Medical Records

Alamo City Urgent Care may make routine Disclosures of PHI as permitted or required by the HIPAA Privacy Rule with proper verification of the identity and authority of the person or entity requesting the PHI.

• HIPAA privacy rules permit the use and disclosure of PHI for the purposes of treatment, payment, and certain health care operations without obtaining a specific written permission from the patient known as an “authorization”.
• Medical care providers may release information to other providers and entities who are participating in the patient’s care, and to businesses that provide services for those providers. Physicians do not need a specific authorization to share information with specialty consultants they talk to, with labs performing medical testing, or with a billing service who prepares the physicians’ bills.
• Authorization is also not required for disclosing information as required by law or law enforcement, abuse and neglect investigations, Government and Public Health programs, research, Department of Health and Hospitals, Workman’s Compensation, those involved in patient’s medical care.
• In the case of a deceased patient, a spouse, child or other relative may obtain medical records, even if they are not listed as the representative.
• A specific authorization is required for any use or disclosure of PHI that is not otherwise permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
• Employees will make reasonable efforts to verify the identity of the person with whom they are communicating with to prevent Disclosure of PHI to an unauthorized individual or entity.
• Professional judgment must be exercised in making Disclosures of PHI.  If uncertain whether the requestor is acting in good faith, a specific authorization should then be requested.