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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.

USE AND DISCLOSURE OF HEALTH INFORMATION

LHC Group, Inc. and its affiliated companies herein referred to as “Provider”, may use your health information, information that constitutes protected health information as defined in the Privacy Rule of the Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as same may be hereinafter amended or re-codified (the “Regulations”), for purposes of providing you treatment, obtaining payment for your care and conducting health care operations. The Provider has established policies to guard against unnecessary disclosure of your health information.

USE OF CONSENTS AND AUTHORIZATIONS

Consents: The use of a consent form is optional as set forth by the Regulations. The Provider will exercise the option to gain the consent of the patient regarding the disclosure of medical information at the initialization of care or within a reasonable amount of time post initialization of care. The Provider maintains the right not to treat the patient if the patient refuses to sign the consent.

Authorizations: Under the Privacy Rule an authorization must be gained for the disclosure of protected health information when the disclosure is not for treatment purposes, Provider operations, payment, or required by law.

TERMS OF HEALTH INFORMATION DISCLOSURE

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND PURPOSES FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED:

To Provide Treatment. The Provider may use your health information to coordinate care within the Provider and with others involved in your care, such as your attending physician and other health care professionals who have agreed to assist the Provider in coordinating care. For example, physicians involved in your care will need information about your symptoms in order to prescribe appropriate medications. The Provider also may disclose your health care information to individuals outside of the Provider involved in your care including family members, pharmacists, suppliers of medical equipment or other health care professionals.

To Obtain Payment. The Provider may include your health information in invoices to collect payment from third parties for the care you receive from the Provider. For example, the Provider may be required by your health insurer to provide information regarding your health care status so that the insurer will reimburse you or the Provider. The Provider also may need to obtain prior approval from your insurer and may need to explain to the insurer your need for care and the services that will be provided to you.

To Conduct Health Care Operations. The Provider may use and disclose health information for its own operations in order to facilitate the function of the Provider and as necessary to provide quality care to all of the Provider ‘s patients. Health care operations include such activities as:

-	Quality assessment and improvement activities.
-	Activities designed to improve health or reduce health care costs.
-	Protocol development, case management and care coordination.
-	Contacting health care providers and patients with information about treatment alternatives and other related functions that do not include treatment.
-	Professional review and performance evaluation.
-	Training programs including those in which students, trainees or practitioners in health care learn under supervision.
-	Training of non-health care professionals.
-	Accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
-	Review and auditing, including compliance reviews, medical reviews, legal services and compliance programs.
-	Business planning and development including cost management and planning related analyses and formulary development.
-	Business management and general administrative activities of the Provider.
-	Fundraising for the benefit of the Provider and certain marketing activities.

For example the Provider may use your health information to evaluate its staff performance, combine your health information with other Provider patients in evaluating how to more effectively serve all Provider patients, disclose your health information to Provider staff and contracted personnel for training purposes, use your health information to contact you as a reminder regarding a visit to you, or contact you as part of general fundraising and community information mailings (unless you tell us you do not want to be contacted).

For Fundraising Activities. The Provider may use information about you including your name, address, phone number and the dates you received care in order to contact you to raise money for the Provider. The Provider may also release this information to a related Provider foundation. If you do not want the Provider to contact you, mark the appropriate opt out clause on your consent form and/or notify in writing to the attention of the HIPAA Privacy Officer; LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503 indicating that you do not wish to be contacted.

For Appointment Reminders. The Provider may use and disclose your health information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment with said Provider.

For Treatment Alternatives. The Provider may use and disclose your health information to tell you about or recommend possible treatment options or alternatives that may be of interest to you.

THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH AND PURPOSES FOR WHICH YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED WITHOUT RECEIVING YOUR CONSENT.

When Legally Required. The Provider will disclose your health information when it is required to do so by any Federal, State or local law.

