Patient Privacy Notice
The following Patient Privacy Notice applies to patients whose health care providers or health plans participate in the Collective Network as “Subscribers.”
Your hospital or healthcare provider participates in the Collective Network to share electronic health information for the purpose of coordinating the provision of safe, convenient, integrated care to you through Collective Medical’s (i.e., Collective’s) services, specifically the Collective Platform.
What is the Collective Platform?
The Collective Platform enables providers at care settings across the country to share historical summaries of your encounters, contact information for other providers who care for you, and recommendations for how to best meet your needs as you travel between care settings. The platform can alert these providers—primary care, specialists, behavioral health, etc.—when you have encounters across the network, either when you’re first admitted or on discharge. Collective also enables your health plan to be notified when you have hospital encounters so they can work with care providers to help coordinate your care or arrange for payment of your healthcare services.
What information about me is on the Collective Platform?
Collective includes some of the information available in your electronic medical record(s), like hospital or doctor visit histories, allergies, medications, diagnoses, past test results, lists of treating providers, etc. It will not include psychotherapy notes, substance abuse treatment information protected by federal law, or other categories of sensitive information that require your specific authorization to release under state or federal law without your prior written consent.
Who will have access to my health record on the Collective Platform?
The Collective Platform can be accessed by hospitals, physician offices, clinics, other healthcare providers, and health insurance organizations, but those entities can only access your health record information if they have a verified relationship with you for a) providing treatment (e.g., as your hospital or physician), b) arranging for payment (e.g., as your health insurance carrier), or c) providing other health care operations services (e.g., clinic care managers providing support services).
How does Collective Medical protect my privacy?
Collective is committed to keeping your information private and secure. Collective will never sell your data and strictly limits access to your health records to entities that have a relationship with you for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations purposes or valid public health reporting. Collective strictly adheres to federal and state privacy and security laws and uses industry-leading information security strategies to protect your health records, including encryption, third-party security audits, and monitoring activities.
How does my information being on the Collective Platform benefit me?
Collective enables the providers who care for you to see a more complete picture of your health and make more informed treatment decisions for your care. This has been proven to improve safety and the quality of care provided to you, reduce the cost of your care by eliminating unnecessary paperwork and testing, and reduce wasted time and inconvenience created when information your providers need isn’t available.
Am I required to participate in the Collective Platform, or can I opt out?
Your participation is voluntary, and you may refuse to allow your information to be shared through the Collective Platform. You may opt out from your hospital or healthcare provider sharing information with others through Collective by signing documentation they provide to you on request (i.e., a Provider Opt-Out).
If you wish to opt out form allowing your information to be shared by Collective with any hospital, healthcare provider, or health insurance organization through the Collective Platform (i.e., a Collective Opt-Out), you must complete the form and follow the instructions on the Collective website at https://collectivemedical.com/network-opt-out/. A request for a Provider Opt-Out will be effective immediately after Collective is notified by your hospital or healthcare provider, and a Collective Opt-Out will be effective three (3) to five (5) business days after you submit your request. Any information which has been shared through the Collective Platform prior to your decision to opt-out will remain with the organizations that received it.
Please be aware: (1) opting out will not prevent your hospital or health care provider from sharing your health information with other treating providers by phone, fax, or mail if requested; and (2) even if you choose to opt-out of the Collective Platform, your hospital or health care provider may still share your health record information through secure email, EMR, or other electronic information systems. You should read your hospital or health care provider’s HIPAA documentation for more information.
What information will remain even if I choose to opt out?
If you choose a Provider Opt-Out as discussed above, hospitals or providers other than the one at which you completed the opt-out form may continue to use the Collective Platform to share your health record information. If you choose either a Provider Opt-Out or a Collective Opt-Out as discussed above, Collective may still use your health record information as follows:
- Collective will maintain your personal information on file to record and track your decision to opt-out; Collective may also notify hospitals, providers, or health plans that you have opted out.
- Your hospital may use the Collective Platform to query a state database (e.g., PDMP/PMP, POLST, etc.) for you and deliver any relevant health record information to the hospital only—which does not involve sharing your health record information with any other hospitals, providers, or health plans.
- Collective may send a notification to your hospital through the Collective Platform to indicate you have opted out, which may include a summary list of your other treating providers.
- Collective may share your information on behalf of hospitals or other providers with a health plan as necessary for them to obtain or arrange for payment for your health care services.
- Collective may share your information for security or safety alerts or for public health reporting purposes (e.g., communicable diseases, immunization data, quality reports, etc.) as required or authorized by applicable law.
Are there risks if I choose to Opt-Out?
Yes, without allowing information sharing through the Collective Platform:
- Your treating providers may not have up to date information about your health needs or history, which may negatively impact their ability to make diagnoses or provide the care you need.
- When your treating providers have incomplete information about your care history, there is an increased risk of unnecessary costs for duplicate tests or procedures.
- Your treating provider may use less secure methods of sharing information, such as fax or mail.
What happens if I change my mind and decide to participate in the Collective Platform later?
You can change your mind and decide to opt-in again at any time by completing the form and following the opt back in instructions on the Collective website at https://collectivemedical.com/network-opt-out/. Your request will be effective no later than five (5) business days after you submit it.