2) a description of when written authorization is required before the facility may disclose the individual's protected health information in other instances.

1. The facility will provide the Notice of Privacy Practices to the resident upon admission to the facility.

2. A copy of the Notice of Privacy Practices will be kept in the resident's file.

3. The facility will provide a copy of the written notice to residents and to any other person upon request.

4. If there is a material change in the facility's use and disclosure policy that affects the rights of residents, legal duties imposed, or the practices of the facility, a new statement delineating those changes will be provided to all residents. Material changes will not be implemented until a revised Notice of Privacy Practices has been issued by the facility.

5. The facility's Privacy Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that written notices are received and posted in accordance with this policy, and for keeping copies of all Notice of Privacy Practices and any change