Hipaa Policy

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Policy

The Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) is a statement issued to the patient informing them how their PHI is protected. The NPP is simply a notice and not an authorization. The NPP must be provided to all patients.

Procedure

Advanced Counseling Services ensures a copy of our NPP is accessible and can be provided to the patient on or before the first delivery of service, except in emergency situations. We obtain a signed acknowledgment that each patient (or parent or legal guardian of each patient) has received a copy of the NPP form. We then place the signed acknowledgment in the patient’s chart.

If the patient refuses to sign the acknowledgment, then on that acknowledgment, we document the fact they were given an NPP and that they refused to sign the acknowledgment form. Then we place it in the patient’s chart. Treatment cannot be dependent upon a signed acknowledgment of receipt of the NPP.

We have issued a Notice of Privacy Practice that meets 2013 HIPAA Omnibus Rule requirements. We issue a new NPP only when there are important and/or required amendments or changes to our policy. When we revise our NPP, we make it readily available upon request on or after the effective date of the revisions. We post the revised Notice on our website and in a prominent location on our premises. We inform our patients of the new document and offer them a copy, but we are not required to ensure every patient has a copy of the new document. We do not need to obtain a signed acknowledgment of receipt of the new or amended NPP.

New patients who receive services for the first time after modification of an NPP should be provided with a copy of the revised NPP. We also retain copies of all previous versions of our NPPs and any written acknowledgments by patients of receipt of NPPs.

For questions regarding our NPP, please contact our HIPAA Privacy Compliance Officer.