Medicare Sign Up pack sample

www.pnsystem.com page 11 NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES (HIPAA) (continuation) Help with public health and safety issues: We can shar e health information about you for cer tain situations such as: Pr eventing disease, Helping with product recalls, Reporting adverse reactions to medications, Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and p reventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety . Do research: We can use or shar e your information for health r esear ch. Comply with the law: We will shar e information about you if state or feder al laws r equir e it, including with the Depar tment of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law. Respond to organ and tissue donation requests: We can shar e health information about you with or gan pr ocur ement or ganizations. Work with a medical examiner or funeral director: We can shar e health information with a cor oner , medical examiner , or funer al director when an individual dies. Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests: We can use or shar e health information about you: 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 shar e health information about you in r esponse to a cour t or administr ative or der , or in response to a subpoena. Our ResponsibiliƟes: We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health informaƟon. We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your informaƟon. We must follow the duƟes and privacy pracƟces described in this noƟce and give you a copy of it. We will not use or share your informaƟon other than as described here unless you tell us we can in wriƟn g. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any Ɵme. Let us know in wr iƟng if you change your mind. For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html . Changes to the Terms of this NoƟ ce: We can change the terms of this noƟce, and the changes will apply to all inf ormaƟon we have about you. The new noƟce will be availa ble upon request, on our web site, and w will mail a py to you. N Ɵ Effecti ve Date: 03/26/2013 HOSPITALIZATION RISK MANAGEMENT Our Agency is in a position to respond to patient and family needs by implementing strategies targeted to reduce avoidable hospitalizations. Our Agency can identify patients who are at higher risk of hospitalization. Our field staff can partner with these patients to implement strategies, which reduce risk. Patients partnering with our field staff can learn to manage their own health. Our experience shows that when we partner with patients and physicians, acute care hospitalizations can be reduced. Specific interventions are implemented for those patients rated as high-risk to reduce the potential of unplanned hospitalization. A dialogue with the patient and family is necessary to determine their wishes, goals and desires to be met by the interdisciplinary team. The team’s responsibility is to commit to achieving the patient’s stated goals. It is the responsibility of our home care nurse to accurately complete the hospitalization risk assessment in a timely manner (as needed) and to then communicate the high-risk status of patients to appropriate managers, other disciplines, and oncall staff. Our home care nurse is also responsible for the selection of appropriate individualized interventions that may be used to assist in reducing avoidable acute care hospitalizations. Examples of interventions that an agency may offer include: Patient emergency planning, Medication management, Front-loading visits, Phone monitoring, Telemonitoring, Teletriage, Fall prevention, Immunization, Patient self-management, Disease/case management. Our nurses are able to correctly, effectively, and efficiently communicate his/her risk assessment findings to physicians to obtain necessary orders. UNDERSTAND YOUR DOCTOR AND OTHER CAREGIVERS It can be difficult to understand what your doctors and other caregivers are telling you about your care and treatment. This section has questions and answers to help you understand caregivers. Questions to ask your caregivers : ■ Is there someone who can help you understand your doctor, nurse, and other caregivers? ■ Is there someone who can help you understand how to take your medicine? ■ Is there any written information in your language? ■ Is there any written information in your language that is easy to read? ■ Is there someone who speaks your language who can help you talk to caregivers? ■ Is there a support group for people like you? For people with your illness or condition? ■ Are there other resources for you? What can you do if you don’t understand what your caregiver is saying? Tell them you don’t understand. Use body language. If you don’t understand shake your head to show that “No, I don’t understand.” Ask lots of questions. By asking questions you’re helping them understand what you need. What can you do if they explain and you still don’t understand? Tell them you still don’t understand. Try to be as clear as possible about what you do not understand. Caregivers have a duty to help you understand. They should not leave until you understand what to do and what is happening to you. What if the caregiver is rushed and doesn’t have time to answer your questions? Ask them if you can schedule another appointment when they can answer your questions. What can you do if you speak another language? Ask for someone who speaks your language. This person can help you talk to caregivers. This person should work for the Agency. Their job is to help people who speak other languages. This person may not be in the office. He or she may be on the telephone. You have the right to get free help from someone who speaks your language. Ask if there is paper work in your language. What can you do if you have trouble reading? Or if you cannot read? Don’t be embarrassed. Tell your caregivers. They can help you. They can explain paper work to you. They may even have paper work that is easy to read and understand. Your doctor’s instructions are not clear. Should you try to figure it out yourself? No. Instructions from your doctor or others are important. Tell them what you think the instructions are. Tell them if they need to write down the instructions. Tell them if you have a family member or friend who helps you take your medicine. Ask the doctor to have someone talk to your family member or friend, too. What if you don’t understand written instructions? Tell your caregivers. Tell them that you need to have the instructions read to you. Tell them you need instructions that are easy to read. Or that you need instructions in your language. sample