Mission: RBHA enhances the quality of life for the people of Richmond by promoting and providing quality behavioral health and developmental services that are available, accessible, and cost-effective.
Privacy Notice
Richmond Behavioral Health Authority Privacy Notice
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. Effective date: 4/14/03
Richmond Behavioral Health Authority understands your privacy is important. We are required by low to maintain the privacy of protected health information and to provide you with notice of legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this notice. We will handle this information only as allowed by federal/state law and agency policy, adhering to the most stringent law that protects your health information.
If at any time you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may verbally or in writing contact:
Agency's Privacy Officer
State Advocate
Secretary of Health and Human Services of the Federal government
Addresses and phone numbers to use are listed on the second page of this notice. You will not suffer change in services or retaliation for filing a complaint.
Each time you receive services from us, the provider makes a record of the visit. Typically, this record contains your assessment, service plan, progress notes, diagnoses, treatment, and plan for future care or treatment.
Your Federally defined rights under 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164, HIPAA, and the Commonwealth of Virginia's Code 35-115-80 and 35-115-90, Human Rights
There are several rights concerning your protected health information that we want you to be aware of:
You have the right to request access to your medical record in order to inspect, challenge, copy, amend, or correct. This process will be kept confidential. This right is not absolute. In certain situations, such as if access would endanger your life or physical safety or that of another, we can deny access. You may make this request to your Primary Service Provider or the agency's Consumer Affairs Coordinator. If denied access, you will receive a timely, written notice of the decision and reason, given a right to appeal and a copy of this notice becomes a part of your record.
You have the right to receive at any time an accounting of the agency's disclosure of your protected health information not for the purpose of treatment, health care operations, or already authorized by you. You have the right to be given the names of anyone, other than employees of the agency, who received information about you from the agency.
You have the right to request from you Primary Service Provider a restriction with regards to the use or disclosure of your protected health information. This request will be given serious consideration by the Privacy Officer and you will be informed promptly whether we will be able to use the restriction and still offer effective services, receive payment and maintain health care operations. Legally we are not required to agree to any restrictions you request, however, if we agree we must abide by the restriction.
You have the right to request an amendment of your protected health information.
You have the right to receive confidential communications about our protected health information.
You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Privacy Notice upon request.
Use and Disclosure of Your Information
Upon signing the agency's Consent to Treatment/Service form, you are allowing us to use and disclose necessary information about you within the agency and with business associates in order to provide treatment/services, receive payment of provided treatment /service, and conduct our day to day business practice.
EXAMPLE:
In order to effectively provide treatment/service, your Primary Service Provider may consult with various service providers within the agency. During those consultations health information about you may be shared.
In order to receive payment of services provided, your health information may be sent to those companies or groups responsible for payment coverage, and a monthly bill is sent to the Responsible Party identified by you and noted on the financial form.
