NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

In order to comply with HIPAA's Privacy Rule, it is the policy of this office to:
\t1.\tDistribute a Notice of Privacy Practices ("NPP") to every patient at their first appointment, eyewear pickup, or similar encounter on or after April 14, 2003.
•\tThe NPP to use is attached to this Policy. Only Steven W. Santos or Lionel Lemos, Jr. has authority to change this NPP.
•\tThe office staff is responsible for distributing the NPP to patients.
•\tStaff members must give the patient a copy of the NPP when on their first visit after April 14, 2003
•\tStaff members must ask the patient to sign an acknowledgement of receipt of the NPP (“AOR”). The AOR to use is attached to this Policy. Put all signed AORs in the patient’s file.
•\tIf the patient opts not to sign the AOR, a staff member must make a note of the fact that you asked and that the patient refused. Put this note in the patient’s file and add it to the notes section in the patient’s computer record.
•\tIt is not necessary to give a NPP to a patient every time they come in after April 14, 2003 unless we change the NPP.
\tAt every patient encounter, a staff member must look in the patient’s file to determine if the patient has previously signed an AOR.
\tIf yes, it is not necessary to give that patient another NPP unless we have changed our NPP since the date of the AOR. Our most current NPP will always have an effective date on the front.
\tIf no, then it is necessary to distribute a NPP and ask for signature on an AOR.
\t2.\tPost a copy of our NPP on the front office wall visible from the waiting area.
\t3.\tKeep a stock of copies of the NPP so that patients and visitors can take one, if they wish.
\t4.\tRedistribute our NPP as above whenever we change it.
\t5.\tWe will use and disclose protected health information in a manner that is consistent with HIPAA and with our NPP. If we change our NPP, the revised NPP will apply to all protected health information that we have, not just protected health information that we generate or obtain after we have changed the NPP.