Your Policies and Disclaimers
Patient Bill of Rights
AMA Code of Medical Ethics
1.1.3 PATIENT RIGHTS
The health and well-being of patients depends on a collaborative effort between patient and physician in a mutually respectful alliance. Patients contribute to this alliance when they fulfill responsibilities they have, to seek care and to be candid with their physicians.
Physicians can best contribute to a mutually respectful alliance with patients by serving as their patients’ advocates and by respecting patients’ rights. These include the right:
To courtesy, respect, dignity, and timely, responsive attention to his or her needs.
To receive information from their physicians and to have opportunity to discuss the benefits, risks, and costs of appropriate treatment alternatives, including the risks, benefits, and costs of forgoing treatment. Patients should be able to expect that their physicians will provide guidance about what they consider the optimal course of action for the patient based on the physician’s objective professional judgment.
To ask questions about their health status or recommended treatment when they do not fully understand what has been described and to have their questions answered.
To make decisions about the care the physician recommends and to have those decisions respected. A patient who has decision-making capacity may accept or refuse any recommended medical intervention.
To have the physician and other staff respect the patient’s privacy and confidentiality.
To obtain copies or summaries of their medical records.
To obtain a second opinion.
To be advised of any conflicts of interest their physician may have in respect to their care.
To continuity of care. Patients should be able to expect that their physician will cooperate in coordinating medically indicated care with other health care professionals, and that the physician will not discontinue treating them when further treatment is medically indicated without giving them sufficient notice and reasonable assistance in making alternative arrangements for care.
Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: January 24, 2024
Last Modified: August 21, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED, DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY.
PATIENT HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI)
Under federal law, your patient health information (PHI) is protected and confidential. PHI includes personal identifiers (such as your name, social security number, and date of birth) as well as information about your symptoms, test results, diagnosis, treatments, and billing or insurance information. We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the privacy of your PHI in accordance with federal and state law.
This Notice of Privacy Practices (Notice) describes how we may use PHI within our practice or network and disclose (share outside of our practice or network) your PHI to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations. We will not use or disclose your PHI without your permission, except as described in this Notice. This Notice also describes your rights to access and control your PHI. We reserve the right to change our practices and this Notice as and to the extent permitted by law and to make a new Notice effective for all PHI we maintain. Any new Notice will be available upon your request and will be posted on our website.
How we typically use and share PHI
Your PHI may be used and disclosed for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.
TREATMENT
We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare needs and related services. This includes sharing information with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratories, or other healthcare providers involved in your care. For example, we may also disclose your PHI to other health care providers who are participating in your treatment, to pharmacists who are filling your prescriptions, to laboratories performing tests, and to family members who are helping with your care, and so forth.
PAYMENT
We may use and disclose your PHI for payment purposes. For example, we may need to obtain authorization from your insurance company before providing certain types of treatment. We will submit bills and maintain records of payments from your health plan. PHI may be shared with the following: billing companies, insurance companies (health plans), government agencies in order to assist with qualifications of benefits, or collection agencies.
HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
We may use and disclose your PHI to support our daily business and operational activities. For example, we may use and disclose this information to review and improve the quality of care we provide, or the competence and qualifications of our professional staff. Or we may use and disclose this information to get your health plan to authorize services or referrals. We may also use and disclose this information as necessary for medical reviews, legal services and audits, including fraud and abuse detection and compliance programs and business planning and management. We may also share your medical information with our "business associates," such as our billing service, that perform administrative services for us. We have a written contract with each of these business associates that contains terms requiring them and their subcontractors to protect the confidentiality and security of your protected health information. We may also share your information with other health care providers, health care clearinghouses or health plans that have a relationship with you, when they request this information to help them with their quality assessment and improvement activities, their patient-safety activities, their population-based efforts to improve health or reduce health care costs, their protocol development, case management or care-coordination activities, their review of competence, qualifications and performance of health care professionals, their training programs, their accreditation, certification or licensing activities, or their health care fraud and abuse detection and compliance efforts.
Other ways we use and share PHI
MINORS’ PHI
As permitted by federal and state law, we may disclose PHI about minors to their parents or guardians.
APPOINTMENT REMINDERS
We may use and disclose medical information to contact and remind you about appointments. If you are not home, we may leave this information on your voicemail or in a message left with the person answering the phone.
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA)
We may disclose to the FDA, or persons under the jurisdiction of the FDA, PHI relative to adverse events with respect to drugs, foods, supplements, products and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
We may disclose your PHI to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers’ compensation or other similar programs established by law.
PUBLIC HEALTH
As required by law, we may disclose your PHI to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.
As Required by Law: We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
HEALTH OVERSIGHT ACTIVITIES
We may disclose your PHI to an oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include audits, investigations, and inspections necessary for licensure and for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.
RESPOND TO LAWSUITS AND LEGAL ACTIONS
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose PHI in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made, either by the requesting party or by us to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information. We may disclose your PHI for law enforcement purposes as permitted by law, or in response to a valid subpoena or court order.
RESEARCH
We can use or share your information for health research.
Where state or federal law imposes more stringent privacy protections (such as for mental health, substance use disorder, or HIV/AIDS records), we will adhere to the stricter standard.
DE-IDENTIFIED INFORMATION
We may use your PHI to create “de-identified” information, which means that information that can be used to identify you will be removed. There are specific rules under the law about what type of information needs to be removed before information is considered de-identified. Once information has been de-identified as required by law, it is no longer subject to this Notice, and we may use it for any purpose without any further notice or compensation to you.
WORKING WITH CORONERS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS, AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS
We may release your PHI to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also disclose PHI to funeral directors consistent with applicable law to enable them to carry out their duties.
