Welcome Brochure

Notice of Privacy Practices (revised 3/16/2023)

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can get access to that information. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. The SUNY College of Optometry and its University Eye Center (collectively referred to as “UEC”) are required by law to protect the privacy of health information that may reveal your identity and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. The UEC reserves the right to change this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time. The UEC has the right to use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment, or health care operations once you have signed a general consent for treatment form. You may revoke your general written consent at any time (in writing), except to the extent that we have already relied on it. For example, if we provide you with treatment before you revoke your general written consent, we may still share your health information with your insurance company in order to obtain payment for that treatment. To revoke your general written consent, please contact us at 33 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036 or at (212) 938-4030. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION: Treatment: Your PHI can be used and disclosed to provide you with health care treatment and services. We will share your PHI, as appropriate, with optometrists, students in training programs, technicians, and personnel, volunteers, and others who are involved in your care, both within the UEC and elsewhere. For example, we may disclose your PHI to manufacturers when we order eyeglasses, contact lenses, or low vision devices for you, or to your primary care physician for continuity of your health care. Payment: We may use your information or share it with others so that we can bill and obtain payment for services we provide to you. For example, we may share your PHI with your vision plan, health insurance company, and with other payers such as Medicare and Medicaid. Health Care Operations: We may use your PHI or disclose it to others to conduct our business operations. For example, we may use your PHI to evaluate the treatment and services provided to you or to educate our staff on how to improve the care delivered. We may also use your PHI when we contact you, including via our automated appointment reminder system. Alternative Treatment Services: We may use and disclose your PHI in order to recommend possible treatment options or health-related benefits or services that may be of interest to you, so long as we have not received a payment from a third party for communicating with you. Fundraising: We may contact you to participate in fundraising activities. These communications may come from the College itself or from its related charitable

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