Privacy Notice

YOUR PRIVACY IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR US AT SKYLIGHT HEALTH GROUP.  THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED.  PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

As your healthcare provider of choice, your treatment at Skylight Health will require our providers to gather information about your current health and your medical history.  The following information will explain how your information may be used and shared with other parties.  It will also explain your privacy rights regarding this information.  We remain in full compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA.

By Law, Skylight Health Group is bound to the terms found below to make sure that any information that may be able to identify you is kept private.  We take this policy very seriously and ask that you review it carefully.

Uses and Disclosures of your Personal Health Information

Below, you will find examples of ways that we may use and disclose health information that identifies you.  While these represent common examples, not every type of use or disclosure is able to be listed.

1. Skylight Health Group may use your health information to carry out treatment, payment and health care operation.
   1. Treatment refers to the provisioning or management of your health care.  At times, we may disclose your information to doctors, nurses, technicians or other health care personnel, including people outside of our organization who may be involved in your medical care.  Common examples of this usage are consultation with a third party on symptoms you may be experiencing or to provide a referral to a specialist or to fulfill prescription information at a pharmacy.
   2. Payment refers to the activities that are necessary to conduct financial settlement for services that are provided.  Common examples of this usage are providing information to your health plan in regard to the treatment you received so that your health plan is able to reimburse us.  We may also give notice to your health plan about future treatments in order to determine your coverage.
   3. Health care operations refers to the activities that Skylight Health needs to run its business.  Common examples of this usage are using your information to review treatment and other services in order to evaluate staff performance when looking to improve our quality of care.
2. We may also use or disclose your health information:
   1. To provide you with a reminder of an appointment.
   2. To support public health activities by reporting as required or authorized by state or federal law. These reports may include the reporting of exposure to a communicable disease.
   3. To inform you of additional treatment options, alternatives or health-related benefits and services.
   4. When required by federal, state or local law including cooperation with law enforcement officials as directed by a court order, warrant, criminal subpoena or other lawful process.
   5. To report abuse or neglect.
   6. When required by a coroner or medical examiner for the purpose of identifying a deceased person, determining a cause of death or other duties as required by law.
   7. When necessary to prevent or reduce a serious and/or imminent threat to the health and safety of a person or the public and the disclosure is to a person reasonably able to prevent or reduce the threat, pursuant to applicable law and standards.
   8. For research purposes, with your written authorization or as permitted by state law.
   9. To business associates to perform functions or services on behalf of Skylight Health.  This will only occur if the business associate has signed an agreement to protect the confidentiality of the information and if the information is necessary for the third party to perform its functions or services.
3. Skylight Health may disclose your health information to a family member, relative, a friend or other person you identify who is involved in your medical care or who helps pay for your care.
4. State and federal laws may be more stringent and may prohibit certain uses and disclosures identified above. When another law is more stringent than HIPAA, Skylight Health will follow the more stringent requirements. For example, some state laws require additional protection to the patient for records related to mental health treatment, drug and alcohol treatment and HIV-related information.Except for the purposes described above, Skylight Health will only use and disclose health information with prior written permission from you. At any time, you may let us know in writing if you change your mind on any permissions you give.

Patient Rights

1. At any time, you may request Skylight Health to restrict uses and disclosures of your health information for any of the items listed above. However, Skylight Health is not legally required to agree to the requested restriction, and we may reject the request it would affect your care or breach any legal requirement we may have. Any requests should be made in writing to the Skylight Health Head Office. 
2. You have the right to request a limit on the health information that we disclose about you to a person deemed to be involved in your care.  Examples may be a family member, relative or friend. Any requests should be made in writing to the Skylight Health Head Office. Within that request you must tell us the information you want to limit and the person you want the limits to apply.  For example, if you want to limit all disclosures to your spouse. Skylight Health will comply with your request unless we need to use or disclose the information in certain emergency treatment situations or if we are required to disclose by law.
3. You have the right to request any confidential communications by alternative means or at alternative locations. For example, you may request that we communicate with you only by mail.  Likewise, we you may request that we only communicate with you by telephone. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.  Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted and we may require you to provide additional information about how payments will be handled. All requests must be made in writing to the Skylight Health Head Office.
4. You have a right to view, inspect or obtain a copy of your health information that is used to make health care decisions for as long as Skylight Health maintains the information. This right does not apply to certain health information, including information compiled in reasonable anticipation of or for litigation and other information not subject to the right to access. We will work to provide a copy or summary of your health information within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. Requests should be made in writing to the Skylight Health Head Office. If access is denied, you will be provided with a written explanation that sets forth the basis for the denial, a description of how you may review those rights and a description of how you may appeal the decision.
5. You have the right to request that Skylight Health amend your health information if it is found to be incorrect or incomplete. Requests for amendment of information should be made in writing to the Skylight Health Head Office, and you must provide a valid and provable reason that supports your request to have the information changed. Skylight Health may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that was not created by Skylight Health, is not part of the medical information kept by Skylight Health or is accurate and complete.
6. At your request, Skylight Health will provide you with an accounting of disclosures by Skylight of your health information during the six years prior to the date of your request. However, such accounting will not include disclosures made to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations, directly to you or your personal representatives or based on your written authorization. If you request more than one accounting within a 12-month period, Skylight Health will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for each subsequent accounting. Requests should be made in writing to the Skylight Health Head Office.
7. You may exercise your rights through a personal representative as permitted or required by applicable law. Your personal representative may be required to produce evidence of authority to act on your behalf before Skylight Health provides access to your information or is allowed to take any action for you.
8. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may complain to the Skylight Health Head Office. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All complaints should be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized in any way for filing a complaint.
9. To obtain a paper copy of this Notice, contact the Skylight Health Head Office.

Skylight Health Group Duties

• Skylight Health is required to maintain the privacy and security of your health information.
• Skylight Health must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this policy and must give you a copy of it upon request.
• Skylight Health will let you know promptly if any breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

This policy is effective beginning November 1, 2020.  Skylight Health Group reserves the right to change its privacy practices and to apply the changes to any health information received or maintained by Skylight Health prior to the date of the changes as well as any information received in the future. If the terms found herein are changed, a revised version will be available upon request and will be posted in a clear and prominent location at our clinics.

Questions or Concerns

At any time, you may direct any questions or concerns about this policy to:

Skylight Health Group Head Office
82 Hartwell St  Floor 2

Fall River, MA, 02721
Phone: (844) 644-8880