MRF DMH NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES & TELEPHONY MMS/SMS TEXT MESSAGING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

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

 

Notice Effective Date: September 7, 2024

 

MRF DMH NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

 

Privacy

Montachusett Recovery Foundation, Corp d/b/a MRC | Montachusett Recovery Center (MRF) is required by state and federal law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI). PHI includes any identifiable information about your physical or mental health, the health care you receive, and the payment for your health care. Information about care that you received from other providers may also be included in your PHI.

 

MRF is required by law to provide you with this notice to tell you how it may use and disclose your PHI and to inform you of your privacy rights. MRF must follow the privacy practices as set forth in its most current Notice of Privacy Practices.

 

Changes to this Notice

MRF may change its privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time. Changes will apply to PHI that MRF already has as well as PHI that MRF receives in the future. The most current privacy notice will be posted in MRF facilities and programs, on the MRF website (  ) and (https://montrecovery.com/messaging-terms-conditions/) and will be available on request. Every privacy notice will be dated.

 

How MRF May Use and Disclosure Your PHI

MRF may use your PHI within the MRF organization and disclose it outside of the organization without your authorization for the following purposes:

 

  1. For Treatment – MRF may use/disclose PHI to doctors, nurses, residents or students and other health care providers that are involved in delivering your health care and related services. Your PHI will be used to assist in developing your treatment and/or service plan and to conduct periodic reviews and assessments. PHI may be disclosed to other health care professionals and providers to obtain prescriptions, lab work, consultations, and other items needed for your care. PHI will be disclosed to health care providers for the purposes of referring you for services and then for coordinating and providing the services you receive.

 

  1. For Payment – MRF may use/disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for your health care services. MRF may release portions of your PHI to the Medicaid or Medicare program or a third-party payor to determine if they will make payment, to get prior approval, and to support any claim or bill.

 

  1. For Health Care Operations – MRF may use/disclose PHI to support activities such as program planning, management and administrative activities, quality assurance, receiving and responding to complaints, compliance programs (e.g., Medicare), audits, training and credentialing of health care professionals, and certification and accreditation (e.g., The Joint Commission).
  2. Appointment Reminders – MRF may use PHI to remind you of an appointment or follow up instructions or to provide you with information about treatment alternatives or other health related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

 

  1. Business Associates – MRF may use/disclose PHI to contractors, agents and other business associates who need the information to assist MRF with obtaining payment or carrying out its business operations not limited to: reviewing your services, case management, determining how effective services are, assessing the overall programs in which you are enrolled, plan and support for future programs, meeting federal and/or state reporting requirements to continue funding, anonymous data collection. If MRF discloses your PHI to a business associate, MRF will have a written contract with that business associate to ensure that it also protects your PHI.

 

  1. Family and Friends/Clergy – MRF may disclose a limited amount of PHI for the following purposes:
    • Clergy – If you agree, verbally or otherwise, your religious affiliation may be disclosed to
    • To Family, Friends or Others – If you agree or do not object, PHI may be disclosed to persons involved in your care or payment for your care if directly related to their involvement in your care or payment for your care.

 

  1. Required by Law – MRF may use/disclose PHI as required by law, such as to report a felony committed on its premises; pursuant to a court order; to report abuse or neglect, and other situations where MRF is required to make reports and/or disclose PHI pursuant to a statute or regulation.

 

  1. Lawsuits and Disputes – If you bring a legal action or other proceeding against MRF or our employees or agents, we may use and disclose PHI to defend ourselves.

 

  1. Other Purposes – MRF may use/disclose your PHI:
    • For guardianship or commitment proceedings when MRF is a party;
    • For other judicial and administrative proceedings if certain criteria are met;
    • To public health authorities that are to receive reports of abuse or neglect;
    • For research purposes, following strict internal review;
    • To law enforcement officials when the person alleged to have committed a crime against you is a MRF facility or program staff member.
    • To avert a serious and imminent threat to health or safety;
    • To persons involved in your care in an emergency situation if certain criteria are met;
    • To correctional institutions if you are an inmate or you are detained by a law enforcement officer, we may disclose your PHI to the prison officers or law enforcement officers if necessary to provide you with health care, or to maintain safety, security and good order at the place where you are confined;
    • To authorized public health officials for public health activities such as tracking diseases and reporting vital statistics;
    • To government agencies authorized to conduct audits, investigations, and inspections of our facility. These government agencies monitor the operations of the health care system, government benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, and compliance with government regulatory programs and civil rights laws;
    • For workers’ compensation claims;
    • For certain specialized government functions if certain criteria are met; and
    • In the unfortunate event of your death, we may disclose your PHI to coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors, and certain organ and tissue procurement

 

 

Uses/Disclosures Requiring Written Authorization

MRF is required to have a written authorization from you or your legally authorized personal representative for uses/disclosures beyond treatment, payment, and health care operations, unless an exception listed above applies. You may cancel an authorization at any time, if you do so in writing. A cancellation will stop future uses/disclosures except to the extent MRF has already acted based upon your authorization.

Authorization is required for most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (these are the notes that certain professional behavioral health providers maintain that record your appointments with them and are not stored in your medical record), certain substance use disorder information, HIV testing or test results, and certain genetic information even if disclosure is being made for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes as described above.

 

Although the following types of uses/disclosures are not contemplated by MRF, we need to inform you that any use or disclosure of PHI for marketing that involves financial remuneration to MRF will require an authorization. Similarly, to sell PHI, MRF must obtain an authorization. MRF will not use or disclose your PHI for fundraising purposes.

