Section 3: Notice of Health Information Practices

You are receiving this notice because your healthcare provider participates in a non-profit, non-governmental health information exchange (HIE) called Health Current. It will not cost you anything and can help your doctor, healthcare providers, and health plans better coordinate your care by securely sharing your health information. This Notice explains how the HIE works and will help you understand your rights regarding the HIE under state and federal law.

How does Health Current help you to get better care?

In a paper-based record system, your health information is mailed or faxed to your doctor, but sometimes these records are lost or don’t arrive in time for your appointment. If you allow your health information to be shared through the HIE, your doctors are able to access it electronically in a secure and timely manner.

What health information is available through Health Current?

The following types of health information may be available:

  • Hospital records
  • Medical history
  • Medications
  • Allergies
  • Lab test results
  • Radiology reports
  • Clinic and doctor visit information
  • Health Plan enrollment and eligibility
  • Other information helpful for your treatment

Who can view your health information through Health Current and when can it be shared?

People involved in your care will have access to your health information. This may include your doctors, nurses, other healthcare providers, health plan and any organization or person who is working on behalf of your healthcare providers and health plan. They may access your information for treatment, care coordination, care or case management, transition of care planning and population health services.

You may permit others to access your health information by signing an authorization form. They may only access the health information described in the authorization form for the purposes stated on that form.

Health Current may also use your health information as required by law and as necessary to perform services for healthcare providers, health plans and others participating with Health Current.

The Health Current Board of Directors can expand the reasons why healthcare providers and others may access your health information in the future as long as the access is permitted by law. That information is on the Health Current website at healthcurrent.org/permitted use.

Does Health Current receive behavioral health information and if so, who can access it?

Health Current does receive behavioral health information, including substance abuse treatment records. Federal law gives special confidentiality protection to substance abuse treatment records from federally assisted substance abuse treatment programs. Health Current keeps these protected substance abuse treatment records separate from the rest of your health information. Health Current will only share the substance abuse treatment records it receives from these programs in two cases.

One, medical personnel may access this information in a medical emergency. Two, you may sign a consent form giving your healthcare provider or others access to this information.

How is your health information protected?

Federal and state laws, such as HIPAA, protect the confidentiality of your health information. Your information is shared using secure transmission. Health Current has security measures in place to prevent someone who is not authorized from having access. Each person has a username and password, and the system records all access to your information.

Your Rights Regarding Secure Electronic Information Sharing

You have the right to:

  • Ask for a copy of your health information that is available through Health Current. Contact your healthcare provider and you can get a copy within 30 days.
  • Request to have any information in the HIE corrected. If any information in the HIE is incorrect, you can ask your healthcare provider to correct the information.
  • Ask for a list of people who have viewed your information through Health Current. Contact your healthcare provider and you can get a copy within 30 days. Please let your healthcare provider know if you think someone has viewed your information who should not have.

You have the right under article 27, section 2 of the Arizona Constitution and Arizona Revised Statutes title 3, section 3802 to keep your health information from being shared electronically through Health Current:

  • You may “opt out” of having your information available for sharing through Health Current. To opt out, ask your healthcare provider for the Opt Out Form. After you submit the form, your information will not be available for sharing through Health Current.

Caution: If you opt out, your health information will NOT be available to your healthcare providers even in an emergency.

  • You may exclude some information from being shared. For example, if you see a doctor and you do not want that information shared with others, you can prevent it. On the Opt Out Form, fill in the name of the healthcare provider for the information that you do not want shared with others.

Caution: If that healthcare provider works for an organization (like a hospital or a group of physicians), all your information from that hospital or group of physicians may be blocked from view.

  • If you opt out today, you can change your mind at any time by completing an Opt Back In Form that you can obtain from your healthcare provider.
  • If you do nothing today and allow your health information to be shared through Health Current, you may opt out in the future.

If you do nothing, your information may be securely shared through Health Current.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. A current copy of this notice will be made available to you at any time.

