Privacy Policy

This webpage describes our practice’s privacy policy
Privacy Policy admin August 19, 2021
Effective Date: September 3, 2013
Notice of privacy practices

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. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact Jeffrey S. Liva M.D., M.P.H.,M.S..

CONTACT PRIVACY OFFICER
Who will follow this notice?

This notice describes our practice’s privacy practices and that of:

  • All departments and units of the practice.
  • All employees, staff, and other office personnel.
  • All these individuals, sites, and locations follow the terms of this notice. In addition, these individuals, sites, and locations may share medical information with each other or with third-party specialists for treatment, payment, or office operations purposes described in this notice.
Our pledge regarding medical information

We understand that medical information about you and your health is personal. We are committed to protecting medical information about you. We create a record of the care and services you receive at our office. We need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by our office.

This notice will tell you about the ways in which we may use and disclose medical information about you. We also describe your rights and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information.

We are required by law to:
  • Ensure that medical information that identifies you is kept private.
  • Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to medical information about you; and
  • Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.
How we may use and disclose medical information about you

The following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose medical information. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories. You may revoke such permission at any time by writing to our practice Privacy Officer.

For treatment

We may use medical information about you to provide you with medical treatment or services. We may disclose medical information about you to the practice’s office personnel who are involved in taking care of you at the office or elsewhere. We also may disclose medical information about you to people outside our office who may be involved in your care after you leave the office, such as family members or others we use to provide services that are part of your care, provided you have consented to such disclosure. These entities include third-party physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, and clinical laboratories with whom the office consults or makes referrals.

For payment

We may use and disclose medical information about you so that the treatment and services you receive at our office may be billed to and payment may be collected from you, an insurance company, or a third party. For example, we may need to give your health plan information about procedures you received at the office so your health plan will pay us or reimburse you for the services. We may also tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.

For health care operations

We may use and disclose medical information about you for medical office operations. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run our office and make sure that all of our patients receive quality care. For example, we may use medical information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you. We may also combine medical information about many patients to decide what additional services the office should offer, what services are not needed, and whether certain new treatments are effective. We may also create and distribute de-identifiable health information by removing all references to individually identifiable information. We may also disclose information to our physicians, staff, and other office personnel for review and learning purposes.

Appointment reminders

We may use and disclose medical information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment for treatment or medical care at the office.

Treatment alternatives

We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.

Health-related benefits and services

We may use and disclose medical information to tell you about health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you.

Individuals involved in your care or payment for your care
We may release medical information about you to a friend or family member who is involved in your medical care, provided you have consented to such disclosure. We may also give information to someone who helps pay for your care. In addition, we may disclose medical information about you to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, and location.
As required by law
We will disclose medical information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
To avert a serious threat to health or safety
We may use and disclose medical information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.
Research
Under certain circumstances, we may use and disclose Health Information for research. For example, a research project may involve comparing the health of patients who received one treatment to those who received another, for the same condition. Before we use or disclose Health Information for research, the project will go through a special approval process. Even without special approval, we may permit researchers to look at records to help them identify patients who may be included in their research project or for other similar purposes, as long as they do not remove or take a copy of any Health Information.
SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Health oversight activities

We may disclose medical information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

As required by law
We will disclose Health Information when required to do so by international, federal, state, or local law.
To avert a serious threat to health or safety
We may use and disclose Health Information when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Disclosures, however, will be made only to someone who may be able to help prevent the threat.
Business associates
We may disclose Health Information to our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for such functions or services. For example, we may use another company to perform billing services on our behalf. All of our business associates are obligated to protect the privacy of your information and are not allowed to use or disclose any information other than as specified in our contract.
Organ and tissue donation
If you are an organ donor, we may use or release Health Information to organizations that handle organ procurement or other entities engaged in procurement, banking or transportation of organs, eyes, or tissues to facilitate organ, eye or tissue donation and transplantation.
Military & veterans
If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release Health Information as required by military command authorities. We also may release Health Information to the appropriate foreign military authority if you are a member of a foreign military.
Workers’ compensation
We may release Health Information for workers’ compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
Public health risks
We may disclose Health Information for public health activities. These activities generally include disclosures to prevent or control disease, injury or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify people of recalls of products they may be using; a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.
Data breach notification purposes
We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information to provide legally required notices of unauthorized access to or disclosure of your health information.
Lawsuits & disputes
If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose medical information about you in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose medical information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
Law enforcement
We may release medical information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:
  • Pre-placement
  • Periodic
  • Re-certification
  • Return to Duty
  • Coroners, Medical Examiners, & Funeral Directors

We may release medical information to a coroner or medical examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release medical information about patients of the office to funeral directors as necessary to perform their duties.