 

Your Rights Concerning Your PHI

You or your legally authorized personal representative has the right to:

  • Request that MRF use a specific address or telephone number to contact MRF will try to accommodate all reasonable requests.
  • Obtain, upon request, a paper copy of this notice or any revision of this notice, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
  • Inspect and request a copy of the PHI used to make decisions about your care. When records are kept electronically, you may request an electronic copy. Access to your records may be restricted in limited circumstances. If MRF denies your request, in whole or in part, you may request that the denial be reviewed. Fees may be charged for copying and mailing. Ordinarily, MRF will respond to your request within 30 days. If additional time is needed to respond, MRF will notify you within the 30 days to explain the reason(s) for the delay and indicate when you can expect a final answer to your request. This request must be made in writing.
  • Request additions or corrections to your PHI. MRF is not required to agree to such a request. If it does not comply with your request, MRF will tell you why in writing within 60 days and notify you of your specific rights in that If additional time is needed to respond, MRF will notify you within the 60 days to explain the reason(s) for the delay and indicate when you can expect a final answer to your request. This request must be made in writing.
  • Request an accounting of disclosures (up to the past six years) which will identify, in accordance with applicable laws, certain other persons or organizations to which MRF disclosed your PHI and why. An accounting will not include disclosures that were: (1) made to you or your personal representative; (2) authorized or approved by you; (3) made for treatment, payment, and health care operations; and (4) some that were required by law to be made. Ordinarily, MRF will respond to your request within 60 days. If additional time is needed to respond, MRF will notify you within the 60 days to explain the reason(s) for the delay and indicate when you can expect a final answer to your request. This request must be made in writing.
  • Request that MRF restrict how it uses or discloses your PHI. MRF is not required to agree to such restriction, with the exception that if you, or someone on your behalf, pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, MRF will agree to not disclose PHI pertaining only to that service or item with your health plan for the purpose of payment or health care operation, unless MRF is otherwise required by law to disclose that PHI. This request must be made in writing.

 

The above requests may be made at or submitted to any MRF facility or office.

 

Record Retention

Your individual records will be retained a minimum of 20 years from the last date you receive services from a MRF inpatient facility and/or from MRF operated community services. After that time, your records may be destroyed.

 

Breach of PHI

MRF will inform you if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs.

 

Complaint

If you believe that your privacy or privacy rights have been violated, or you want to file a complaint, you may contact: MRF Privacy Officer, Montachusett Recovery Foundation, Corp, 106 Carter St Ste 40, Leominster, MA 01453, E-mail: office@montrecovery.com, Phone: 978- 227-5036, Fax: 978-253-4209. A complaint must be made in writing.

 

You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, JFK Federal Building, Room 1875, Boston, MA. 02203.

 

No one may retaliate against you for filing a complaint or for exercising your rights as described in this notice.

 

Privacy Contact Information

If you want to obtain further information about MRF’s privacy practices, or if you want to exercise your rights, you may contact: MRF Privacy Officer, Montachusett Recovery Foundation, Corp, 106 Carter St Ste 40, Leominster, MA 01453, E-mail: office@montrecovery.com, Phone: 978- 227-5036, Fax: 978-253-4209. A complaint must be made in writing.

 

You also may contact a MRF office, a MRF program director for more information or assistance.

 

MRF Contact Information

If you want to obtain other information (non-privacy related) about MRF and its services you may contact: MRF, Montachusett Recovery Foundation, Corp, 106 Carter St Ste 40, Leominster, MA 01453, E-mail: office@montrecovery.com, Phone: 978- 227-5036, Fax: 978-253-42091.

 

You also may contact your MRF program director for more information or assistance.

 

MRF TELEPHONY MMS/SMS ‘TEXT’ MESSAGING TERMS & CONDITIONS

 

General

When you opt-in to the service, we will send you a message to confirm your signup.

 

By opting into messages, you agree to receive direct communication and recurring automated marketing and informational text (MMS/SMS) messages from MRF. Automated messages may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system to the mobile telephone number you provided when signing up or any other number that you designate.

 

Message frequency varies, and additional mobile messages may be sent periodically based on your interaction with MRF. MRF reserves the right to alter the frequency of messages sent at any time to increase or decrease the total number of sent messages. MRF also reserves the right to change the short code or phone number where messages are sent.

 

Message and data rates may apply. If you have any questions about your text plan or data plan, it is best to contact your wireless provider. Your wireless provider is not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

 

Your consent to receive marketing messages is not a condition of purchase.

 

Carriers

Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

 

Cancellation

You can cancel any time by texting “STOP” to +19782275036. After you send the SMS message “STOP” to +19782275036, we will send you a message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed and no more messages will be sent. If you would like to receive messages from MRF again, just sign up as you did the first time and MRF will start sending messages to you again.

 

Info

Text “HELP” to +19782275036 at any time and we will respond with instructions on how to unsubscribe. For support regarding our services, email us at office@montrecovery.com.

 

Transfer of Number

You agree that before changing your mobile number or transferring your mobile number to another individual, you will either reply “STOP” from the original number or notify us of your old number at office@montrecovery.com. The duty to inform us based on the above events is a condition of using this service to receive messages.

 

Privacy

No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All other categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

If you have any questions about your data or our other privacy practices, please visit our https://montrecovery.com/data-privacy-policy/.

 

Messaging Terms Changes

We reserve the right to change or terminate our messaging program at any time. We also reserve the right to update these Messaging Terms at any time. Such changes will be effective immediately upon posting. Your continued enrollment following such changes shall constitute your acceptance of such changes.