RESPONDING TO ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION REQUESTS
Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose your PHI to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.
PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
We may use or disclose your PHI to your personal representative, as established under applicable law, or to an administrator, executor or other authorized individual associated with your estate.
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
If you are or become an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution or its agents PHI necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals.
TO AVERT A SERIOUS THREAT TO HEALTH OR SAFETY
We may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.
VICTIMS OF ABUSE OR NEGLECT
We may disclose PHI about you to a government authority if we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse or neglect. We will only disclose this type of information to the extent required by law, if you agree to the disclosure, or if the disclosure is allowed by law and we believe it is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or someone else.
SECRETARY OF THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
We are required to disclose your PHI to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in certain circumstances when the Secretary is investigating or determining our compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
MILITARY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
When the appropriate conditions apply, we may use or disclose PHI of individuals who are Armed Forces personnel for activities deemed necessary by appropriate military command authorities, for the purpose of a determination by the Department of Veterans Affairs of your eligibility for benefits, or to foreign military authority if you are a member of that foreign military services. In some situations, we may ask for your written authorization before using or disclosing any identifiable health information about you. If you sign an authorization, you can later revoke the authorization.
HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE
Health Information Exchange (HIE) is the electronic sharing of health information between participating providers in a way that ensures the secure exchange of health information to provide care to patients. You have a right to opt-out of HIE participation. If you choose to opt-out, providers will not be able to search for your most recent health information when determining treatment. Opting out will not affect your ability to access medical care. If you do not wish to participate in the HIE, you may request to opt-out by calling our 24-hour help desk at 1-800-491-0909.
Other Uses and Disclosures of PHI
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions. This includes disclosing PHI with family, close friends, or others involved in your care or in a disaster relief situation. If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
In the following cases, we will never share your PHI unless you give us written permission for marketing purposes, sale of information, and most sharing of psychotherapy information. If you give us written permission, you can revoke such permission at anytime in writing.
BREACH NOTIFICATION
We are required by law to notify you if we discover a breach of unsecured PHI, unless we can demonstrate, based on a risk assessment, that there is a low probability that the PHI was compromised. If a breach happens, we will notify you as soon as we can and are required by law to notify you within 60 days after we learn of the breach. We will let you know what happened and what you can do to mitigate any potential harm.
RESTRICTIONS ON USES AND DISCLOSURES
Federal and state laws provide special protections for, and may restrict the use or disclosure of, certain kinds of PHI. For example, additional protections may apply in some states to genetic, mental health, biometric, minors, prescriptions, reproductive health, drug and alcohol abuse, rape and sexual assault, sexually transmitted disease and/or HIV/AIDS-related information. In these situations, we will comply with the more stringent applicable laws pertaining to such use or disclosure.
OUR LEGAL DUTY
We are required by law to protect and maintain the privacy of your PHI, to provide this Notice about our legal duties and privacy practices regarding PHI, and to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We may update or change our privacy practices and policies at any time. You may request a copy of our Notice at any time by calling our 24-hour help desk: 1-800-491-0909.
Individual Rights
REQUEST RESTRICTIONS:
You may request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or operations, or to family members involved in your care. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no,” for example, if it could affect your care. If we agree to your request, we may still share this information in the event that you need emergency treatment.
Mandatory Restriction for Self-Pay:
If you pay for a service or item out-of-pocket in full, you have the right to request that we do not disclose PHI regarding that service to your health plan, and we will honor that request unless a law requires us to share that information.
CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS:
You may request that we communicate with you via alternative means or at a specific location (for example, mailing billing notices to a specific address). We will say “yes” to reasonable requests.
INSPECT AND COPY RECORDS:
In most cases, you have the right to inspect and obtain a copy (paper or electronic) of your medical and billing records. Standard, reasonable cost-based fees may apply.
AMEND YOUR RECORD:
If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may submit a written request for an amendment. We may say “no” to your request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
ACCOUNTING OF DISCLOSURES:
You may request an accounting list of certain non-routine disclosures of your PHI made by us (excluding disclosures for treatment, payment, or operations). The first request within a 12-month period is free; subsequent requests may incur a reasonable fee.
COPY OF YOUR RECORD:
You have the right to request and receive an electronic paper copy of this Notice at any time. We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
PAPER COPY:
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
If you are concerned about your privacy rights, or if you disagree with a decision we made about your records, you may contact the Privacy Officer listed below. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html. You will not be penalized in any way for filing a complaint.
If you have any questions, requests, or complaints, please contact:
SC HOUSE CALLS, LLC D/B/A YOUR HEALTH
ATTN: Privacy Officer
111 Doctor’s Circle
Columbia, SC 29203
803-766-0133
Financial Policy Notice
At Your Health, we believe in fostering clear and open communication with our patients, including transparency in financial matters. As part of our commitment to providing you with quality healthcare, we would like to outline our financial policies for your understanding.
For patients with insurance coverage, we accept most major insurance plans and will conduct the billing process directly with your insurer. However, we ask that you familiarize yourself with your insurance policy, including co-payments, deductibles, and any services not covered. We understand that some patients may not have insurance coverage or may require services that are not covered by their insurance plans. In such cases, we offer discounted self-pay rates to alleviate financial burdens. Our business office manager is available to provide further information and assistance regarding self-pay options. We accept various forms of payment including checks and major credit cards.
We hope that this overview of our financial policies provides clarity and reassurance regarding your financial responsibilities as a patient at our primary care practice. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to your local care team or regional business office manager.
Thank you for choosing Your Health for your healthcare needs. We look forward to continuing to serve you with compassion and excellence.