National security & intelligence activities
We may release Health Information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law.
Protective services for the president and others
We may disclose Health Information to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons, or foreign heads of state or to conduct special investigations.
Inmates or individuals in custody
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release Health Information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be if necessary: (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) the safety and security of the correctional institution.
USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE US TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT AND OPT OUT
Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care
Unless you object, we may disclose to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other person you identify, your Protected Health Information that directly relates to that person’s involvement in your health care. If you are unable to agree or object to such a disclosure, we may disclose such information as necessary if we determine that it is in your best interest based on our professional judgment.
Disaster Relief
We may disclose your Protected Health Information to disaster relief organizations that seek your Protected Health Information to coordinate your care or notify family and friends of your location or condition in a disaster. We will provide you with an opportunity to agree or object to such a disclosure whenever we practically can do so.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
You have the following rights regarding medical information we maintain about you:
Right to inspect and copy
You have the right to inspect and copy medical information that may be used to make decisions about your care. To inspect and copy medical information that may be used to make decisions about you, you must submit your request in writing to Jeffrey S. Liva M.D.,M.P.H.,M.S.. If you request a copy of the information, we have up to 30 days to make your Protected Health Information available to you and we may charge a fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances.
Right to an electronic copy of electronic medical records
If your Protected Health Information is maintained in an electronic format (known as an electronic medical record or an electronic health record), you have the right to request that an electronic copy of your record be given to you or transmitted to another individual or entity. We will make every effort to provide access to your Protected Health Information in the form or format you request if it is readily producible in such form or format. If the Protected Health Information is not readily producible in the form or format you request your record will be provided in either our standard electronic format or if you do not want this form or format, a readable hard copy form. We may charge you a reasonable, cost-based fee for the labor associated with transmitting the electronic medical record.
Right to get notice of a breach
You have the right to be notified upon a breach of any of your unsecured Protected Health Information.
Right to amend

If you feel that medical information, we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as the information is kept by or for our office. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing and submitted to Jeffrey S. Liva M.D., M.P.H.,M.S. In addition, you must provide a reason that supports your request.
We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment.

You have the right to request an “accounting of disclosures.” This is a list of the disclosures we made of medical information about you.

  • Is not part of the medical information kept by or for our office.
  • Is not part of the information that you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
  • Is accurate and complete.
  • Right to an accounting of disclosures

To request this list or accounting of disclosures, you must submit your request in writing to Jeffrey S. Liva M.D.,M.P.H.,M.S. Your request must state a time period, which may not be longer than 6 years. Your request should indicate in what form you want the list (for example, on paper, electronically). The first list you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved, and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred.

Right to request restrictions
You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the medical information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the medical information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care, like a family member or friend. For example, you could ask that we not use or disclose information about a surgery you had. We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing to Jeffrey S. Liva M.D., M.P.H., M.S. your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure, or both; and (3) to whom you want the limits to apply, for example, disclosures to your spouse.
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. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail. To request confidential communications, you must make your request in writing to Jeffrey S. Liva M.D., M.P.H., M.S. We will not ask you the reason for your request. We will accommodate all reasonable requests. Your request must specify how or where you wish to be contacted.
Out-of-pocket-payments
If you paid out-of-pocket (or in other words, you have requested that we not bill your health plan) in full for a specific item or service, you have the right to ask that your Protected Health Information with respect to that item or service not be disclosed to a health plan for purposes of payment or health care operations, and we will honor that request.
Right to a paper copy of this notice

You have the right to a paper copy of this notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this notice at any time. Even if you have agreed to receive this notice electronically, you are still entitled to a paper copy of this notice.

You may obtain a copy of this notice at our Web site, www.preventive.com.

To obtain a paper copy of this notice, Contact:

Jeffrey S. Liva M.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Privacy Officer Preventive Plus, P.A.
1 West Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652
Telephone: 201-444-3060
Fax: 201-447-9338

Changes to this notice
We reserve the right to change this notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed notice effective for medical information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current notice in the office. The notice will contain on the first page, in the top right-hand corner, the effective date. In addition, each time you register, we will offer you a copy of the current notice in effect.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the office or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with our practice, contact: Jeffrey S. Liva MD 1 West Ridgewood Ave, Paramus NJ 07652. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Your written authorization is required for other uses and disclosures
The following uses and disclosures of your Protected Health Information will be made only with your written authorization:
  • Uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information for marketing purposes; and
  • Disclosures that constitute a sale of your protected health information &
  • Other uses and disclosures of medical information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission. If you provide us permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose medical information about you for the reasons covered by your written authorization. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission and that we are required to retain our records of the care that we provided to you.
Website privacy

Any personal information you provide us with via our website, including your e-mail address, will never be sold, or rented to any third party without your express permission. If you provide us with any personal or contact information in order to receive anything from us, we may collect and store that personal data. We do not automatically collect your personal e-mail address simply because you visit our site. In some instances, we may partner with a third party to provide services such as newsletters, surveys to improve our services, health, or company updates, and in such case, we may need to provide your contact information to said third parties. This information, however, will only be provided to these third-party partners specifically for these communications, and the third party will not use your information for any other reason. While we may track the volume of visitors on specific pages of our website and download information from specific pages, these numbers are only used in aggregate and without any personal information. This demographic information may be shared with our partners, but it is not linked to any personal information that can identify you or any visitor to our site.

Our site may contain links to other outside websites. We cannot take responsibility for the privacy policies or practices of these sites, and we encourage you to check the privacy practices of all internet sites you visit. While we make every effort to ensure that all the information provided on our website is correct and accurate, we make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness, of the information available on our site. We are not liable to anyone for any loss, claim or damages caused in whole or in part, by any of the information provided on our site. By using our website, you consent to the collection and use of personal information as detailed herein. Any changes to this Privacy Policy will be made public on this site so you will know what information we collect and how we use it.