When There Are Risks to Public Health. The Provider may disclose your health information for public health activities and purposes when required or authorized by law in order to:

-	Prevent or control disease, injury or disability; report disease, injury, vital events such as birth or death; and the conduct of public health surveillance, investigations and interventions.
-	Report adverse events and product defects; to track products or enable product recalls, repairs and replacements; and conduct post-marketing surveillance and compliance with requirements of the Food and Drug Administration.
-	Notify a person who has been exposed to a communicable disease or who may be at risk of contracting or spreading a disease.
-	Notify an employer about an individual who is a member of the workforce as legally required.

To Report Abuse, Neglect Or Domestic Violence. The Provider is allowed to notify government authorities if the Provider believes a patient is the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. The Provider will make this disclosure only when specifically required or authorized by law or when the patient agrees to the disclosure.

To Conduct Health Oversight Activities. The Provider may disclose your health information to a health oversight Provider for activities including audits, civil administrative or criminal investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary action. The Provider, however, may not disclose your health information if you are the subject of an investigation and your health information is not directly related to your receipt of health care or public benefits.

In Connection With Judicial And Administrative Proceedings. The Provider may disclose your health information in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal as expressly authorized by such order, or in response to a subpoena, discovery request or other lawful process, but only when the Provider makes reasonable efforts to either notify you about the request or to obtain an order protecting your health information.

For Law Enforcement Purposes. As permitted or required by State law, the Provider may disclose your health information to a law enforcement official for certain law enforcement purposes as follows:

-	As required by law for reporting of certain types of wounds or other physical injuries, or pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena or summons or similar process.
-	For the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person.
-	Under certain limited circumstances, when you are the victim of a crime.
-	To a law enforcement official if the Provider has a suspicion that your death was the result of criminal conduct including criminal conduct at the Provider.
-	In an emergency in order to report a crime.

To Coroners And Medical Examiners. The Provider may disclose your health information to coroners and medical examiners for purposes of determining your cause of death or for other duties, as authorized by law.

To Funeral Directors. The Provider may disclose your health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law and if necessary, to carry out their duties with respect to your funeral arrangements. If necessary to carry out their duties, the Provider may disclose your health information prior to and in reasonable anticipation of your death.

For Organ, Eye Or Tissue Donation. The Provider may use or disclose your health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking or transplantation of organs, eyes or tissue for the purpose of facilitating the donation and transplantation.

For Research Purposes. The Provider may, under very select circumstances, use your health information for research. Before the Provider discloses any of your health information for such research purposes, the project will be subject to an extensive approval process. The Provider will almost always request your written authorization before granting access to your individually identifiable health information.

In the Event of A Serious Threat To Health Or Safety. The Provider may, consistent with applicable law and ethical standards of conduct, disclose your health information if the Provider, in good faith, believes that such disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or to the health and safety of the public.

For Specified Government Functions. In certain circumstances, the Federal regulations authorize the Provider to use or disclose your health information to facilitate specified government functions relating to military and veterans, national security and intelligence activities, protective services for the President and others, medical suitability determinations, and inmates and law enforcement custody.

For Workers’ Compensation. The Provider may release your health information for workers’ compensation or similar programs.

AUTHORIZATION TO USE OR DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION

Other than is stated above, the Provider will not disclose your health information other than with your written authorization. If you or your representative authorizes the Provider to use or disclose your health information, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time.

YOUR RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

You have the following rights regarding your health information that the Provider maintains:

Right to request restrictions. You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. You have the right to request a limit on the Provider‘s disclosure of your health information to someone who is involved in your care or the payment of your care. However, the Provider is not required to agree to your request. If you wish to make a request for restrictions, please contact the HIPAA Privacy Officer; LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503.

Right to receive confidential communications. You have the right to request that the Provider communicate with you in a certain way. For example, you may ask that the Provider only conduct communications pertaining to your health information with you privately with no other family members present. If you wish to receive confidential communications, please contact the HIPAA Privacy Officer; LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503.

