Privacy & Security Rules / Policy:

Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC) understands that your medical and health information is personal. Protecting your health information is important. We follow strict federal and state laws that require us to maintain the confidentiality of your health information.

What is HIPAA?: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA").1 The Privacy Rule standards address the use and disclosure of individuals' health information—called "protected health information" by organizations subject to the Privacy Rule — called "covered entities," as well as standards for individuals' privacy rights to understand and control how their health information is used. Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics is a health care provider and thus is considered a “covered entity”.

How We Use Your Health Information:

When you receive care from Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC), we may use your health information for treating you, billing for services, and conducting our normal business known as health care and aesthetics operations.

Examples of how we use your Protected Health Information (PHI) include:

Treatment- We keep secure electronic medical records of the care and services provided to you. Health care providers use these records to deliver quality care to meet your needs. Our practice may use your PHI to treat you. For example, we may ask you to have laboratory tests (such as blood or urine tests), and we may use the results to help us reach a diagnosis. We might use your PHI in order to write a prescription for you, or we might disclose your PHI to a pharmacy when we order a prescription for you. Finally, we may also disclose your PHI to other health care providers for purposes related to your treatment. (Some health records, including confidential communications with a mental health professional and substance abuse records, may have additional restrictions for use and disclosure under state and federal law.)

Payment- We may use and disclose your information in order to bill and collect payment for the services and items you may receive from us. Your information may be used to obtain payment from you, your insurance company, or another third party. We may also contact your insurance company to verify coverage for your care or to notify them of upcoming services that may need prior notice or approval. For example, we may disclose health information about the services provided in order to request payment from your insurance company or Medicare.

Health Care Operations- We use health information to improve the quality of care, train staff and students, and provide customer service, manage costs, conduct required business duties, and make plans to better serve our patients.

HIPAA also requires this clinic to obtain patients’ written acknowledgement that notice has been received and file the acknowledgement in the patient record. NOTE: You have the right to refuse to sign the Notice of Privacy Practices form. If this is your choice, then your refusal will be acknowledged and your refusal documented within your electronic health record (Tebra) used by this clinic.

Sharing Your Health Information:

There are limited situations when we are permitted or required to disclose health information without your signature as authorization. These situations are:

For public health purposes such as reporting communicable diseases, work-related illnesses, or other diseases and injuries permitted by law; reporting births and deaths, and reporting reactions to drugs and problems with medical devices.

To protect victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

For health oversight activities such as investigations, audits, and inspections.

For lawsuits and similar proceedings.

When required by federal, state or local law.

When requested by law enforcement as required by law or court order.

To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors.

For organ and tissue donations.

For research approved by our review process under strict federal guidelines.

To reduce or prevent a serious threat to public health and safety.

For worker’s compensation or other similar programs if you are injured at work.

To correctional institutions or law enforcement officials if you are an inmate or under the custody of a law enforcement official.

For specialized government functions such as intelligence and national security.

All other uses and disclosures, not described in this notice, require your signed authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time with a written statement.

Our Privacy Responsibilities:

Maintain the privacy of your health information.

Provide this notice that describes the ways we may use and share your health information.

Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

We reserve the right to make changes to this notice at any time and apply the new privacy practices to all information we maintain.

Current notice(s) will be posted on this, Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC), website and also provided during the (first) initial patient intake procedures performed via a secure electronic medical record (EMR) Tebra portal.

Your Individual Rights:

Request special restrictions on how we use and share your health information. We will consider all requests for special restrictions carefully but are not required to agree to any restriction.

Request that we use a specific telephone number or address to communicate with you. You may request this during registration or at any time.

Inspect and receive a copy of your health information, including medical and billing records. Fees may apply. Under limited circumstances, we may deny you access to a portion of your health information and you may request a review of the denial.

Request an amendment to your health information.

Request an accounting of certain disclosures we make of your health information. The list does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, and health care operations and some disclosures required by law. Your request must state the period of time requested for the accounting. An accounting goes back only six years. The first accounting is free but a fee will apply if more than one request is made in a 12 month period.

Request a paper copy of this notice even if you agree to receive it electronically.

Other Services We Provide:

We may also use your health information to:

Recommend treatment alternatives.

Tell you about health services and products that may benefit you.

Share information with individuals directly involved in your care (i.e. legal guardians, medical/financial power of attorney) and responsible for seeking and paying for your care.

Share information with third parties who assist us with treatment, payment, and health care operations. Our business associates must follow our privacy practices.

Remind you of an appointment.

Our Organization:

This notice describes the privacy practices of Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC), Included are providers, employees, students, trainees, and volunteers.

Contact Us:

IF you have any questions about this notice, or if you are concerned that your privacy rights may have been violated, or you disagree with a decision that we made about access to your health information, you may contact us via US Mail at:

Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c.

2955 New Center Point

#1249

Colorado Springs, CO 80922 

We will investigate all complaints and will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. You may also file a written complaint with the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For information on HIPAA laws:  Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule | HHS.gov

ADA Compliance:

We at Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c (LLC) are committed to making our services and products accessible to everyone. We work with a website team and are striving to make continued improvements to our website to make it easier for persons with disabilities. You may access our accessibility menu by clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. The below links provide additional accessibility information and downloadable software. If you have problems getting access to material on this website, please call 719-394-5436.

• Apple Accessibility: <https://www.apple.com/accessibility/vision>

• NV Access: <https://www.nvaccess.org>

Terms of Payment for Service:

We kindly request payment of a proposed service before the service is rendered. The Point of Service (POS) refers to collection of payment for service rendered at the time-of-service “upfront, or front-end collections”. Unless you have already entered into a previously signed payment agreement/promissory note package plan or with in-house financing with Cherry Financing. We accept most credit cards, debit cards, and Cash (USD).

Note:

1) (Currently Animas Sanitas Primary Care does not accept traditional health insurances or Medicaid as a payment option for primary care services.

2) Our *Medicare* application has been accepted and services offered for Medicare patients is pending. (*check back in the near future for this payment option for primary care provider services)

3) Our Veterans Affairs (VA) TriWest – Community Care Clinic (CCN) application is pending. (*check back in the near future for this payment option for primary care provider services)

Refund Policy

Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC) does not offer any form of refund for services, Returns or Exchanges for services under any circumstances whatsoever. This applies to services and/or product(s).  You may not obtain a credit for Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC) or apply a total amount of payment towards any other products or services at Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC). Products that are opened may  not be returned under any circumstances. Animas Sanitas Primary Care and Aesthetics p.c. (LLC) reserves the right to uphold this policy.