Individual Rights

Federal and state law protects your right to keep your individually identifiable health information private. You may request that you receive communications from The Blessing System regarding individually identifiable health information by alternative means or at alternative locations. You must make your request for confidential communications in writing and must submit this request to the office listed below. The Blessing System reserves the right to condition your request on the receipt of information regarding how you desire The Blessing System to handle payment and/or on the availability of an alternative address or method of contact that you may request. You may request other restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of protected health information for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations; however, the law does not require The Blessing System to agree to the requested restrictions unless the restriction request is a reasonable restriction on communication.

You generally have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of any individually identifiable health information in your medical record, with the exception of psychotherapy notes, information compiled in anticipation of use in a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding and certain other health information which the law restricts The Blessing System from disseminating. However, if you are a patient of certain types of providers or facilities, you may have a right to access your patient records or information on an unqualified basis. Specifically, the following:

• If you are a patient at a facility that performs mammograms, you have the right to access your original mammograms and copies of your patient reports on an unqualified basis.
• If you are a patient of a hospital, you have the right to access your patient records on an unqualified basis, upon written request.
• If you are a patient of a physician, you have the right to access your medical data on an unqualified basis upon request.
• If you are a resident of a skilled nursing facility, you have the unqualified right to obtain from your physicians, or the physicians attached to the facility, complete and current information concerning your medical diagnosis, treatment and prognosis in terms and language that you can reasonably be expected to understand. You, and your guardian or representative or parent if you are a minor, also have the unqualified right to inspect and copy your medical records that the facility or your physician maintains.
• If you are a recipient of mental health or developmental disabilities services and if you are age 12 or older, you have an unqualified right to inspect and copy your records. The following persons also have this right: (i) your guardian if you are age 18 or older; (ii) an appointed agent under a power of attorney for health care which authorizes record access; (iii) your parent or guardian if you are under age 12; (iv) your parent or guardian if you are, at least, age 12 but under age 18 and if certain conditions are satisfied; and (v) a guardian ad litem representing you in any judicial or administrative proceeding if you are age 12 or older.

You also have the right to amend your individually identifiable health information, unless The Blessing System did not create such information or unless The Blessing System determines that your medical record is accurate and complete in its existing form.You have the right to request and receive an accounting of disclosures of your individually identifiable health information that The Blessing System has made in the six (6) years prior to the request date, or during the period between the request date and the date that federal law required The Blessing System to comply with federal privacy regulations, whichever is more recent. Such an accounting may not include disclosures made to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations, to create an accurate patient directory or notify persons involved in your care, to ensure national security, to comply with the authorized requests of law enforcement, or to inform you of the content of your medical records.

If you would like more information on how to exercise these rights, please contact The Blessing System's Privacy Officer at (217) 223-8400, ext. 6808.