The Provider will not request that you provide any reasons for your request and will attempt to honor your reasonable requests for confidential communications.

Right to inspect and copy your health information. You have the right to inspect and copy your health information, including billing records. A request to inspect and copy records containing your health information may be made to the HIPAA Privacy Officer; LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503. If you request a copy of your health information, the Provider may charge a reasonable fee for copying and assembling costs associated with your request.

Right to amend health care information. You, or your representative, have the right to request that the Provider amend your records if you believe that your health information is incorrect or incomplete. That request may be made as long as the information is maintained by the Provider. A request for an amendment of records must be made in writing to the HIPAA Privacy Officer; LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503. This right to amend health care information does not mean the deletion, removal, or erasure of health information. Instead, this right allows you or your representative the ability to append, or attach, a counter-opinion in regard to the health care information that is in question. The Provider may deny the request if it is not in writing or does not include a reason for the amendment. The request also may be denied if your health information records were not created by the Provider, if the records you are requesting are not part of the Provider‘s records, if the health information you wish to amend is not part of the health information you or your representative are permitted to inspect and copy, or if, in the opinion of the Provider, the records containing your health information are accurate and complete.

Right to an accounting. You or your representative have the right to request an accounting of disclosures of your health information made by the Provider for any reason other than for treatment, payment or health operations. The request for an accounting must be made in writing to HIPAA Privacy Officer; LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503. The request should specify the time period for the accounting starting on or after April 14, 2003. Accounting requests may not be made for periods of time in excess of six (6) years or the normal record retention policy of the Provider, whichever is later. The Provider would provide the first accounting you request during any 12month period without charge. Subsequent accounting requests may be subject to a reasonable cost-based fee.

Right to a paper copy of this notice. You, or your representative, have a right to a separate paper copy of this Notice at any time even if you, or your representative, have received this Notice previously. To obtain a separate paper copy, please contact the HIPAA Privacy Officer, LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503.

You, or your representative, may also obtain a copy of the current version of the Provider’s Notice of Privacy Practices at its website, www.lhcgroup.com.

DUTIES OF THE PROVIDER

The Provider is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide to you and your representative this Notice of its duties and privacy practices. The Provider is required to abide by the terms of this Notice as may be amended from time to time. The Provider reserves the right to change the terms of its Notice and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all health information that it maintains. If the Provider changes its Notice, the Provider will provide a copy of the revised Notice to you or your appointed representative. You, or your personal representative, have the right to express complaints to the Provider and to the Secretary of DHHS if you, or your representative, believe that your privacy rights have been violated. Any complaints to the Provider should be made in writing to the attention of the HIPAA Privacy Officer, LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503. The Provider encourages you to express any concerns you may have regarding the privacy of your information. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.

RESPECT TO CULTURAL DIVERSITY

The Provider, in its efforts to abide by the provisions set forth in the Regulations, realizes that there may be situations where the Regulations could potentially conflict with the cultural values, traditions, and rules of conduct of the individual receiving care. The Provider respects the cultural diversity of all its patients and will do its utmost to balance this respect for cultural diversity while maintaining the integrity of the Regulations. In situations where conflict would exist between the regulations and cultural beliefs, the Provider is required to follow the rules and policies as set forth by the Regulations.

CONTACT PERSON

The Provider has designated a HIPAA Privacy Officer as its contact person for all issues regarding patient privacy and your rights under the Federal privacy standards. You may contact this person at LHC Group, Inc.; 420 West Pinhook Road, Suite A; Lafayette, LA 70503.

EFFECTIVE DATE

This Notice is effective April 14, 2003.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE, PLEASE CONTACT THE HIPAA PRIVACY OFFICER AT LHC Group, Inc.; 420 WEST PINHOOK ROAD, SUITE A; LAFAYETTE, LA 70503 OR CALL 1-800-489-1307 OR 1-337-233-1307.