Privacy Policy

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.

Tandigm Care Solutions, an affiliate of Tandigm Health, provides care management and other clinical services to patients with a focus on providing the right care, at the right place, and at the right time.

We understand that your health information is personal, and we are committed to protecting your privacy.  We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, to obtain payment for treatment, for administrative purposes, to evaluate the quality of care that you receive, and for other purposes permitted by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or 1996 (HIPAA).

For purposes of this Notice, Tandigm Care Solutions and the pronouns “we,” “us” and “our” refer to all of the facilities operated, managed or affiliated with Tandigm Care Solutions in the state of Pennsylvania.  This Notice applies to all records about your care that are created, and/or maintained by us.  This Notice also applies to the physicians, licensed professionals, and employees of Tandigm Care Solutions.  We reserve the right to change our privacy practices, as reflected in this Notice, to revise this Notice, and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain.  Revised Notices will be available on our website, or upon your request.

How Tandigm Care Solutions May Use or Disclose Your Protected Health Information (PHI):  Uses and Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information that Do Not Require an Authorization

We may use or disclose your health information, in certain situations, without an authorization.  Such uses or disclosures may be in oral, paper, or electronic format.

For Treatment. We may use and disclose your health information to provide you with medical treatment or services or to assist in the coordination, continuation, or management of your health care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management of your health care with a third party. For example, a health care provider, such as a physician, nurse, or other person providing health services to you, will record information in your record that is related to your treatment. This may include interdisciplinary conferences with team members from Tandigm Care Solutions and support care teams from other facilities involved in your care and treatment or other providers who may be able to provide information or insight in developing and coordinating your plan of care. This information is necessary for other health care providers to determine what treatment you should receive.

For Payment. We may use and disclose your health information to others for purposes of obtaining payment for treatment and services that you receive. For example, a bill may be sent to you or to a third-party payer, such as an insurance company or health plan, for care, items, or services provided to you.

For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) for our health care operations. These include internal administration and planning, various activities that improve the quality and cost effectiveness of health care services, health care delivery review, regulatory compliance, staff performance evaluation, education and training of physicians and other health care providers, business planning and development, business management and general administrative activities. We use this information to continuously improve the quality of care for all patients we serve. For example, we may use your PHI to evaluate the performance of our physicians, nurses and other health care workers. We may also use PHI to resolve patient problems and complaints. Additionally, we may share your PHI with other health care providers and payors for certain business operations if the information is related to a relationship the provider or payor currently has or previously had with you, and if the provider or payor is required by federal law to protect the privacy of your protected health information.

Communicating with You. We will use your protected health information (PHI) to communicate with you about appointment information and reminders, your care, treatment options, and/or other health-related services, payment for your care.  We may leave a brief message on your answering machine/voicemail or leave a message with an individual who answers the phone at your residence.  We may, from time to time, contact you to provide information about other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you, refill reminders, and/or informational materials about a particular product or service that may be helpful for your treatment.  Materials may also come from a third party.

We may contact you at the email address, telephone number, or address that you provide.  If your contact information changes, it is important for you to let us know.  We may contact you via text message for these communications.  Regarding text messages, please note that message and data rates may apply, and you will have an opportunity to opt out.  Texting and email communications are not 100% secure.

Disclosures to Relatives, Friends, or Other Caregivers . We may disclose your protected health information (PHI) to a family member, other relative, friend, or any other person if we: (1) obtain your agreement; (2) provide you with the opportunity to object to the disclosure and you do not object; or (3) we reasonable assume that you do not object.

If we provide information to any individual(s) identified above, we will release only information that we believe is directly relevant to that person’s involvement with your health care or payment related to your health care.  We may also disclosure your PHI in the event of an emergency or notify (or assist in notifying) such persons of your location, general condition, or death.

We will ask you to complete a form to help clarify for us which of your family members and/or friends are likely to be involved with your health care and/or payment for your health care. If we disclose information to a family member, relative or close personal friend, we will disclose only information that we believe is relevant to that person’s involvement with your health care or payment related to your health care.

Health Information Exchanges (HIEs).  We participate in initiatives to facilitate electronic sharing of patient information, including but not limited to, Health Information Exchanges.  HIEs involve coordinated information sharing among HIE members for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations.  HIEs bring together health professionals for secure, electronic sharing of your health information to help to provide improved care for you.  You may opt out of Tandigm Care Solutions’ information sharing through its HIE activities.  If you wish to opt out, please speak with your care team or contact the Tandigm Care Solutions Privacy Officer as described below.

Business Associates. We may contract with one or more third parties (our business associates) in the course of treatment, payment/billing activities, and our health care operations.  We may disclose your health information to our business associates so that they can perform the job we have asked them to do.  We require that our business associates sign a business associate agreement and agree to safeguard the privacy and security of your protected health information.

Certain Research Activities. When conducting research, in most cases, we will ask for your written authorization before PHI is used.  However, we may use and disclose your health information for research purposes permitted by applicable law without an authorization.  For example, when an institutional review board has waived the authorization requirement.

Other Uses and Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information.  We may be permitted by law to make certain other uses and disclosures of your PHI without your authorization.  If a use or disclosure is required by law, the use or disclosure will be made in compliance with the law and will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law.

