Maine Center

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. THIS NOTICE SUMMARIZES THE RIGHTS YOU HAVE AS A CONSUMER OF SERVICES AT MAINE CENTER. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

We respect patient confidentiality and only release medical information about you in accordance with Illinois and federal law. This notice describes our policies related to the use of the records of your care generated by any programs and services at Maine Center.

Privacy Contact: If you have any questions about this policy or your privacy rights please contact the Maine Center Privacy Officer at 847-696-1570, extension 307.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

In order to effectively provide you quality and responsible care, there are times when we will need to share your medical information with others beyond Maine Center. This includes for:

Treatment. We may use or disclose medical information about you to provide, coordinate, or manage your care or any related services, including sharing information with others outside Maine Center that we are consulting with or referring you to.

Payment. Information will be used to obtain payment for the treatment and services provided. This will include contacting your health coverage plan for prior approval of planned treatment or for billing purposes.

Healthcare Operations. We may use information about you to coordinate our business activities. This may include setting up your appointments, reviewing your care, and training staff.

INFORMATION DISCLOSED WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT

Under Illinois and federal law, information about you may be disclosed without your consent in the following circumstances:

Emergencies. Sufficient information may be shared to address the immediate emergency you are facing.

Follow Up Appointments/Care. We will be contacting you to remind you of future appointments or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. We may leave messages on your voicemail or answering machine unless you tell us not to do so.

As Required by Law. This would include situations where we have a subpoena, court order, or are mandated to provide public health information, such as communicable diseases or suspected abuse and neglect such as child abuse, elder abuse, or institutional abuse.

Coroners and Funeral Directors.We may disclose medical information to a coroner or medical examiner and funeral directors for the purposes of carrying out their duties.

Governmental Requirements. We may disclose information to the Illinois Department of Human Services, a health oversight and funding agency, for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations inspections, certification, and licensure. There also might be a need to share information with the Food and Drug Administration related to adverse events or product defects. We are also required to share information, if requested with the Department of Health and Human Services to determine our compliance with federal laws related to health care.

Criminal Activity or Danger to Others. If a crime is committed on our premises or against our personnel we may share information with law enforcement to apprehend the criminal. We also have the right to involve law enforcement when we believe an immediate danger may occur to someone.

Fund-raising. As a not for profit provider of behavioral health care services we need assistance in raising money to carry out our mission. We may contact you to seek a donation or your assistance.

CLIENT RIGHTS TO MAINE CENTER RECORDS

You have the following rights regarding your records at Maine Center under Illinois and federal law:

Copy of Your Record.You are entitled to inspect your record Maine Center has generated about you. You may request to schedule this with your therapist. We may charge you a fee for copying and mailing your record.

Release of Records.You may consent in writing to release of your records to others, for any purpose you choose. This could include your attorney, employer, or others who you wish to have knowledge of your care. You may revoke this consent at any time, but only to the extent no action has been taken in reliance on your prior authorization.

Restrictions on Record Disclosure.You may ask us not to use or disclose part of the medical information. This request must be in writing. Maine Center is not required to agree to your request if we believe it is in your best interest to permit use and disclosure of the information. The request should be given to the Maine Center Privacy Officer.

Contacting You.You may request that we send information to another address or contact you by alternative means. We will honor such request as long as it is reasonable and we are assured it is correct. We have a right to verify that the payment information you are providing is correct. We also will be glad to provide you information by email if you request it.We will leave messages for you on your voicemail unless you ask us not to do so.

Amending Your Record.If you believe that something in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request we amend it. To do this contact the Maine Center Privacy Officer and ask for the Request to Amend Health Information form. In certain cases, we may deny your request. If we deny your request for an amendment you have a right to file a statement you disagree with us. We will then file our response and your statement and our response will be added to your record.

Accounting for Disclosures.You may request an accounting of any disclosures we have made related to your medical information, except for information we used for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes or that we shared with you or your family, or information that you gave us specific consent to release. It also excludes information we were required to release. To receive information regarding disclosure made for a specific time period no longer than six years and after April 14, 2003, please submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer. We will notify you of the cost involved in preparing this list.

Questions and Complaints.If you have any questions, or wish a copy of this Policy or have any complaints you may contact our Client Care Committee in writing at our office for further information. You also may complain to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe Maine Center has violated your privacy rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Changes in Policy.Maine Center reserves the right to change its Privacy Policies and practices based on the needs of Maine Center and changes in state and federal law.

CODE OF ETHICS 
(To review Maine Center's Code of Ethics please follow this link)