Home > Who We Are > Our Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy
Note: This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully. We protect confidential information we collect about you by maintaining physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that meet or exceed applicable law.

Privacy Promise to Our Patients & Customers

1. We will safeguard according to government standards and applicable laws all confidential and personal information provided to use by you, your physician, and/or healthcare facilities involved in your medical care
2. We will limit the collection and the use of confidential information to only information needed to process physician’s orders, meet medicare requirements for chart documentation, and all other medicare guidelines. We shall submit to our billing company and applicable insurance companies the minimal confidential information necessary to process claims for purpose of payment
3. We will permit only authorized employees who are trained in the proper handling of confidential information to have access to this information. Employees who violate our privacy promise will be subject to disciplinary action
4. At times it may be necessary to request from your physician or other facility/entity involved in your medical care medical records, including, but not limited to, physician notes, progress notes, physician summary statement, procedures, x-rays, and lab results needed to process your physician’s order
5. All confidential records to include, but not limited to, medical records, personal information such as name, address, telephone numbers, social security numbers, and insurance information will be kept in a secure area available to authorized personnel only
6. All confidential information will no be exposed for viewing of customers/patients. Conversations involving patient/customer will be in area not accessible to the public or unauthorized personnel
7. All patients/customers will have the right to sign a release of authorization and discloser of confidential information and have the right to request limited disclosure of information
8. All confidential information will be on a secure computer software. All faxes will contain privileged and confidential information statement
9. The patient/customer has the right to respect and assure all documentation with confidential information will be protected to the strictest of confidentiality when removed from the premises:
   Examples
   a. Information such as delivery documentation, certificate of medical necessity, physician’s orders, insurance, and other information
   shall be given to authorized employees that delivery out products and provide direct service to patients in home setting
   b. Documentation such as patient’s charts and invoices may be taken off premises to our corporate office for process of claims/orders
10. The patient/customer has the right to access and inspect their confidential health information, information compiled in reasonable anticipation of legal action, or proceeding and information related to certain laboratory tests under CLIA.WHP/Express Footwear may deny this request for individual access.
11. In the event of denial, patient/customer has the right to request the denial be reviewed in the following circumstances: a.) A healthcare provider has determined, in the exercise of professional judgement, that the access requested in reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the patient/customer or another person, b.) the information makes reference to another person (unless such other person is a health care provider) and the health care provider has determined in the exercise of professional judgement, that the access requested is reasonably likely to cause substantial harm to the individual or another person, c.) the request for access is made by the individual’s personal representative and the health care provider has determined in the exercise of professional judgement that the provision of access to such personal representative is reasonably likely to cause substantial hard to the patient/customer or another person
12. The patient, if granted the right to access confidential information, will review the records in our corporate office in the presence of authorized personnel to prevent removal or changes to present records: a.) this practice may deny an individual’s request for amendment if it is determined that the information that is the subject of the request was not created by the covered entity and/or is not part of the confidential record, b.) if the patient/customer request is accepted, he/she will abide by this company’s policy on amendment of confidential information, c.) the practice will respond to the request for amendment to confidential information within sixty (60) days. A one time extension of more than 30 days is allowed if the practice notified the patient/customer with a written statement of the reason for the delay and the date by which the practice will complete its action on the request
13. This company will delegate a privacy officer to work in conjunction with management to ensure implementation of the HIPPA privacy and security provisions
    
14. In the event an individual has a complain to the privacy promise of our company, he/she may notify the privacy officer and/or management and has the right to file a complain with the security of DHHS
15. The patient has the right to respect all paperwork will be disposed of properly. All records will be maintained for a period of at least 10 years and 3 months, then the records will be destroyed via burning. All burning of confidential/personal/medical records will be done by management of the company on the premises of the corporate office or by shredding. All shredded material sill be disposed of via usual trash disposal methods.

Use of Information

1. WHP/Express Footwear will use the confidential information we obtain from you, your physician, and other medical facilities to provide documentation needed to provide medical services and medical equipment/supplies as ordered by your physician, hospital, nursing facility, or other medical entities, etc.
2. Medical information will be obtained fro your physician, hospital, nursing facility, and other medical entity, etc., to support medical necessity of the product(s) ordered
3. Medical information will also provided documentation and accurate information to help our company provide the utmost beneficial equipment and/or supplies to meet your needs and to provided continuity of excellent care and services

Disclosures

1. Disclosure of confidential information to include: name, address, telephone number, insurance information, physician’s name, address, telephone number, and medical information, all found on the delivery document, will be held in strict confidence and privacy and only disclosed to authorized personnel, such as our qualified office staff, management, intake supervisor, privacy/compliance officer, nurse, pedorthist, fitters, and delivery technicians
2. Confidential information may be disclosed to our billing company, insurance companies, and the government to process claims for payment
3. Confidential information may be disclosed, but not limited to, government agencies such as Palmetto GBA, Medicare, Medicaid, TennCare, Department of Human
4. Services, Law Enforcement Agencies, and other state and federal agencies if requested for medical reviews, audits, and investigations, including fraud and abuse
5. WHP/Express Footwear may contact the patient/customer to provide appointment reminders or information about other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to patients/customers