Privacy ::

Privacy Policy for Personal Health Information

NOTICE OF HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA) PRIVACY PRACTICES for the Better Health by Choice.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of personal health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to personal health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice so long as it remains in effect. We reserve the right to change our Privacy practices, procedures, and terms of this HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices as necessary, and to make the new Notice effective for all personal health information maintained by us. If a material change is made to the terms of this Notice, a revised notice will be provided to all primary insureds. You may obtain a copy of the HIPAA Privacy Notice by accessing our website at www.statefarm.com or by mailing a request to the address below.

Uses and Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information
Your Authorization

Except as outlined below, we will not use or disclose your personal health information for any purpose unless you have signed a form authorizing the use or disclosure. You have the right to revoke that authorization in writing unless we have taken any action in reliance on the authorization.

Uses and Disclosures for Payment

We may use and disclose your personal health information as necessary for payment purposes. For instance, we may use and disclose information regarding your medical care to process and pay claims.

Uses and Disclosures for Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your personal health information as necessary, and as permitted by law, for our health care operations such as customer service, premium rating, fraud and abuse prevention and detection, and other functions related to your health policy. We may use and disclose your personal health information to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Family, Friends, and Others Involved In Your Care

With your approval, we may disclose your personal health information to designated family, friends, and others, to assist that person in caring for you or in paying for your care. If you are unavailable, incapacitated, or facing an emergency medical situation, and we determine that a limited disclosure may be in your best interest, we may share limited personal health information with such individuals without your approval. If you have designated a person to receive information regarding payment of the premium on your Long-Term Care Insurance policy, we will inform that person when your premium has not been paid.

Business Associates

At times it may be necessary for us to provide some personal health information to one or more outside persons or organizations who assist us with our business activities. We require these business associates to appropriately safeguard the privacy of your information.

Additional Uses and Disclosures Without Your Authorization

We are permitted or required by law to make certain other uses and disclosures of your personal health information without your authorization, including under the following conditions:

* for any purpose as required by law;
* for public health activities, such as required reporting of certain diseases;
* as required by law if we suspect child abuse or neglect; we may also release your personal health information as required by law if we believe you to be a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;
* if required by law to a government oversight agency conducting audits, investigations, or civil or criminal proceedings;
* if required to do so by a court or administrative ordered subpoena, discovery request, or qualified protective order;
* to law enforcement officials as required by law;
* to coroners and/or funeral directors consistent with law;
* if necessary to arrange an organ or tissue donation from you or a transplant for you;
* for certain research purposes when such research is approved by an institutional review board with established rules to ensure privacy;
* if you are a member of the military as required by armed forces services; we may also release your personal health information if necessary for national security or intelligence activities;
* if necessary to avert a serious threat to health or safety; or,
* to workers' compensation agencies if necessary for your workers' compensation benefit determination.

Your HIPAA Privacy Rights
Access to Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to obtain a copy and inspect specific items of your personal health information, such as your policy or claim information, for as long as we maintain it. We may deny your request to access certain personal health information, as permitted or required by law. We may require your request for access in writing. Your request for access should contain as much detail as possible regarding the personal health information you wish to review. We may charge a reasonable fee for access to your personal health information.

Amendments to Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to request an amendment of the personal health information we maintain about you if you believe it is incorrect. We are not legally obligated to make all requested amendments but will give each request appropriate consideration. Requests for amendment must be in writing and must state the reasons for the amendment request.

Accounting for Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to request a list or accounting of certain disclosures of your personal health information. We are not legally obligated to provide an accounting of every disclosure but will give each request appropriate consideration. Requests must be made in writing. The accounting will not include disclosures made prior to April 14, 2003.

Restrictions on Uses and Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your personal health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations by notifying us of your request for a restriction in writing. We are not legally required to agree to your restriction request.

Confidential Communication of Personal Health Information

You have the right to request and to receive communications from us regarding your personal health information by another method of contact or at an alternative address. We will accommodate reasonable requests, which must clearly state that disclosure of all or part of the information could endanger your health or safety.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington D.C. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

How to Contact Us

If you have questions or need further assistance regarding this Notice, or wish to exercise any of the above-mentioned rights, you may contact the US at the address :

Ferndale Office

London Health Center
2376 Main Street, Suite 3
Ferndale, WA 98248
Phone: (360) 384-2900
Fax: 360 384-2955

Web Privacy Standards

The staff of Better Health by Choice respects the privacy of our patients and of our Web site users. If you don't find your concern addressed here, feel free to contact us by e-mail or phone.

