HPPO Privacy Statement

Information contained herein is descriptive only. It is offered, and fully intended, as a resource to be used in maintaining information regarding HPPO, its physicians and providers, and its contracted health plans. It should not be relied upon as medical and/or legal advice or as a definitive statement of the law in any jurisdiction. For such advice, physicians, providers, subscribers, members, affiliates, health plans, or other Participants of any sort for any reason should consult their won legal counsel and follow standard medical practices, and health plan authorities. No liability or warranty of any kind and nature are assumed by reason of the information this document contains or is perceived to mean.

Confidentiality

HPPO has provided this information which may be highly confidential and proprietary in nature of the operations and management of the organization, its participants, its physicians and providers, its Members, and its contracted health plans. The contents herein are absolutely confidential. Disclosure is prohibited beyond individual usage for the purpose of identifying a network provider, policy & procedure, and for other informational purposes. Furthermore, disclosure of information and dualities of interest can damage the business interests of the organization. Participant agrees that (s)he will not discuss, give, disclose, sell, or transfer to others, or cause or permit to be disclosed, given, disclosed, self, or transferred to others any or all information contained herein, or use or permit to be used such information for other than the informational purposes of which it is intended.

HIPPA

The Privacy Rule establishes a federal requirement that most doctors, hospitals, or other health care providers obtain a patient's written consent before using or disclosing the patient's personal health information to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations ("TPO"). Patient consent is required before a covered health care provider that has a direct treatment relationship with the patient may use or disclose protected health information ("PHI") for purposes of TPO. Exceptions to this standard include: Health care providers that have indirect treatment relationships with patients (such as laboratories that only interact with physicians and not patients), health plans, and health care clearinghouses may use and disclose PHI for purposes of TPO without obtaining a patient's consent.

HPPO may use and disclose PHI in connection with its health care operations. This includes the business functions conducted by an IPA as a business associate of its contracted health maintenance organizations. These activities may include providing customer service, responding to complaints and appeals from Members, providing case management and care coordination under benefit plans, conducting medical review of claims, and adjudication thereto, and other quality assessment and improvement activities.