Privacy Policy

Vermont Radiologists is required to inform you of our practices in regard to protecting the privacy of your health information, which we call "protected health information" (or "PHI" for short). This notice is posted in our office waiting room, on our Website at www.vermontradiologists.com and available to you in writing upon request. We reserve the right to change or amend this notice at any time by making it available as stated above.

• We may use and disclose PHI about you to provide healthcare treatment to you. This may involve communicating and exchanging information with other healthcare providers regarding your treatment, and providing information to coordinate services.
• We may use and disclose PHI about you to obtain payment for services. Sharing information allows us to obtain prior approval, verify insurance coverage, to bill and collect payment.
• We may communicate with insurance companies, hospital departments, physicians offices, billing departments, health plans, workman's compensation contacts, and /or credit bureaus or collection departments and agencies.
• We may use and disclose your PHI for our healthcare operations. The purpose of this is either to improve healthcare, assess the quality and efficiency of care. This may include coordinating and cooperating with outside organizations or agencies that assess the quality of care we provide, or to assist various people who review the services we provide to you such as accountants, lawyers, and others who assist us in complying with applicable laws.
• We may use and disclose PHI under other circumstances without your authorization. We may use and/or disclose information required by law or administrative or judicial proceeding. This may occur when it relates to victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, in response to a court order, or when necessary for public health activities that could threaten the health or safety of a person or the public. We may also use and/or disclose information to correctional institutions and other law enforcement agencies in custodial situations. We may release information to government agencies about you if it relates to military or veteran's activities, national security and intelligence activities, medical suitability or determinations of the Department of State.
• You can object to certain uses and disclosures.
• Unless you object we may use or disclose PHI under the following circumstances:
  • We may share your name, location, and condition with people who ask for you by name.
  • We may share with a family member, relative or friend, (or other person identified by you,) PHI required to obtain information pertaining to payment for your care.
  • We may share with a family member, or other person responsible for your care PHI necessary to notify such individuals of your location, general condition or death.
  • We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or follow-up reminders. We may leave a message regarding your appointment on your answering machine.
  • We may contact you with information about new services, products, treatment, or healthcare providers.
• You have the right to request restrictions on uses and disclosures of PHI about you. We are not required to agree to those restrictions. Even if we do agree to your request there are certain circumstances that may prohibit us from abiding by those restrictions.
• You have the right to request that how and where we contact you about PHI. Your request must be made in writing. We must accommodate reasonable requests but when appropriate may condition that accommodation on your providing us with accurate information regarding how payment is to be handled and your specification of an alternative address or method of contact.
• You have the right to see and receive a copy of PHI about you. Your request must be in writing. We may charge you related fees. There are certain situations in which we are not required to comply with your request. Under these circumstances we will notify you in writing, stating why we will not grant your request and describing any rights you may have to request a review of our denial.
• You have the right to request an amendment of PHI about you. This may be clinical, billing, or other information used to make decisions about you. Your request must be in writing and must explain the reason(s) for the amendment. We may deny your request if the information was not created by us, the information is not part of the records used to make decisions about you, or we believe the information is correct and complete. We will tell you in writing the reasons for the denial and describe your rights to give use a written statement disagreeing with the denial. If we accept your request to amend the information, we will make reasonable efforts to inform others of the amendment, including persons you name who have received PHI about you and who need the amendment. (A form is available from our office to initiate an amendment.)
• You have a right to receive a written listing of our disclosures made after April 14, 2003 except disclosures that involve the following:
  • For your treatment.
  • For billing and collection of payment for your treatment.
  • For our healthcare operations.
  • Made to or requested by you, or that you authorized.
  • Occurring as a by product of permitted uses and disclosures Made by individuals involved in your care.
  • For directory or notification purposes.
  • Allowed by law when the use or disclosure relates to certain specialized government functions or relates to correctional institutions and in other law enforcement custodial situations.
  • As a part of a limited set of information which does not contain certain information which would identify you.
• If you request this information more than once in 12 months, we can charge you a reasonable fee. You have a right to file a complaint or comment about our privacy practices. This should be done in writing and addressed to:
  Heather Shepard, (Office Manager) Vermont Radiologists 620 Hinesburg Road S. Burlington, VT 05403
• If you file a complaint, we will not take any action against you or change our treatment of you in any way. You have a right to a copy of this notice.