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Under federal law, we may use and share your health information without your approval for treatment, payment and health care operations. We typically use or share your information in the following ways.
Treat you
- Information you give to our health care team will be written in your medical record. The health care team may read, discuss, or share your health information to provide quality care and to help decide what care may be best for you.
- We may also give health information to your other health care providers. This will help them stay informed about the care we have given you.
Run our organization
- We may use your health information to review our programs and learn how to make our services better.
- We may use your health information to look at how our health care providers do their job and to train our staff.
- We may contact you to remind you about appointments and give you information about different types of treatment or other health-related services.
- We may share your health information with state auditors, and federal auditors.
- We may share your health information with our business associates. These are people or agencies who help us serve you. The law says we can give them enough information to do their jobs. We require them to protect your information just like we do.
Bill for medical services
- We will bill your health insurance. Health insurance companies and programs need information about your medical care to pay your bill. Information given to your health insurance may include your condition, procedures, or care we think you need. Under state law, we must still get your approval to bill your insurance.
- We may share your health information to decide which services you may get.
- We may share your health information, if you are a LEOFF 1 member, with other Clark County departments for processing your claim.
How else can we use or share your health information?
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information, see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.
Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you to public health and legal authorities for certain situations such as:
- Preventing disease, injury or disability
- Helping with product recalls or problems with food, nutritional supplements, and products such as vaccinations or birth control
- Reporting adverse reactions to medications
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence of a child or adult
- Reporting births, deaths, and other vital statistics
- Helping with disaster relief to let family and friends know about your condition
- Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
Do research
We can use or share your information for health research. Your approval is not required when a study does not let other people know who was included in the study. The research must be set up to protect your privacy.
Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.
Work with a medical examiner, coroner or funeral director
We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you:
- For workers’ compensation claims claim regarding a work-related injury or illness
- For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official to report a crime, an agency investigating a crime, or if you are the victim of a crime
- With correctional facilities if you are in jail or prison, as needed for your and others’ health and safety
- With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law to review local health programs such as the Washington State Department of Health
- For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.