Notice of Privacy Practices
GenomicMD is committed to protecting the privacy of your identifiable health information, known as “protected health information” or “PHI.” We are required by law to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding PHI and to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI
Federal privacy law allows GenomicMD to use and disclose your PHI as follows:
- Treatment - We may use and disclose your PHI for treatment services. GenomicMD provides laboratory testing for patients ordered by physicians and other healthcare professionals, and we use your PHI in our testing process. We disclose your PHI to authorized healthcare professionals who order tests or need access to your test results for treatment purposes. We may use and disclose PHI to contact you to remind you of an appointment or to tell you about our health-related products and services that may be of interest to you. Examples of other treatment-related purposes include disclosure to a provider to help interpret your test results or use of your PHI to contact you to obtain another specimen, if necessary.
- Payment - We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for your healthcare services. We may disclose or use your PHI to payers and health plans to determine eligibility for services or obtain payment for our services.
- Healthcare Operations - We may use and disclose your PHI for activities to support healthcare operations, which may include management, operations, quality assurance, utilization review, or other necessary functions.
- Individuals Involved in Your Care - We may release health information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care or payment for your care or to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, and location.
- Business Associates - Some services provided to or on behalf of GenomicMD by third parties are known as “business associates”. GenomicMD may disclose your PHI to our business associates so that they can perform the job we have asked them to do (e.g., such as customer service software to communicate with you), but we require our business associates to appropriately safeguard your PHI.
- To Avert Serious Threat to Health or Safety - We may use and disclose your PHI to prevent a serious threat to the health and safety of yourself, the public, or another person.
- Required by Law - When required by federal, state, or local law, we must disclose or use your information.
- Research - We may disclose your PHI for clinical research if the research has been approved through a special process designed to protect your privacy.
- Public Health Activities - We may use and disclose your PHI to public health or other authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. We may also disclose your information to report births, deaths, suspected abuse or neglect, non accidental physical injuries, reactions to medications, or problems with FDA-regulated products.
- Health Oversight Activities - We may use and disclose your PHI for audits, investigations, inspections, licensing purposes, or other activities necessary for appropriate oversight, as authorized by law.
- Judicial and Administrative Proceedings - We may use and disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order or a subpoena if all legal requirements are satisfied. We may also use or disclose your information to defend ourselves in the event of a lawsuit or administrative proceeding.
- Law Enforcement - In certain circumstances, we may disclose PHI for law enforcement purposes if required to do so by a law enforcement official in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons, or similar process, subject to all applicable legal requirements.
- Victims of Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence - We may disclose PHI to a government authority, including social services, if we reasonably believe that an individual is a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
- Additional Uses and Disclosures - As permitted by law, we may disclose your PHI to organ and tissue donor organizations, correctional institutions, coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors, workers compensation agents, or military command or national security authorities
Other Uses and Disclosures
We may also use or disclose your PHI for purposes not described above, including uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes, provided that we obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI. If you sign an authorization form for any purpose, you may revoke it, in writing, at any time, except to the extent that action has already been taken in reliance on the authorization.
Individual Rights
You have the right to inspect and receive a copy of your PHI. With some exceptions, you have the right to inspect and obtain a digital or hard copy of your PHI maintained in our designated record set. We may charge a fee for the associated cost of labor, mailing, or other supplies. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain limited circumstances. If you are denied access, you may request a review of the denial.
You have the right to request an amendment. If you believe the health information we have about you is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request an amendment of your health information. This right exists as long as we keep this information. You must provide a reason that supports your request. We may deny your request for an amendment in some circumstances.
You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures. You have the right to obtain a listing of certain disclosures we have made of your health information. You can request an accounting of these disclosures made for up to 6 years prior to the date of your request. The first request in a 12-month period is provided at no cost to you. There may be a charge for subsequent requests within the same 12-month period.
You have the right to request to receive communications of PHI by alternative means or at alternative locations. You may request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain alternative way or at a certain location, provided that such requested alternative mode of communication or the alternative location are reasonable.
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation. You may request that we agree to restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to your request, except for requests to limit disclosures to your health plan for purposes of payment or healthcare operations when you have paid us for the item or service covered by the request out-of-pocket and in full and when the uses or disclosures are not required by law.
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice. You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically.
How to Exercise Your Rights. You may write or send an email to us with your specific request. Please refer to the Contact Information below. GenomicMD will consider your request and provide you a response.
Our Responsibilities
Changes to This Notice. We reserve the right to change this Notice, and to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. If this notice is revised or changed, we will post the current Notice with its effective date. An up-to-date copy of this Notice is available electronically on our website. You are entitled to a copy of the Notice currently in effect.
Communications. E-mail and text messaging may not be a secure method of transmitting information. By providing us with your email address or mobile phone number, you understand these risks and consent to us communicating with you via e-mail or text message about your treatment or payment for your care.
State Law Requirements. Certain state health information laws and regulations, such as those dealing with mental health, HIV/AIDS or drug and alcohol records, may be more stringent than the federal privacy laws and further limit the uses and disclosures of your PHI described above and we will abide by these state law requirements if so.
Complaints/Questions/Contact Information. If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint. To file a complaint with us, exercise your rights under this Notice, or should you have any questions about this Notice, please contact us at the following address:
Contact Information:
Email: privacy@genomicmd.com
Phone: 877-760-4GMD (4463)
Mail: GenomicMD, 20 N Upper Wacker Dr, 12th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
For Further Information: Requests for further information about topics covered in this Notice may be directed towards our Privacy Officer (see Contact Information above).
Effective Date: December 20, 2023
Last Revised: December 20, 2023