Member Rights to Care and Information

You have the right to:

  • Be treated with respect and with due consideration for his or her dignity and privacy.
  • The right to privacy includes protection of any information that identifies a particular member except when otherwise required or permitted by law.
  • Receive access to treatment regardless of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, handicap, marital status or sexual preference.
  • Participate in decisions regarding your health, including the right to refuse treatment.
  • The same civil and legal rights as anyone else.
  • Get your services in a safe environment.
  • Get behavioral and medical services that support your personal beliefs, medical condition, and background in a language you can understand.
  • Get interpretation services at no cost to you if you don’t speak English or having a hearing impairment.
  • Receive information on treatment options and alternatives, appropriate to your condition, in a way that you are able to understand and allows you to participate in decisions about your health care.
  • Decide who you want with you during treatment and agree to or refuse treatment services, unless the services are court ordered.
  • Be free from any form of restraint or seclusion used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation.
  • Know the cost for a service that you choose but your health plan does not cover.
  • Receive, inspect and amend your medical records.
  • Free to exercise your rights and that the exercise of those rights shall not adversely affect services.

Notice of Legal Rights for Persons with Serious Mental Illness

  • The right to appropriate mental health services based on your individual needs;
  • The right to participate in all phases of your mental health treatment, including individual service plan (ISP) meetings;
  • The right to a discharge plan upon discharge from a hospital;
  • The right to consent to or refuse treatment (except in an emergency or by court order);
  • The right to treatment in the least restrictive setting;
  • The right to freedom from unnecessary seclusion or restraint;
  • The right not to be physically, sexually, or verbally abused;
  • The right to privacy (mail, visits, telephone conversations)
  • The right to file an appeal or grievance when you disagree with the services you receive, or your rights are violated;
  • The right to choose a designated representative(s) to assist you in ISP meetings and in filing grievances;
  • The right to a case manager to work with you in obtaining the services you need;
  • The right to a written ISP that sets forth the services you will receive;
  • The right to associate with others;
  • The right to confidentiality of your psychiatric records;
  • The right to obtain copies of your own psychiatric records (unless it would not be in your best interests to have them);
  • The right to appeal a court-ordered involuntary commitment and to consult with an attorney and to request judicial review of court-ordered commitment every 60 days;
  • The right not to be discriminated against in employment or housing.

If you would like information about your rights, you may request a copy of the ‘Your Rights in Arizona as an Individual with Serious Mental Illness’ brochure or you may also call the Arizona Department of Health Services, Office of Human Rights at 1-800-421-2124 or at 602-364-4585.

Advance Care Planning/Advance Directives

Advance care planning is a part of the End of Life care concept and is a billable service that is a voluntary face-to-face ongoing discussion between a qualified health care professional and the member to:

  • Educate the member/guardian/designated representative(s) about the member’s illness and the health care options that are available to them,
  • Develop a written plan of care that identifies the member’s choices for treatment, and
  • Share the member’s wishes with family, friends, and his or her physicians

Advance Directive is a document by which a person makes provision for health care decisions in the event that, in the future, he/she becomes unable to make those decisions.

Local Resources for Creating Advance Directives

Recovery Innovation of Arizona provides a peer support specialist who teaches mental health care power of attorney classes. Please contact:

Recovery Innovation of Arizona
2701 N. 16th Street, Suite 316, Phoenix, Arizona 85006
602-650-1212 or 866-481-5361

Web Sites Providing Advance Directive Information

Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council; click on Resources & Links and go to other resources for the Legal Options Guide

The Arizona Secretary of State; click on Advance Directives

Arizona Attorney General’s Office; click on Life Care Planning

Request a Video, Advance Directive Documents and Instructions or Other Materials

Health Care Decisions 602-530-6900 or http://www.hov.org/health_care_decisions.aspx

Arizona Attorney General’s Office at 602-542-1610 or http://www.azag.gov/life_care/