As a person with Medicare, you have certain guaranteed rights and protections. In addition, federal law specifies that patients of a Medicare-approved home health agency also have the following rights. The home health agency must give you a written copy of them.
Choose your home health agency. (For members of managed care plans, choices will depend upon which home health agencies your plan works with.)
Have your property treated with respect.
Be given a copy of your plan of care, and participate in decisions about your care.
Have your family or guardian act for you if you are unable.
For information on your privacy rights as a home health patient, read the Home Health Agency OASIS Statement of Patients Privacy Rights.
No matter how you get your Medicare, you have certain rights and protections designed to:
Protect you when you get health care.
Make sure you get the health care services that the law says you can get.
Protect you against unethical practices.
Protect your privacy.
Rights & protections for everyone with Medicare
Be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
Be protected from discrimination. Every company or agency that works with Medicare must obey the law, and can't treat you differently because of your race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, or sex.
Have your personal and health information kept private.
Get information in a way you understand from Medicare, health care providers, and, under certain circumstances, contractors.
Get understandable information about Medicare to help you make health care decisions, including:
What’s covered.
What Medicare pays.
How much you have to pay.
What to do if you want to file a complaint or appeal.
Have your questions about Medicare answered.
Have access to doctors, specialists, and hospitals.
Learn about your treatment choices in clear language that you can understand, and participate in treatment decisions.
Get health care services in a language you understand and in a culturally-sensitive way.
Get Medicare-covered services in an emergency.
Get a decision about health care payment, coverage of services, or prescription drug coverage.
When a claim is filed, you get a notice from Medicare or from your Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), other Medicare health plan, or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) letting you know what it will and won’t cover.
If you disagree with the decision of your claim, you have the right to file an appeal.
Request a review (appeal) of certain decisions about health care payment, coverage of services, or prescription drug coverage.
If you disagree with a decision about your claims or services, you have the right to appeal.
File complaints (sometimes called "grievances"), including complaints about the quality of your care.
Your right to access your personal health information
By law, you or your legal representative generally have the right to view and/or get copies of your personal health information from these groups:
Health care providers who treat you
Health plans that pay for your care, including Medicare
In most cases, you also have the right to have a provider or plan send copies of your information to a third party that you choose, like these:
Other providers who treat you
A family member
A researcher
A mobile application (or “app”) you use to manage your personal health information
This information includes:
Claims and billing records
Information related to your enrollment in health plans, including Medicare
Medical and case management records (except psychotherapy notes)
Any other records that contain information that doctors or health plans use to make decisions about you
You may have to fill out a health information “request” form and pay a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. Your providers or plans are supposed to tell you about the fee when you make the request. If they don’t, ask. The fee can only be for the labor to make the copies, copying supplies, and postage (if needed). In most cases, you won't be charged for viewing, searching, downloading, or sending your information through an electronic portal.
Generally, you can get your information on paper or electronically. If your providers or plans store your information electronically, they generally must give you electronic copies, if that’s your preference.
You have the right to get your information in a timely manner, but it may take up to 30 days to fill the request.
At Altruist Home Health Care, we wish for our clients to be well-informed before partnering or partaking in any of our firm’s services. We hope your experience will be better once you know who we are, have more realistic ideals and goals about working with us, as well as understand what we are focused on doing for you and our community. If there are any other questions or concerns you may be having, please contact us at (214)328-8600
WE HAVE TWO GREAT LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU
DALLAS:
6301 Gaston Avenue, Suite 610
Dallas, TX 75214
Phone: (214) 328-8600
GREENVILLE:
5402 Wesley Street, Suite D
Greenville, TX 75402
Phone: (903) 259-6345