No Surprises Act

Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
When you get emergency care or get treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from surprise billing or balance billing.
What is “balance billing” (sometimes called “surprise billing”)? When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.“Out-of-network” describes providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan. Out-of-network providers may be permitted to bill you for the difference between what your plan agreed to pay and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your annual out-of-pocket limit.
“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an innetwork facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider.
You are protected from balance billing for:
Emergency services
If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-ofnetwork provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in- network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.
Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center
When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers may bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you get other services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.
You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get care out-of-network. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network. [Insert plain language summary of any applicable state balance billing laws or requirements OR state-developed model language regarding applicable state law requirements as appropriate]
When balance billing isn’t allowed, you also have the following protections:

  • You are only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
  • Your health plan generally must:
  • Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (prior authorization).
  • Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
  • Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
  • Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

If you believe you’ve been wrongly billed, you may contact the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Visit https://www.state.nj.us/dobi/consumer.htm for more information about your rights under federal law.
Or cal 1-800-446-7467
(8:30 am to 5:00 pm EST Monday through Friday)

Notice of Privacy Practices

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.
Routes to Wellness, LLC (the “Practice”) is committed to protecting your privacy. The Practice is required by federal law to maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information (“PHI”), which is information that identifies or could be used to identify you. The Practice is required to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (this “Notice”), which explains the Practice's legal duties and privacy practices and your rights regarding PHI that we collect and maintain.
YOUR RIGHTS
Your rights regarding PHI are explained below. To exercise these rights, please submit a written request to the Practice at the address noted below.
To inspect and copy PHI.

  • You can ask for an electronic or paper copy of PHI. The Practice may charge you a reasonable fee.
  • The Practice may deny your request if it believes the disclosure will endanger your life or another person's life. You may have a right to have this decision reviewed.

To amend PHI:

  • You can ask to correct PHI you believe is incorrect or incomplete. The Practice may require you to make your request in writing and provide a reason for the request.
  • The Practice may deny your request. The Practice will send a written explanation for the denial and allow you to submit a written statement of disagreement.

To request confidential communications:

  • You can ask the Practice to contact you in a specific way. The Practice will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

To limit what is used or shared:

  • You can ask the Practice not to use or share PHI for treatment, payment, or business operations. The Practice is not required to agree if it would affect your care.
  • If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask the Practice not to share PHI with your health insurer.

  • You can ask for the Practice not to share your PHI with family members or friends by stating the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

To obtain a list of those with whom your PHI has been shared:

  • You can ask for a list, called an accounting, of the times your health information has been shared. You can receive one accounting every 12 months at no charge, but you may be charged a reasonable fee if you ask for one more frequently.

To receive a copy of this Notice.

  • You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice, even if you agreed to receive the Notice electronically

To choose someone to act for you.

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian,
    that person can exercise your rights.

To file a complaint if you feel your rights are violated.

  • You can file a complaint by contacting the Practice using the following information:
    Routes to Wellness, LLC
    145 Decker Road, Butler NJ 07405
    8628010432
  • You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
  • The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

To opt out of receiving fundraising communications.

  • The Practice may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can ask not to be contacted
    again.

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES
1. Routine Uses and Disclosures of PHIThe Practice is permitted under federal law to use and disclose PHI, without your written authorization, for certain routine uses and disclosures, such as those made for treatment, payment, and the operation of our business. The Practice typically uses or shares your health information in the following ways:
To treat you.

  • The Practice can use and share PHI with other professionals who are treating you.
  • Example: Your primary care doctor asks about your mental health treatment.

To run the health care operations.

  • The Practice can use and share PHI to run the business, improve your care, and contact you.
  • Example: The Practice uses PHI to send you appointment reminders if you choose.

To bill for your services.

  • The Practice can use and share PHI to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
  • Example: The Practice gives PHI to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

2. Uses and Disclosures of PHI That May Be Made Without Your Authorization or Opportunity to ObjectThe Practice may use or disclose PHI without your authorization or an opportunity for you to object, including:
To help with public health and safety issues:

  • Public health: To prevent the spread of disease, assist in product recalls, and report adverse reactions to medication.
  • Required by the Secretary of Health and Human Services: We may be required to disclose your PHI to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate or determine our compliance with the requirements of the final rule on Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information.
  • Health oversight:For audits, investigations, and inspections by government agencies that oversee the health care system, government benefit programs, other government regulatory programs, and civil rights laws.
  • Serious threat to health or safety:To prevent a serious and imminent threat. • Abuse or Neglect: To report abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

To comply with law, law enforcement, or other government requests

  • Required by law: If required by federal, state or local law.
  • Judicial and administrative proceedings: To respond to a court order, subpoena, or discovery request.
  • Law enforcement: For law locate and identify you or disclose information about a victim of a crime.
  • Specialized Government Functions: For military or national security concerns, including intelligence, protective services for heads of state, or your security clearance.

  • National security and intelligence activities: For intelligence, counterintelligence, protection of the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state, for purpose of determining your own security clearance and other national security activities authorized by law.
  • Workers' Compensation: To comply with workers' compensation laws or support claims.
    To comply with other requests
  • Coroners and Funeral Directors:To perform their legally authorized duties.
  • Organ Donation:For organ donation or transplantation.
  • Research:For research that has been approved by an institutional review board.
  • Inmates:The Practice created or received your PHI in the course of providing care.
  • Business Associates: To organizations that perform functions, activities or services on our behalf.

3. Uses and Disclosures of PHI That May Be Made With Your Authorization or Opportunity to Object Unless you object,
the Practice may disclose PHI:
To your family, friends, or others if PHI directly relates to that person's involvement in your care.
If it is in your best interest because you are unable to state your preference.

4. Uses and Disclosures of PHI Based Upon Your Written Authorization The Practice must obtain your written authorization to use and/or disclose PHI for the following purposes:
Marketing, sale of PHI, and psychotherapy notes.
You may revoke your authorization, at any time, by contacting the Practice in writing, using the information above. The Practice will not use or share PHI other than as described in Notice unless you give your permission in writing.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

  • The Practice is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of PHI.
  • The Practice is required to abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect. Where more stringent state or federal law governs PHI, the Practice will abide by the more stringent law.
  • The Practice reserves the right to amend Notice. All changes are applicable to PHI collected and maintained by the Practice. Should the Practice make changes, you may obtain a revised Notice by requesting a copy from the Practice, using the information above, or by viewing a copy on the website https://routestowellness.org
  • The Practice will inform you if PHI is compromised in a breach.
    This Notice is effective on 1/1/2024