Privacy Policy

THIS DOCUMENT EXPLAINS HOW YOUR MEDICAL INFORMATION MAY BE UTILIZED AND SHARED, AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS IT. KINDLY REVIEW IT THOROUGHLY. This Privacy Practices Notice is given to you in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and its implementing regulations (HIPAA). It pertains to all records concerning your physical and mental health, treatment, billing, and payment for such treatment (collectively referred to as “PHI”), which may be retained, used, and/or disclosed by TN Detox and its workforce members, volunteers, medical staff, and contractors. Let’s examine Organized Health Care Arrangements.

Effective Date

This Notice takes effect on April 7, 2023. TN Detox retains the right to modify this Notice. If revisions are significant, we will promptly revise and distribute an updated Notice through mail, email (if you have consented to electronic notice), hand delivery, or by posting on our website, as mandated by law. A copy of the current Notice will be provided to you when you initially register with TN Detox for treatment or services, upon request, and on subsequent visits if the Notice has been updated. Furthermore, the Notice will be displayed at the registration desk.

Commitment to Privacy

The privacy safeguards outlined in this Notice reflect TN Detox’s dedication to preserving your privacy and complying with HIPAA and other federal and state privacy and security regulations (collectively referred to as “Privacy Laws”). These laws require TN Detox to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI, provide you with this Notice, notify you of any unauthorized disclosure, use or breach of unsecured PHI, and adhere to the terms of this Notice.

Permitted Uses and Disclosures

The following section describes and provides examples of how TN Detox may utilize and disclose your PHI without your authorization. Any use or disclosure not falling within one of these categories necessitates your written authorization, which can be revoked by you at any time. State and/or federal laws may also impose restrictions on the manner in which specific types of PHI may be used and/or to whom such medical information may be disclosed, such as certain drug and alcohol information, HIV information, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and genetic information. In cases where the use and/or disclosure of this PHI is specifically restricted, we will seek proper authorization from you, your legal representative, or a valid court order before using or disclosing this information, unless required in a medical emergency or, in the case of drug or alcohol abuse programs, the disclosure is authorized by applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing drug or alcohol abuse. If a use or disclosure of health information mentioned in this Notice is prohibited or substantially limited by state law, our intent is to meet the requirements of the more stringent law.

Treatment

TN Detox may obtain PHI from and share PHI with healthcare providers involved in your treatment before, during, and after your stay with TN Detox. For instance, TN Detox may grant physicians and therapists access to your medical records in connection with providing care, or to a pharmacist in connection with requesting a prescription to identify potential interactions or allergies. In case of your incapacity or an emergency, TN Detox may also disclose your medical information based on our professional judgment of whether the disclosure would serve your best interests.

Payment

TN Detox will utilize your PHI to obtain payment for your care. For instance, TN Detox will supply information about the services that will be or were provided to you, so your insurance company or health plan can pay us or reimburse you. TN Detox may also provide information about payment sources to practitioners outside of TN Detox who are involved in your care, enabling them to obtain payment.

Healthcare Operations

TN Detox may utilize or share your PHI in connection with managing and operating the organization. For instance, TN Detox may use or share your PHI for appointment reminders, performance evaluation, care quality assessment, serious health or safety threats prevention, legal services and audit functions such as fraud detection, compliance programs, and due diligence activities, licensing and accreditation, business planning and development, deciding on new services to offer, discontinuing unnecessary services, and assessing the effectiveness of new treatments. In certain cases where you have not objected, we may report to authorized public or private entities involved in disaster relief efforts (e.g., the Red Cross) regarding your location or general condition. We may also disclose your health information to business associates who provide services and agree to safeguard your PHI properly.

Research

TN Detox may utilize and share PHI for research projects, subject to a special process that balances research needs with patients’ privacy requirements. For example, research may involve comparing health and recovery outcomes for patients with the same condition but treated with different medications. In preparation for a research project, TN Detox may share PHI with researchers without authorization or approval, as long as the PHI does not leave TN Detox. For instance, PHI may be shared with researchers at TN Detox to identify potential research study participants.

