THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILD MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. Vision To Learn (“VTL”) may provide optometric services to your child at your child’s school and in doing so, will act as a Covered Entity for the purposes of compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”). VTL, its employees, and workforce members who are involved in providing and coordinating health care are all bound to follow the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”). Any services we provide to your child will be free of charge.
Our Responsibilities
- We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your child’s PHI.
- We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your child’s PHI.
- We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
- We will not use or share your child’s PHI other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.
- We will never sell your child’s PHI or use it for marketing activities.
How We May Use and Share Your Child’s Protected Health Information
VTL will use or disclose your child’s protected health information (“PHI”) for treatment and health care operations. In some states, we may also use and disclose your child’s PHI for purposes of payment.
- Treatment. Your child’s PHI may be used and disclosed to provide treatment and other services to your child–for example, to discuss with your child’s primary care provider the findings from our vision screening.
- Health Care Operations. Your child’s PHI may be used and disclosed for health care operations, which include quality reviews. For example, your child’s PHI may be used to evaluate the quality of optometrists. In addition, your child’s PHI may be shared with our contractors – called business associates – who perform certain services on behalf of VTL, such as those who store your child’s PHI in electronic records.
- Payment. VTL does not charge families, but in some states your child’s PHI may be used and disclosed to obtain payment from your child’s health insurer (for example, Medicaid or CHIP) or another organization legally responsible for paying for your child’s care. In other states, such as North Carolina, VTL does not bill health insurers or the Medicaid program, and therefore your child’s PHI won’t be used for such billing in those states.
Under law, VTL may use or share your child’s PHI certain other ways. While we believe many of these situations typically will not occur given the services we are providing, we are required by law to advise you that we can use or share your PHI in order to:
- Talk to other family members or others involved in your child’s care.
- Conduct outreach, enrollment, care coordination, and case management.
- Protect the public health, such as to report to public health agencies information they seek to control or prevent the spread of diseases.
- Assist a disaster relief organization such as the American Red Cross in their disaster relief efforts.
- Facilitate organ and tissue donations.
- Assist a medical examiner, coroner, or funeral home in performing their duties required by law.
- Assist law enforcement for limited purposes, such as to help them locate a missing person or a fugitive or to alert them of the commission of a crime.
- Report suspected child abuse or neglect to appropriate government agencies.
- Reduce or prevent a serious threat to the health and safety of your child or another person.
- Respond to lawsuits and legal actions.
- Participate in approved research projects.
- Appeal a Medicaid decision.
- Allow government agencies to conduct health oversight activities.
- Meet our obligation to comply with the law.
Your Rights
- You can ask us not to use or share your child’s PHI for treatment, payment, or our operations, but we are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your child’s care.
- You have the right to ask to see or get a copy of your child’s health and claims records within 30 days of your request. Contact us at the number or email address below to obtain a copy of your child’s records.
- You have the right to ask us to correct your child’s health claims and records. We may say “no” if we disagree with the request, but we must tell you why in writing within 60 days.
- You can request that we communicate with you in a certain way, such as only via mail.
- You can obtain a list of the times we shared your child’s PHI within the prior 6 years, once per year for free, subject to limits provided by law.
- You can obtain a paper copy of this notice at any time.
Changes to the Terms of This Notice
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, on our web site, and we will mail a copy to you. Effective Date: 8/30/2024
For Further Information or Complaints. If you desire further information about your child’s privacy rights, are concerned that your child’s privacy rights have been violated or disagree with a decision made about access to your child’s PHI, you may contact Vision to Learn at the phone number or email address listed below. Vision To Learn will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 509F HHH Bldg, Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html.