HIPAA Privacy Practices

Purpose of This Notice

Rymond Fire & Rescue Department is required by law to maintain the privacy of certain confidential health care information about you, known as Protected Health Information (PHI), and to provide you with a notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to that information.

This Notice explains:

How we may use and disclose your PHI
Your legal rights regarding your PHI
Our responsibilities in protecting your information

Raymond Fire & Rescue Department is required to follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect.

Our Commitment to Privacy

We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your health information. We will use or disclose only the minimum amount of PHI necessary to accomplish the intended purpose, except as otherwise required by law.

Uses and Disclosures of Protected Health Information

Raymond Fire & Rescue Department may use and disclose your PHI without written authorization for the following purposes:

Treatment

We may use and disclose PHI to provide medical treatment and services to you. This includes:

Information obtained verbally or in writing about your medical condition
Information shared with other healthcare providers involved in your care
Transmitting information via radio, telephone, or electronic systems
Providing hospitals with patient care reports created during treatment and transport

Payment

We may use and disclose PHI to obtain payment for services provided, including:

Submitting claims to insurance companies
Billing and collection activities
Medical necessity reviews and utilization review

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose PHI for operational purposes, including:

Quality assurance and training
Licensing and credentialing
Legal and financial services
Business planning and administrative activities
Processing grievances or complaints
Creating non-identifiable reports for data collection
Fundraising and certain marketing activities

Fundraising

We may contact you for fundraising purposes or to provide information about our annual subscription program.

Appointment Reminders and Other Services

We may contact you to remind you of scheduled non-emergency transports or to provide information about services or health-related benefits that may be of interest to you.You have the right to opt out of receiving fundraising communications from us at any time. To opt out, contact the Privacy Officer listed below.

Appointment Reminders and Other Services

We may contact you to remind you of scheduled non-emergency transports or to provide information about services or health-related benefits that may be of interest to you.

Uses and Disclosures Without Authorization

We may use or disclose PHI without your authorization in the following situations, as permitted or required by law:

To another healthcare provider for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations
To public health authorities for reporting births, deaths, diseases, abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
For health oversight activities such as audits, inspections, or investigations
For judicial or administrative proceedings
For law enforcement purposes under specific legal conditions
For military, national security, or special government functions
To prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety
For workers’ compensation purposes
To coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors
For organ and tissue donation purposes
For approved research activities with safeguards
In a manner that does not identify you personally

Any other use or disclosure of PHI will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke that authorization at any time in writing, except where action has already been taken.

Safeguarding Your Protected Health Information

We maintain physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect your PHI, including:

Limiting access to those with a need to know
Securing records and documents
Using passwords and log-off procedures
Avoiding discussion of PHI in public areas
Preventing unauthorized access or viewing

Our workforce is trained to comply with confidentiality policies and procedures.

We will notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the right to:

Access and Copy Your PHI

You may inspect or obtain copies of most PHI we maintain about you. Requests will generally be fulfilled within 30 days. Reasonable fees may apply.

Request Amendments

You may request corrections to your PHI. We may deny the request if the information is accurate or legally exempt from amendment.

Request an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures made in the past six years, excluding disclosures for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or those authorized by you.

Request Restrictions

You may request restrictions on how your PHI is used or disclosed. We are not required to agree to all requests but will honor those we approve.

Request Confidential Communications

You may request that we communicate with you about your PHI in a specific way or at a specific location (such as an alternate address or phone number). Reasonable requests will be accommodated.

Obtain a Paper Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you received it electronically.

Changes to This Notice

Raymond Fire & Rescue Department reserves the right to change this Notice at any time. Changes will apply to all PHI we maintain and will be posted in our facilities and on our website. You may request the most current version at any time.

Complaints and Contact Information

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Privacy Officer / Contact:
Angela Beadle
Department Clerk

2255 S. 76th Street
Franksville, WI 53126
Phone: (262) 835-1687

You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.