Required and Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures

TN Detox may disclose your PHI as needed or authorized by law, limiting the use or disclosure to the necessary amount of PHI for compliance or fulfilling authorized agencies’ purposes. Examples include disclosures to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for compliance investigations, state agencies for activities like audits and inspections, law enforcement for investigations, government authorities authorized to receive abuse, neglect, or domestic violence reports, courts or administrative law judges for judicial or administrative proceedings and as required by court or administrative orders, subpoenas, or other lawful processes, public health authorities for disease prevention or control, injury prevention, vital events reporting, public health surveillance, investigations or interventions, and reporting medication adverse reactions or regulated product issues, health oversight agencies for legally authorized oversight activities such as audits, investigations, and inspections, law enforcement officials for law enforcement or emergency purposes as required by law, in compliance with a court order obtained after demonstrating good cause or to investigate a crime occurring on our premises, coroners, medical examiners or funeral directors for carrying out their duties, organ or tissue procurement organizations to facilitate organ, eye, or tissue donations after your death, and specialized governmental functions such as national security, intelligence activities, and providing protective services to the President as required by federal and state laws. In accordance with state laws, PHI may be disclosed to minors’ parents, guardians, or persons acting in a similar legal status. In the state of Tennessee, records are produced in response to a court order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction following a full and fair show cause hearing.

Uses and Disclosures You May Agree or Object To

TN Detox will inform you in advance of certain uses and disclosures, and if you agree or express no objection, your PHI may be disclosed. For example, relevant PHI may be disclosed to a family member, friend, or any other person you identify for involvement or support in your healthcare or payment related to your healthcare, or to notify a family member, personal representative, or other person responsible for your care about your location, general condition, or death, unless doing so contradicts any prior expressed preference you make to us.

Right to Amend

If you think the information we have about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request a change to your PHI within a designated record set. You must submit a written request for amendment to the Privacy Officer, explaining the reason for the amendment. While we accept amendment requests, we are not obligated to agree to them. We may deny your request if you ask us to modify information that was not created by us, is not part of your designated record set, or if the information is deemed accurate and complete as is. If we deny your request, we will provide a written denial, and you will have the opportunity to submit a written statement disagreeing with the denial. We will include this information in your medical record. If we approve your request, we will notify you promptly, make the amendment, and provide appropriate notification. Right to Revoke your Authorization. If you grant us authorization to use or disclose your PHI, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, and we will respect your request(s), except when required, prohibited, or permitted by law. The revocation will not apply to any action that TN Detox took in reliance on your authorization before receiving the revocation. Right to Breach Notification. In certain cases, you have the right to be informed if we, or one of our Business Associates, discover an inappropriate use or disclosure of your PHI. Notification of any such use or disclosure will be made in accordance with state and federal requirements.

Right to Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a record of disclosures. This is a list of the disclosures we have made of your PHI. We are not required to list certain disclosures, including (1) disclosures made for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes, (2) disclosures made with your authorization, (3) disclosures made to create a limited data set, (4) disclosures made directly to you, (5) disclosures permitted or required by the Federal HIPAA Privacy Rule, and/or (6) disclosures occurring prior to April 14, 2003. You must submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer. Your request must state a time period, which may not exceed 6 years before your request. Your request should indicate the format in which you would like the accounting (e.g., on paper or by e-mail). The first accounting you request within any 12-month period will be free. For additional requests, we may charge you for the reasonable costs of providing the accounting. We will notify you of the costs involved, and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request before any costs are incurred.

Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice, even if you agreed to receive it electronically. To obtain this Notice in written form, please contact us as directed below.

Right to a Foreign Language Version

If you have difficulty reading or understanding English, you may request a copy of this Notice in another language.

Personal Data Collection and Usage

Third parties, including Facebook, may use cookies, web beacons, and other storage technologies to collect or receive information from your websites and other parts of the internet, and use that information to provide measurement services and target ads. You can opt-out of this data collection and usage for ad targeting at any time by visiting http://www.aboutads.info/choices.

Contact Information for Privacy Officer 

For more information about our privacy practices or if you have questions or concerns about this Notice, please contact the following:

TN Detox Attn: Privacy Office 244 Jackson Meadows Dr Hermitage, TN 37076

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint with either of the above or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.