Privacy Policy

This notice describes how information about you may be used by Vesta, Inc. and how you can get access to this information.

Please review this policy carefully.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a Federal program that requires that all medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by us in any form, whether electronically, on paper, or orally, be kept properly confidential. This Act gives you, the client, significant new rights to understand and control how your health information is used. "HIPAA" provides penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information.

As required by HIPAA, we have prepared this explanation of how we are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose your health information.

We may use and disclose your medical records only for  the following purposes: treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.

• Treatment means providing, coordinating, or managing healthcare and related services by one or more healthcare providers. An example of this would include a physical examination.
• Payment means such activities as obtaining reimbursement for services, confirming coverage, billing or collection activities, and utilization review. An example of this would be sending a bill for your visit to your insurance company for payment.
• Healthcare Operations include the business aspects of running our practice, such as conducting quality assessment and improvements activities, auditing, cost-management analysis, and customer services. An example would be an internal quality assessment review.

We may also create and distribute health information by removing all references to individually identifiable information.

We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-relates benefits and services that may be interest to you.

Any other uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke such authorization in writing and we are required to honor and abide by that written request, except to the extent that we have already taken actions relying on your authorization.

Below are your rights with respect to your protected health information. You can exercise these rights by presenting a written request to the Site Manager at the VESTA site where you receive services:

• The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information, including those related to disclosures to family members, other members, other relatives, close personals friends, or any other person identified by you. We are, however, not required to agree to a requested restriction. If we do agree to a restriction, we must abide by it unless you agree in writing to remove it.
• The right to reasonable requests to receive confidential communications of protected health information form us by alternative means or at alternative locations.
• The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.
• The right to amend your protected health information
• The right to receive an accounting of disclosures of protected health information.
• The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice form us upon request.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and to provide you with notice of your legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.

This notice effective April 14, 2003. VESTA is required to abide by the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices. VESTA reserves the right to change the terms of our Notice of Privacy Practices and to make the new notice provisions effective for all protected health information that we maintain. We will post the Notice of Privacy Practices and you may request a written copy of a revised Notice of Privacy Practices from this office.

You have recourse if you feel that your privacy protections have been violated. You have the right to file a written complaint with the office of compliance at Vesta, Inc., at the following address:

Attention: Office of Compliance
Vesta, Inc.
10123 Senate Drive
Lanham, MD 20706

or, with the Department of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights about violations of the provisions of this notice of the polices and procedures of our office. We will not retaliate against you for filling a complaint.For more information on HIPAA or to file a complaint, please contact:

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
(202) 619-0257
Toll Free: 1-877-696-6775