Privacy Policy & Notice of Privacy Practices
A&B HOMECARE COMPANION AGENCY L.L.C.
Effective Date: 05/01/2025
Introduction and Our Commitment
This document is the Privacy Policy and Notice of Privacy Practices for A&B HOMECARE COMPANION AGENCY L.L.C. We are committed to protecting the privacy of your personal and protected health information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), its implementing regulations, and all applicable Florida state laws, including those enforced by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.
1. Protected Health Information We Collect
We collect and use your PHI to provide you with high-quality home care services. The information we collect may include:
- Demographic and Contact Information: Name, address, date of birth, phone number, email address, and emergency contact details.
- Medical Record: This includes your medical history, current diagnoses, treatment plans, medications, physician’s orders, and notes from our care staff.
- Financial and Insurance Information: Details about your health insurance policy, Medicare or Medicaid information, financial account numbers, and billing and payment records.
- Service Records: Documentation of the home care services we provide, including visit schedules, care logs, and any incident reports.
2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Protected Health Information
We may use and disclose your PHI for the purposes of Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations (TPO) without a separate written authorization from you.
- For Treatment: We will use your PHI to provide, coordinate, and manage your home care. This includes sharing information with your physicians, therapists, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers to ensure you receive continuous, coordinated care. For example, we may communicate with your doctor to clarify a medication dosage or update them on your condition.
- For Payment: We will use your PHI to bill and collect payment for our services. This may involve providing your insurance company, Medicare, or other third-party payers with your demographic information, diagnoses, and details about the services we provided.
- For Healthcare Operations: We will use and disclose your PHI for our business operations. This includes activities such as quality assurance reviews, staff training and education, legal and auditing services, and general administrative management. These activities help us to improve the quality of care we provide and ensure we are in compliance with the law.
Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures
We may also use or disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following reasons, as required or permitted by law:
- To A&B HOMECARE'S Business Associates: We may share your PHI with third-party vendors (such as billing companies or software providers) who perform services on our behalf. We have a written agreement with each of these business associates to ensure they also protect your PHI.
- To Legal and Regulatory Bodies, including AHCA: We are required to disclose your PHI to federal and state regulatory and licensing bodies, such as the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), for purposes of audits, investigations, licensure, and oversight of our services. This is a crucial responsibility in maintaining our license to operate.
- For Public Health Activities: We may disclose your PHI to public health authorities for purposes such as preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, or reporting vital events like births and deaths.
- For Law Enforcement Purposes: We may disclose your PHI in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, or other legal process.
- To Report Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your PHI to government authorities if we believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
- In Case of an Emergency: In the event of an emergency, we may share your PHI with family members or other caregivers to assist in your care, based on our professional judgment and what we believe is in your best interest.
3. Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information (PHI)
You have the following rights concerning your PHI. To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact information below.
- Right to Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for the labor and supplies of providing the copies.
- Right to Amend: If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend it. We may deny your request if we believe the information is accurate and complete. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written explanation of our reasons, and you will have the right to submit a statement of disagreement.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made over the past six years. This list will not include disclosures made for TPO or those made with your authorization.
- Right to Request Restrictions: You may request a restriction on how we use or disclose your PHI for TPO. We are not required to agree to your request, but if we do, we will abide by that restriction unless you need emergency treatment. We cannot restrict disclosures that are required by law, such as those to AHCA.
- Right to Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health matters in a specific manner or at a certain location. For example, you may request that we send mail to your work address instead of your home. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
- Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
4. Our Responsibilities
As A&B HOMECARE COMPANION AGENCY L.L.C., we have the following responsibilities:
- To maintain the privacy of your PHI.
- To provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices.
- To notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.
- To abide by the terms of this notice.
5. Your Responsibilities
As a client, you have the responsibility to:
- Provide accurate and complete information to our staff.
- Communicate any changes in your personal or health status promptly.
- Cooperate with our staff in the provision of services.
6. Contact Information & Privacy Officer
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact our designated Privacy Officer:
A&B HOMECARE COMPANION AGENCY L.L.C. Attn: Privacy Officer
Lake Worth, FL 33467
(561) 816-1790
a@abhomecareservices.com
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update or change this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on our website and will be effective for all PHI that we maintain.