Notice of Privacy Practices

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") requires us to safeguard the privacy of information we have about you. This Notice tells you how we protect your information, how we may use and disclose it, and your rights regarding it.* We are required to give you a copy of this Notice and to comply with its terms. We reserve the right to make changes to this Notice and to make them effective for information we may already have about you. If we make a change to this Notice, we will post the revised Notice on our website. 

*Other federal and state laws may provide privacy protections in addition to HIPAA for certain diagnoses (e.g., substance use disorder, mental health). 

We may use and disclose your information for the following reasons without obtaining your permission. 

To Areas Within the University that Support Us

In accordance with Penn State Policy AD.22, University Health Services may share your health information with other Penn State units when disclosure or access authorized in advance by the PSU HIPAA Privacy Officer. For example, we may share information to areas such as: Information and Technology, Student Conduct, Student Care and Advocacy Office, Archives and Records Management, Office of General Counsel, Counseling and Psychological Services, and Housing Services. 

For Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations Purposes

We use and disclose your information to treat you, obtain payment for our services, and for our health care operations purposes. For example:

• We use your information to provide health care services for you and may disclose and/or obtain your information to and/or from other health care providers to coordinate your care.
• We submit claims to insurers to obtain payment for our services.
• We perform quality assessments and internal audits to improve our services.

To Provide Appointment Reminders, Treatment Alternatives, and Health Related Benefits and Services Information

We may use and disclose your information to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with us and to tell you about treatment alternatives or health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. UHS uses an API text messaging service. Text messages will not contain protected health information, and no mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for
 marketing/promotional purposes.

To Third Parties Who Perform Services on Our Behalf

We use third parties to provide services for us that require them to use your information (called "Business Associates"). Our Business Associates are obligated to protect your information in the same manner as we do.

To Others Involved in Your Care

In emergency situations, we may disclose your information to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend, or other person you identify who is directly involved in your healthcare or payment of bills related to your health care. 

For example, if you are seriously injured and unable to make a health care decision for yourself, we may disclose your information to a family member if we determine it is in your best interest.

When Required by Law

We may disclose your information when the law requires it. For example, we may disclose your information to a person who has authority under the law to act on your behalf; to report suspected victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; for judicial and administrative proceedings; to coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors to identify a deceased person or to determine a cause of death; law enforcement officials to assist them in their law enforcement duties to the extent permitted by law subject to the further restrictions specified in this Notice below.

For Public Health Activities 

We may disclose your information to a public health authority authorized by law to collect or receive information to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability or to report vital statistics; to a government authority authorized by law to receive reports or child neglect or abuse; and to the Food and Drug Administration for its reporting and tracking requirements.

For Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose your information to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law including audits; civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings or actions; or other activities necessary for oversight of the healthcare system and government benefit programs.

For Research

We may use or disclose your information when approved by the Penn State Office for Research Protections.

To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety

To the extent permitted by law and ethical conduct, we may disclose your information to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.

For Specialized Government Functions

We may use or disclose your information as necessary for certain government functions including intelligence, national security, or security clearance activities.

For Workers Compensation

We may disclose your information to workers compensation programs which provide benefits for work-related injuries.

Military and Veterans

We may disclosure your health information to the military when required by law.

Inmates

We may disclose your health information to the correctional institution or law enforcement official when required by law.

Other than as described above, we must obtain your written authorization to use or disclose your information, including with some exceptions, to use or disclose psychotherapy notes, if any, we have about you.  Once we disclose your information based on your authorization, the disclosed information may no longer be protected and may be re-disclosed by the recipient without your knowledge or authorization. You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, but we cannot retrieve disclosures we have already made based on your prior authorization.

Although we are not a substance use disorder treatment program (a "SUD Program"), we may receive information—from a SUD Program about your treatment. We may not disclose this information so that it can be used in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you unless (i) we have your written consent, or (ii) a court order accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure issued after we and you are given notice and an opportunity to be heard.

You have the following rights regarding your information. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please submit your requests in writing to the:

• UHS Privacy Officer
  127 Student Health Center
  542 Eisenhower Rd
  University Park PA 16828.

Right to Request Restrictions

You can request restrictions on how we use and disclose your information for treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO) purposes. We are not required to agree to your request unless, and except as otherwise required by law, your request pertains solely to a health care item or service for which you have paid for out-of-pocket. 

Right to Receive Confidential Communications or Communications by Alternative Means or at an Alternative Location

You can request us to communicate with you in a certain way or at an alternate address. We are required to accommodate reasonable requests. You should tell us if the disclosure of all or part of your information by non-confidential communications could endanger you.

Right to Inspect and Copy

You can inspect and receive a copy of certain information we maintain about you. We may charge you a reasonable fee for the cost of producing and mailing the copies. In certain situations, we may deny your request. You may have the right to ask for a review of the denial. If we maintain the information electronically, you can request that we provide an electronic copy to you or to someone you designate. If the information is not in the form or format you request and is not readily producible in such form and format, we will provide you with the information in our standard electronic format. We may charge you a reasonable, cost-based fee for the labor associated with transmitting the information.

Right to Amend

You can request that we amend certain information we maintain about you if you believe the information is incorrect or incomplete, but you need to explain why the information is inaccurate or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain limited cases.

Right to Receive an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information (called “accounting"). The accounting lists those instances where we or our Business Associates have disclosed some portion of your information and to whom that disclosure was made other than disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes; disclosures made to you or pursuant to your authorization; and certain other disclosures. You may request an accounting of the disclosures made up to six years before your request.  For substance use disorder disclosures you may request an accounting made up to three years before your request. You may receive one accounting per year at no charge. If you request another accounting during the same year, we may charge you a reasonable fee; however, we will notify you of the cost prior to processing the request.

Right to Request a Paper Copy of this Notice

You may request another copy of this Notice at any time.

Right to Receive a Notice of Certain Breaches

We will notify you in the event that we or one of our Business Associates experiences a breach of your information, as required by law.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, or if you have concerns regarding our policies and procedures regarding how we use or disclose your information, you may file a complaint with the UHS Privacy Officer or Penn State Privacy Office at privacy@psu.edu. You may also submit your complaint to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. We will not retaliate or discriminate against you or otherwise withhold services, payment, or privileges from you because you file a complaint.