Privacy Policy Guiding Principles

* Any information that you submit to us through our Web site - whether through a survey, registration form or e-mail - will be used exclusively by Better Health by Choice or third parties performing services for Better Health by Choice.
* We will use your personally identifiable information only for the specific reason for which you submitted it, (i.e., registering for a class).
* We will take reasonable precautions to protect your personal information including encryption with SSL technology and passwords when appropriate.
* You will generally only receive e-mail only for information that you have requested or as confirmation of information that you submitted (i.e., class registration).

Better Health by Choice will use overall demographic data of our Web users to improve the site and enhance services. These demographic trends will not be traceable to an individual's personal information. On rare occasions, Better Health by Choice may contact registered users by e-mail to inquire about interest in potential new Web services.

Privacy Policy

Information Collection and Use
Better Health by Choice is the sole owner of the information collected on this site. We will not sell, share, or rent this information to others in ways different from what is disclosed in this statement, except to vendors and agents in support of Better Health by Choice's activities. Better Health by Choice does not commercially sell any customer lists or e-mail addresses. Company may, however, disclose personal information if permitted or required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to (a) conform to applicable law or comply with legal process served on Better Health by Choice; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Better Health by Choice, the Web site, or the users; or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Better Health by Choice, the Web site, or the public.

Registration
In order to use some parts of the Better Health by Choice Web site, a user must first complete the registration form. During registration a user is required to give their contact information, usually your name and e-mail address. This information is primarily used to contact the user about the services on our site for which they have expressed interest (such as access to clinical publications). It is optional for the user to provide demographic data (such as specialty), but encouraged, so we can provide you with better information when using our site.

Cookies
A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing information about the user. Usage of a cookie is not linked to any personally identifiable information while visiting the Better Health by Choice site. Once the user closes their browser, the cookie simply terminates. For instance, by setting a cookie on our site, the user would not have to log in a password more than once, thereby saving time while on our site. If a user rejects the cookie, he or she may still use our site. The only drawback to this is that the user will be limited in some areas of our site (i.e., cannot view certain content). Cookies can also enable us to track and target the interests of our users to further develop our Web site. Better Health by Choice does not use Cookies to retrieve information from your computer that was not originally sent in a Cookie. Except as described in this Privacy Policy, we do not use information transferred through Cookies for any promotional or marketing purposes, nor is that information shared with any third parties except when those third parties are performing services for Better Health by Choice.

Collection of Anonymous Information
In addition to the use of personal information, Better Health by Choice may also gather anonymous information which may be used by Better Health by Choice or shared with third parties. Generally this information is collected through "traffic data" and may entail the use of Cookies and IP addresses. Better Health by Choice uses such traffic data to help determine how our users use parts of the Web site so we can analyze trends, administer the site, track user's movement, gather broad demographic information for aggregate use a better experience for you. IP addresses and other traffic data are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Links
This Website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that Better Health by Choice is not responsible for the privacy practices of these Web sites. Better Health by Choice is not responsible for content provided on these sites or for the validity of content on these site. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every Web site that collects personally identifiable information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this Web site.

Security Policy
We exercise care in providing secure transmission of your information from your PC to our servers. Personal information collected by the Better Health by Choice website is stored in secure operating environments that are not available to the public. In many instances, such as in the case of credit card numbers and all on-line purchases, the personal information is encrypted before you conduct your transaction. Only those employees who need access to your information in order to do their jobs are allowed access, each having signed confidentiality agreements. Any employee who violates our privacy and/or security policies is subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination and civil and/or criminal prosecution.

Assignment
Better Health by Choice may change its ownership or corporate organization while providing the Web site and services. As a result, please be aware that Better Health by Choice may transfer your information to another company that is affiliated with Better Health by Choice or with which Better Health by Choice has merged. Any new company will also follow this Privacy Policy.

Your Acceptance of These Terms
By using this site, you signify your acceptance of the Better Health by Choice Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our website. Your continued use of the Better Health by Choice Web site following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes.

Notification of Changes
If Better Health by Choice decides to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes so our users are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. We will use information in accordance with the privacy policy under which the information was collected. We do, however, recommend that you read this Privacy Policy each time you use our Web site for notice of changes to the Privacy Policy.

Correcting and Updating Information Better Health by Choice also permits you to correct or update personally identifiable information that you have previously provided to us. To do so, send e-mail to: emailvm@vmmc.org indicating the information that you wish to be corrected or updated.

Opt-Out Procedures
You always may opt-out of receiving future contacts or mailings. Better Health by Choice provides you with the opportunity to opt-out of receiving electronic communications from us and our partners at the point where we request information about you. To remove your personally identifiable information from our database, to not receive future communications or to no longer receive our service, send e-mail to dw@betterhealthbychoice.com  with the word "remove" in the subject line.

Questions
Questions regarding this statement Call our Clinic.

Ferndale Office

London Health Center
2376 Main Street, Suite 3
Ferndale, WA 98248
Phone: (360) 384-2900
Fax: 360 384-2955