Stop the spread. Get your COVID-19 vaccine. LEARN MORE > COUNTY language Change language search How do I... Complete Tasks Services Departments Elected Officials Maps & Records Health Information Privacy Notification NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES Effective April 14, 2003 THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. Clark County respects your privacy. We understand that your personal health information is sensitive. This Notice of Privacy Practices, the “notice”, will tell you how we may use and share your health information. This notice will also tell you more about how you can manage your health information that we maintain. The law protects the privacy of the health information you give to us when we provide care and services to you. For example, your medical record may include your symptoms, test results, conditions, treatment, and insurance information. We need this information to give you the best care. Federal and state law allows us to use and share your health information for treatment and health care reasons without your approval. State law requires us to get your approval to give this information to your insurance company so they can pay your bill. We will not give out your health information to others unless you tell us to do so, or unless the law requires us to do so. YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION RIGHTS You have many rights under state and federal laws involving health information. We may not approve everything you ask for, but we have ways of working with you if you disagree with us. You have a right to: Ask for and receive a paper copy of the most current “notice”. Read and ask questions about the notice. You may also ask for the following, but you must ask in writing and there may be certain reasons under the law we cannot approve your request: To limit how we use your health information. To have your health information sent to you in a private manner or a certain place. To inspect and get a copy of your health information. There is a fee for copies. To correct or add to your health information if you think it is wrong or something is missing. To withdraw your written approval of using and sharing your health information. We cannot take back information that has already been sent out. To obtain a list of who has received copies of your health information. You may get this list, without charge, once every 12 months. You can get the list on paper or on your computer. WHAT WE MUST DO Keep your health information private and safe. Train our staff to keep health information private and safe. Follow the information in this notice. Give you a copy of this notice. Tell you how to make a complaint. We reserve the right to change this notice. We can give you the new notice by mail, fax, on your computer, or by you picking one up in person. UNDER FEDERAL LAW, WE MAY USE & SHARE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION WITHOUT YOUR APPROVAL FOR TREATMENT, PAYMENT & HEALTH CARE OPERATIONS For treatment: Information you give to our health care team will be written in your medical record. The health care team may read, discuss, or share your health information to provide quality care and to help decide what care may be best for you. We may also give health information to your other health care providers. This will help them stay informed about the care we have given you. For payment: We will bill your health insurance. Health insurance companies and programs need information about your medical care to pay your bill. Information given to your health insurance may include your condition, procedures, or care we think you need. Under state law, we must still get your approval to bill your insurance. We may share your health information to decide which services you may get. We may share your health information, if you are a LEOFF 1 member, with other Clark County departments for processing your claim. For health care operations (agency functions): We may use your health information to learn how to make our services better. We may use and share your health information to look at how our health care providers do their job and to train our staff. We may contact you to remind you about appointments and give you information about different types of treatment or other health-related services. We also may use and share your health information for the following: Review by your health insurance Billing and payment purposes State and federal audits To review our programs and make sure you get the best service OTHER USES & DISCLOSURES OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION We will get your approval to use or share your information in other ways not covered by this notice and you will still have the right to withdraw this approval at any time. Family and Friends: We may talk about your health information to a friend or family member who helps with your medical care, who helps pay for your care, who you ask to be told, or in an emergency situation. We will tell them only what they need to know to help you. You have the right to say “no” to this use or to sharing your information. If you say “no,” we will not use or share your health information with your family or friends. Minors: Minors are children under the age of 18. Parents and legal representatives may see their minor child’s health information in most cases. In some cases, we are required by law to not give you access to your minor child’s health information such as treatment of substance abuse, mental health, and STD’s. UNDER FEDERAL LAW, WE MAY ALSO USE & SHARE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION WITHOUT YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS To Medical Researchers: Your approval is not required when a study does not let other people know who was included in the study. The research must be set up to protect your privacy. To Funeral Directors, Medical Examiners, & Coroners: To let them do their jobs such as identify a body or the cause of death. To US Food and Drug Administration (FDA): To handle product recalls or problems with food, nutritional supplements, and products such as vaccinations or birth control. To Workers’ Compensation: To process a workers’ compensation claim regarding a work-related injury or illness. For Public Health and Safety: To public health or legal authorities To prevent or control disease, injury, or disability To report births, deaths, and other vital statistics To reduce a serious, immediate threat to the health or safety of individuals or the public. To Report Suspected Abuse or Neglect: Of a child or adult to proper agencies. To Correctional Facilities: If you are in jail or prison, as needed for your health or for the health and safety of others. For Law Enforcement Purposes: To a law officer to report a crime, an agency investigating a crime, or if you are the victim of a crime. To Health & Safety Oversight Agencies: We may share health information with an agency that reviews local health programs such as the Washington State Department of Health. For Disaster Relief: We may share health information with disaster relief agencies to let family or friends know about your condition. To US Military Authorities: If you are a member of the military, the law may require us to provide health information necessary to carry out a military mission. For Courts or Lawsuits: As required by a subpoena, court order or to defend a lawsuit. For National Security: We may share health information with the federal government for national security or special federal investigations. To Business Associates: These are people or agencies who help us serve you. The law says we can give them enough information to do their jobs. We require them to protect your information just like we do. For example, this could include a collection agency. TO ASK FOR HELP OR TURN IN A COMPLAINT Please contact our Privacy Officer if you have questions, need more information, or want to report a problem with your health information. If you believe your privacy has not been protected, you may talk with any staff member right away. You may also send a written complaint to our Privacy Officer. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. We respect your right to file a complaint. If you complain, you will not be punished. Complaint Form For more information, please contact: Clark County Privacy Officer PO Box 5000 Vancouver, WA 98666 Email: Kathy.Meyers@clark.wa.gov Phone: (360) 397-2456 proud past, promising future INFORMATION FOR Residents Businesses Volunteers Clark County Employees DO MORE ONLINE Subscribe to Updates Maps Online Property Tax Payment Jail Inmate Lookup CLARK COUNTY 564.397.2000 Mission Web Support Staff Directory © 2021 Clark County Washington Terms of Use Privacy Policy Health Information Privacy Information Accessibility vertical_align_top