Who Follows This Notice

This notice applies to Twin Cities Cardiology, PLLC (“TCC,” “we,” “us”), including our physicians, physician assistants, nurses, technologists and staff, at all of our clinic locations and in our Concierge program. It covers the health information we create or receive about you, known as “protected health information.”

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

In short: you have the right to see and get a copy of your records, ask for corrections, choose how we contact you, limit some sharing, learn who we have shared your information with, and file a complaint. We use and share your information mainly to treat you, bill for your care and run our practice. We will not sell your information or use it for marketing without your written permission. The sections below explain each point.

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. To use any of them, contact our Privacy Officer (contact details at the end of this notice).

Get a copy of your medical record

• You can ask to see or get a paper or electronic copy of your medical and billing records.
• We will provide a copy or a summary within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as allowed by federal and Minnesota law.
• You can also direct us to send a copy to another person or provider you choose.

Ask us to correct your medical record

• You can ask us to correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
• We may say “no,” but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, a different phone number, mailing address or email) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

• You can ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment or our operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service or item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share it.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information

• You can ask for a list (an “accounting”) of the times we’ve shared your information in the six years before your request, who we shared it with and why.
• The list will include all disclosures except those for treatment, payment and health care operations, and certain others (such as any you asked us to make). We provide one list a year for free and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for another within 12 months.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

• You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically. It is also posted in our clinics and on our website.

Choose someone to act for you

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• We will confirm the person has this authority before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

• You can complain to our Privacy Officer using the contact information at the end of this notice.
• You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights: 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201; 1-877-696-6775; or www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference, tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

You have the right and choice to tell us to:

• Share information with your family, close friends or others involved in your care or in paying for your care. You can name these people on our registration forms.
• Share information in a disaster relief situation.

If you are not able to tell us your preference (for example, if you are unconscious), we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

We never share your information in these cases unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes
• Sale of your information
• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes

Fundraising

• We do not currently contact patients for fundraising. If we ever do, you may ask us not to contact you again.

Our Uses and Disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information?

Treat you

• We use your information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. Example: your cardiologist shares test results with your primary care doctor.

Run our organization

• We use and share your information to run our practice, improve your care and contact you when necessary. Example: we review records to improve quality and train staff.
• We work with outside companies (“business associates”) that perform services for us, such as billing, IT, electronic health records and clinical documentation tools, including technology that helps transcribe and summarize visits. They must sign a contract requiring them to protect your information.

Bill for your services

• We use and share your information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: we give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

Contact you about your care

• We may use the phone numbers, mailing address and email address you give us to send appointment reminders, billing statements, test result notices and information about treatment options or health-related services.
• Email and text messages are not always secure. You can ask us to use a different method at any time.

Minnesota law

Minnesota’s Health Records Act is in some cases stricter than federal law. Where it is, we follow Minnesota law. In general, we ask for your consent before releasing your health records outside TCC, including to other providers and to health plans, except where Minnesota law allows release without consent (for example, in a medical emergency or as required by other Minnesota law). We ask for this consent when you register.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways, usually in ways that contribute to the public good. We must meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes, including any stricter Minnesota requirements. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html.

Help with public health and safety issues

• Preventing disease; helping with product recalls; reporting adverse reactions to medications; reporting suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence; preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.

Do research

• We can use or share your information for health research, subject to legal protections. We may also use information that no longer identifies you to improve quality.

Comply with the law

• We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we are complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

• We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations.

Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

• We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement and other government requests

• For workers’ compensation claims.
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official.
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law.
• For special government functions such as military, national security and presidential protective services.

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

• We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Substance use disorder records

• If we receive records protected by federal rules for substance use disorder treatment programs (42 C.F.R. Part 2), we will not use or share them in a civil, criminal, administrative or legislative proceeding against you without your written consent or a court order, as those rules require.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind; this will not affect sharing that already took place.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

Changes to the Terms of This Notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our clinics and on our website.

Privacy Officer Contact