I am looking for a little guidance on this issue . I sent the Med-fico letter to the hospital my dh was treated in 06/07. There is no balance due.
The letter from the "Compliance, Privacy & Internal Audit" department says that "both authorizations have expired". ( I guess this means there was a time limit on this).
The next part of the letter refers to "prohibiting PHI records from being provided to any type of creidt data service or credit rating service."
The hospital wants dh to return a signed letter for "Request For Use and Disclosure Restrictions."
Here is what the letter says"
" You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the use or disclosure of your protected health information for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request we restrict the disclosure of your protected health information from those involved in your health care or the payment for your health care, such as with a family member or friend. For example, you may request we not use or disclose your protected health information relating to a procedure you may have had. We are not required to agree with your request for restrictions.
However, if we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing by filling out this form a submitting it to Patient Access. In your request, you must tell us: (1)
what information you want to limit;(2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) or whom you want the limits to apply (e.g.,disclosures to your spouse or children).
I request the following specific restrictions to the use of disclosure or both of my protected health information:......"
So that is the letter I received.
The bolded part We are not required to agree with your request for restrictions. I'm not sure what's up with that statement. Could they just say no?
Also , what information do I want to limit? Should I say all medical and financial information you hold on dh?
Thank you for this information on Med-fico. I haven't posted in a while but have been actively reading and learning.
I want to answer fully as I have several other family members for which this will apply.
Ronika28
Full Version: Why-chat Med-fico letter sent ..got this reply?
QUOTE (Ronika28 @ Sep 21 2009, 12:10 PM) 
I am looking for a little guidance on this issue . I sent the Med-fico letter to the hospital my dh was treated in 06/07. There is no balance due.
The letter from the "Compliance, Privacy & Internal Audit" department says that "both authorizations have expired". ( I guess this means there was a time limit on this).
The next part of the letter refers to "prohibiting PHI records from being provided to any type of creidt data service or credit rating service."
The hospital wants dh to return a signed letter for "Request For Use and Disclosure Restrictions."
Here is what the letter says"
" You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the use or disclosure of your protected health information for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request we restrict the disclosure of your protected health information from those involved in your health care or the payment for your health care, such as with a family member or friend. For example, you may request we not use or disclose your protected health information relating to a procedure you may have had. We are not required to agree with your request for restrictions.
However, if we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing by filling out this form a submitting it to Patient Access. In your request, you must tell us: (1)
what information you want to limit;(2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) or whom you want the limits to apply (e.g.,disclosures to your spouse or children).
I request the following specific restrictions to the use of disclosure or both of my protected health information:......"
So that is the letter I received.
The bolded part We are not required to agree with your request for restrictions. I'm not sure what's up with that statement. Could they just say no?
Also , what information do I want to limit? Should I say all medical and financial information you hold on dh?
Thank you for this information on Med-fico. I haven't posted in a while but have been actively reading and learning.
I want to answer fully as I have several other family members for which this will apply.
Ronika28
The letter from the "Compliance, Privacy & Internal Audit" department says that "both authorizations have expired". ( I guess this means there was a time limit on this).
The next part of the letter refers to "prohibiting PHI records from being provided to any type of creidt data service or credit rating service."
The hospital wants dh to return a signed letter for "Request For Use and Disclosure Restrictions."
Here is what the letter says"
" You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the use or disclosure of your protected health information for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request we restrict the disclosure of your protected health information from those involved in your health care or the payment for your health care, such as with a family member or friend. For example, you may request we not use or disclose your protected health information relating to a procedure you may have had. We are not required to agree with your request for restrictions.
However, if we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing by filling out this form a submitting it to Patient Access. In your request, you must tell us: (1)
what information you want to limit;(2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) or whom you want the limits to apply (e.g.,disclosures to your spouse or children).
I request the following specific restrictions to the use of disclosure or both of my protected health information:......"
So that is the letter I received.
The bolded part We are not required to agree with your request for restrictions. I'm not sure what's up with that statement. Could they just say no?
Also , what information do I want to limit? Should I say all medical and financial information you hold on dh?
Thank you for this information on Med-fico. I haven't posted in a while but have been actively reading and learning.
I want to answer fully as I have several other family members for which this will apply.
Ronika28
If you are in need of deleting all prior records from being reported to any CA or credit reporting agency or credit "valuation" agency because of ongoing serious medical conditions, then you can respond with the person's name and the time frame of activities and state that you are requesting that you are rescinding permission of disclosure of any and all collection or billing activities to any credit collection or credit reporting or credit evaluation or data collection entity.
As to their ability to refuse, yes that is in the statute, but it is only used if the request is made to impede or interfere with other legal actions, such as a civil suit or criminal case.
Remember, this will ONLY help if you have already cleaned up your reports from medical accounts, or have TRIED to clean your reports and been unable to due to incorrect data being provided by an OC. It will NOT help if there is no CURRENT communication between the OC and the reporting CA.
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