HIPPA Policy Statement

Welcome to Yakima Valley Dentistry’s HIPAA Privacy Policy Page

At Yakima Valley Dentistry, located in the heart of Yakima, WA, we are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of our patients’ personal health information in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. This policy outlines our practices, your rights as our valued patient, and our pledge to protect your health information.

Use and Disclosure of Health Information

Yakima Valley Dentistry may use your health information for purposes of providing you treatment, obtaining payment for your care, and conducting healthcare operations. We have established policies to guard against unnecessary disclosure of your health information. The following are examples of the types of uses and disclosures of your care treatment information that the practice is permitted to make without your authorization:

• Treatment: We will use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your dental care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your health care with a third party for treatment purposes. For example, we may disclose your health information to another dentist who may be treating you or to a laboratory that is involved in your care.
• Payment: Your health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for the services we provide. This may include certain activities that your health insurance plan may undertake before it approves or pays for the health care services we recommend for you.
• Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations, which include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, and conducting training programs.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the following rights regarding the health information that we maintain about you:

• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and copy your health information, such as medical and billing records, that we use to make decisions about your care.
• Right to Amend: If you feel that health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures that we have made of your health information.
• Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
• Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location.

Our Responsibilities

Yakima Valley Dentistry is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, inform you of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding health information about you, and notify you if a breach of your unsecured health information occurs.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this notice and make the new notice apply to health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a current copy of the privacy notice at our practice.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with our practice, contact our Privacy Officer. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

Contact Information

For more information about our privacy practices, or to exercise your rights as described in this notice, please contact:

Yakima Valley Dentistry
11 N 11th Ave STE 104,
Yakima, WA 98902
(509) 452-7003

We are dedicated to protecting your privacy and ensuring that your personal health information is used appropriately. Thank you for trusting Yakima Valley Dentistry with your care.