Subject to conditions specified by law, we may release your PHI without an authorization:

• For any purposes required by law;
• For public health activities, including but not limited to, preventing or controlling disease, injury or disability, alerts for exposure to an infectious disease and/or risk of contracting or spreading a disease or condition, reporting birth and death, required public health investigations, reporting adverse events, reporting information to your employer as required by laws addressing work-related illness and injuries or workplace medical surveillance, reporting information about products and services under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, such as reactions to medications and problems with products, or enabling product recalls;
• To government agencies if we suspect child/elder adult abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;
• To your employer when we have provided screenings and health care at their request for occupational health and safety;
• For purposes related to your workers’ compensation benefits;
• To a government oversight agency conducting audits, investigations, inspections and related oversight functions;
• In emergencies, such as to prevent a serious and imminent threat to a person or the public;
• If required by a court or administrative order, subpoena or discovery request;
• For law enforcement purposes, including to law enforcement officials to identify or locate suspects, fugitives, witnesses, or victims of crime;
• To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors;
• If necessary, to arrange organ or tissue donation or transplant;
• For specialized government functions, to units of the government with special functions such as U.S. military or U.S. Department of State under certain circumstances, such as for national security, intelligence, or protective services activities;
• To disaster relief authorities so that your family can be notified of your location and condition;
• For public safety to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the safety of a person or to the public;
• If you are or become an inmate of a correctional institution or you are in the custody of a law enforcement official.

How Tandigm Care Solutions May Use or Disclose Your Protected Health Information (PHI):  Uses and Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information that Require an Authorization

While we may use or disclose your health information without your written authorization as explained above, there are other instances where we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information.  Except as otherwise provided in this Notice, we will not use or disclose your health information without your prior written authorization. You have the right to revoke an authorization at any time, except to the extent we have already relied on the authorization and taken action.

In some situations, a signed authorization is required for uses and disclosures of you protected health information (PHI), including:

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes;
• Most uses and disclosures for marketing purposes;
• Disclosures that constitute the sale of PHI;
• Uses and disclosures for certain research protocols;
• Media or patient recognition activities;
• As required by privacy law. Federal and state laws require special privacy protections for certain highly confidential information about you.  The confidentiality of substance use disorder and mental health treatment records as well as HIV-related information maintained by us is specifically protected by state and/or federal law and regulations.  Generally, we may not disclose such information unless you consent in writing, the disclosure is allowed by court order, or in other limited, regulated circumstances.

Your Health Information Rights

You have the following rights regarding your protected health information.  To exercise any of the rights below, please contact the Tandigm Care Solutions Privacy Officer, 300 Four Falls Corporate Center, Suite 260, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, 19428 or Privacy@Tandigm.com or 1-844-826-3446.

You have the right to:

Access to your Protected Health Information (PHI).  Generally, you can access and inspect paper or electronic copies of certain PHI that we maintain about you. Requests to inspect or copy your health information must be in writing.  A Tandigm Care Solutions representative can provide a form for you to use.

Amendments to your Protected Health Information (PHI).  You can request amendments, or changes, to certain PHI that we maintain about you.  Requests for changes must be made in writing. We may deny your request if we reasonably believe that the information is accurate and complete, if the information was not created by us, or if other special circumstances apply.  If we decide to make an amendment, we may also notify others who have copies of the information about the change.

Accounting of Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information (PHI).  In accordance with applicable law, you can ask for an accounting of certain disclosures made by us of your PHI.  Requests for an accounting must be made in writing.  This accounting specifically does not include disclosures made for purposes of treatment, payment, or health care operations or for certain other limited exceptions.  An accounting will include disclosures made in the six (6) years prior to the date of a request.

Restrictions on Use and Disclosure of Your Protected Health Information (PHI).  You can request restrictions on certain of our uses and disclosures of your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations.  Requests for restrictions must be made in writing.  We are not required to agree but will attempt to accommodate reasonable requests when appropriate.

Restrictions on Disclosures to Health Plans.  You can request restrictions on certain of our uses and disclosures of your PHI to your health plan.  If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations (not treatment) with your health insurer and we will agree to your request unless a law requires us to share that information.  Requests for restrictions must be made in writing.

Confidential Communications.  You can request that we communicate with you through alternative means or at alternative locations.  We will accommodate reasonable requests.  Requests for confidential communications must be made in writing.

Breach Notification.  We are required to notify you in writing of any breach of your unsecured PHI without unreasonable delay and no later than sixty (60) days after we discover the breach.

Obtain Copy of Notice.  You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.  This Notice is also available on at www.tandigmhealth.com.

Our Responsibilities:

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time.  Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html

Additional Information

Complaints.  If you believe your privacy rights regarding your health information have been violated, you can file a complaint in writing with the Tandigm Care Solutions Privacy Officer, 300 Four Falls Corporate Center, Suite 260, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, 19428 or Privacy@Tandigm.com or 1-844-826-3446.

You can also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.  Filing a complaint will not affect the care that you receive or how you are treated by Tandigm Care Solutions.

Further Information.  If you have any questions about this Notice, requests regarding privacy, or if you would like to request this notice in another language, please contact the Tandigm Care Solutions Privacy Officer, 300 Four Falls Corporate Center, Suite 260, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, 19428 or Privacy@Tandigm.com or 1-844-826-3446.

This Notice of Privacy Practices is effective August 1, 2023.