MDH 4617 (07/17) Page 2 of 2
authorization, and the limited information we disclose may include your name, location in the entity, your general condition
(e.g., fair, stable, etc.) and your religious affiliation. !
• Lawsuits, disputes and claims: If you are involved in a lawsuit, a dispute, or a claim, MDH may disclose your health
information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, the investigation of a complaint fil
ed
on your behalf, or other lawful process.
• Law enforcement: MDH may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for purposes that are required by
law or in response to a subpoena
.
• Other parties for conducting permitted activities: MDH may conduct the above-described activities ourselves, or we may
use non-MDH entities (known as Business Associates) to perform those operations. In those instances where we disclose
your PHI to a third party acting on our behalf, we will protect your PHI through an appropriate privacy agreemen
t.
• Fundraising Activities: MDH may use information about you to contact you in an effort to raise money for MDH and its
operations. The information we release about you will be limited to your contact information, such as your name, address and
telephone number and the dates you received treatment or services at MDH
.
Your Rights !
You Have a Right to: !
• Request restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information MDH uses or discloses
about you. MDH will accommodate your request if possible, but is not legally required to agree to the requested restriction.
Except as otherwise required by law, MDH must accommodate your request if the disclosure is to a health plan for purposes of
carrying out payment or health care operations (and is not for purposes of carrying out treatment); and the protected health
information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which the health care provider involved has been paid out of
pocket in full.
• Request confidential communication: You have the right to ask that MDH send you information at an alternative address or
by alternative means. MDH must agree to your request as long as it is reasonably easy for us to do so.
• Inspect and copy: With certain exceptions (such as psychotherapy notes, information collected for certain legal proceedings,
and health information restricted by law), you have a right to see your health information upon your written request. If you want
copies of your health information, you may be charged a reasonable and cost-based fee for copying, postage, and prepari
ng
an explanation or summary of the protected health information. You have a right to choose what portions of your information
you want copied and to have prior information on the cost of copying. If MDH maintains your health information using
electronic health records, we will provide access in electronic format and transmit copies of the health information to an entity
or person designated by you, provided that any such choice is clear, conspicuous, and specific
.
• Request amendment: You may request in writing that MDH correct or add to your health record. MDH will respond to your
request within 60 days, with up to a 30-day extension, if needed. MDH may deny the request if MDH determines that t
he
health information is: (1) correct and complete; (2) not created by us and/or not part of our records; (3) not permitted to be
disclosed. If MDH approves the request for amendment, MDH will change !the health information and inform you, and MDH w
ill
tell others that need to know about the change in the health information.
• Require authorization: You have the right to require your authorization for most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy
notes, for receiving marketing communication and for the sale of your PHI.
• Receive accounting of disclosures: You have a right to request a list of the disclosures made of your health information
after April 14, 2003, and in the six years prior to the date on which the accounting is requested. Exceptions are health
information that has been used for treatment, payment, and health care operations. In addition, MDH does not have to list
disclosures made to you, based on your written authorization, provided for national security, to law enforcement officers, or
correctional facilities. There will be no charge for up to one such list each year. Additionally, MDH will provide an accounting
for disclosures made through an electronic health record for treatment, payment, and health care operations, but information is
limited to three years prior to date of reques
t.
• Opt-Out: You have the right to receive fundraising communication and the right to request to opt-out of fundraising
communication. You also have a right to opt-out of a MDH facility’s patient directory, and you have the right to opt-out of
Maryland’s Health Information Exchange (HIE), which is the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients
(CRISP).
• Receive notice: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice and/or an electronic copy by mail upon request.
• Receive breach notification: You have the right to receive notification whenever a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs.
• Receive protection of genetic information: If any of MDH’s health care components is considered a health plan, the health
plan is prohibited from using or disclosing your genetic information for certain underwriting purposes.
• Receive protection of mental health records: If a medical record that is developed in connection with you receiving menta
l
health services is disclosed without your authorization, MDH will only release the information in your record that is relevant to
the purpose for which the disclosure is sought. !For More information: !This document is available in other languages
and
alternative formats that meet the guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you have questions and would like more
information, you may contact: Client Services at 410-767-6535.
• To Report a Problem about our Privacy Practices: !If you believe that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a
complaint.
• You can file a complaint with the Maryland Department of Health, Division of Corporate Compliance at !1-866-770-7175.
You can file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil !Rights. You may call
the Maryland Department of Health for the contact information.
MDH will take no retaliatory action against you if you make such complaints. !
Effective Date: This notice is effective on August 19, 2013