Healthix: Authorization For Access to Patient Information
AUTHORIZATION FOR ACCESS TO PATIENT INFORMATION
Details about the information accessed through Healthix and the consent process:
1. How Your Information May Be Used. Your electronic health information will be used only for the following healthcare services:
● Treatment Services. Provide you with medical treatment and related services.
● Insurance Eligibility Verification. Check whether you have health insurance and what it covers.
● Care Management Activities. These include assisting you in obtaining appropriate medical care, improving the quality of services provided to you, coordinating the provision of multiple health care services, or supporting you in following a medical care plan.
● Quality Improvement Activities. Evaluate and improve the quality of medical care provided to you and all patients.
2. What Types of Information about You Are Included? If you consent, the Provider Organization(s) listed may access ALL of your electronic health information through Healthix. This includes information created before and after the date, this form is signed.
Your health records may include a history of illnesses or injuries you have had (like diabetes or a broken bone), test results (like X-rays or
blood tests), and lists of medicines you have taken. This information may include sensitive health conditions, including but not limited to:
● Alcohol or drug use problems
● Birth control and abortion (family planning)
● Genetic (inherited) diseases or tests
● HIV/AIDS
● Mental health conditions
● Sexually transmitted diseases
● Medication and Dosages
● Diagnostic Information
● Allergies
● Substance use history summaries
● Clinical notes
● Discharge summary
● Employment Information
● Living Situation
● Social Supports
● Claims Encounter Data
● Lab Test
3. Where Health Information About You Comes From. Information about you comes from places that have provided you with medical care or health insurance. These may include hospitals, physicians, pharmacies, clinical laboratories, health insurers, the Medicaid program, and other organizations that exchange health information electronically. A complete, current list is available from Healthix. You can obtain an updated list anytime by Healthix’s website at www.healthix.org or by calling 877-695-4749.
4. Who May Access Information About You, If You Give Consent. Only doctors and other staff members of the Organization(s) to you have given consent to access who carry out activities permitted by this form as described above in paragraph one.
5. Public Health and Organ Procurement Organization Access. Federal, state, or local public health agencies and certain organ procurement organizations are authorized by law to access health information without a patient’s consent for certain public health and organ transplant purposes. These entities may access your information through Healthix for these purposes without regard to whether you
give consent, deny consent, or do not fill out a consent form.
6. Penalties for Improper Access to or Use of Your Information. There are penalties for inappropriate access to or use of your electronic health information. If at any time you suspect that someone who should not have seen or gotten access to information about you has done so, call our office or visit Healthix’s website: www.healthix.org; or call the NYS Department of Health at 518-474-4987; or follow the complaint process of the federal Office for Civil Rights at the following link: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
AUTHORIZATION FOR ACCESS TO PATIENT INFORMATION - continued
7. Re-disclosure of Information. Any organization(s) to whom you have given consent to access health information may re-disclose your health information, but only to the extent permitted by state and federal laws and regulations. Alcohol/drug treatment-related information or confidential HIV-related information may only be accessed and may only be re-disclosed if accompanied by the required statements
regarding the prohibition of re-disclosure.
8. Effective Period. This Consent Form will remain in effect until the day you change your consent choice, death, or until such time as Healthix ceases operation. If Healthix merges with another Qualified Entity, your consent choices will remain effective with the newly merged entity.
9. Changing Your Consent Choice. You can change your consent choice at any time and for any Provider Organization or Health Plan by submitting a new Consent Form with your new choice. Organizations accessing your health information through Healthix while your consent is in effect may copy or include your information in their medical records. Even if you later decide to change your consent, they are not required to return your information or remove it from their records.
10. Copy of Form. You are entitled to get a copy of this Consent Form.