Privacy Policy / HIPAA
HIPAA
The HIPAA Privacy Rule creates national standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information and to give patients more control over their health information. It sets limits on the use and release of health records. It establishes safeguards that providers and health plans must implement to protect the privacy of health information. The Privacy Rule provides that, in general, a covered entity may not use or disclose an individual’s healthcare information without permission except for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. The Privacy Rule will require the average healthcare provider or health plan to do the following:
- Notify patients about their privacy rights and how their information can be used.
- Adopt and implement privacy procedures for its practice, hospital, or plan.
- Train employees so that they understand privacy procedures.
- Designate an individual to be responsible for seeing that privacy procedures are adopted and followed.
- Secure records containing individually identifiable health information so that they are not readily available to those who do not need them.
The rule also provides for reduced compliance for plans that share limited information with the plan sponsor. Other related regulations provide requirements for the security of health information; national standards for electronic healthcare transactions; and national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers.
Northwest Laboratories is completely compliant with the HIPAA regulations. Because we use the individual’s healthcare information for treatment, the dental laboratory is considered a health care provider and the dentist can freely share the information with us, within the guidelines of the rules.
Privacy Policy
Northwest Laboratories believes that the privacy of the dentist should also be protected. Our relationship is our most prized asset, so all information related to your practice is held completely confidential. We treat it the same as the patient – doctor confidential policy.
- Our client list is completely confidentialWe do not share it outside of Northwest Laboratories.
- The only time your name will be associated with Northwest Laboratories is with your express permission.
- In regards to the Master Clinician program or a referral list.
In summary, we do not share any information concerning your practice or patients, without your permission.