THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED OR DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.
PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information, to provide you with notice of its legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify affected persons regarding a breach of unsecured protected health information. FDVA is also required to abide by the terms of this notice and its privacy policies.

 

How FDVA May Use or Disclose Your Health Information

Federal law allows us to use or disclose your health information without your permission for the following purposes:

• Treatment.  FDVA may use or share your information to provide you with health care services. For example, we may contact your doctor about a treatment plan.

• Payment.  FDVA may use or share information to pay for your health care services, or to obtain payment, such as billing your health plan.

• Health Care Operations. FDVA may use or share information in order to manage its programs and activities. For example, to conduct a review of the quality of our services.

• Eligibility and Enrollment for Government Benefits.   For example, we may submit information to the Veterans Administration or to the Medicaid Program to help you apply for public benefits.

• Abuse Reports and I nvestigations. FDVA is required by law to investigate and report allegations of abuse to the appropriate authorities.

• To Avoid Harm. FDVA may share information with law enforcement in order to avoid a serious threat to the health and safety of our residents.

• Family Members or Designated I ndividuals Assisting with Your Care.  FDVA may share your information with persons involved with your care.

• When Required by Law and for Law Enforcement.  FDVA will disclose information when required or permitted by state or federal law, or a court order.

FDVA will make no other uses or disclosures of your health information without your prior written authorization.

 

Your Privacy Rights

• Right to See and Get Copies of Your Records.  You have the right to look at or get copies of your records.You must make the request in writing. There is a fee charged for the costs of copying records.

• Right to Request to Amend Your Records. You may ask FDVA to change or add missing information to your records if you think there is a mistake. You must make the request in writing, and provide a reason for your request.

• Right to a List of Disclosures.  You have the right to ask for a list of the times your information may have been disclosed. You must make the request in writing. This list will not include the times that information was disclosed for treatment, payment, health care operations, information provided directly to you or your family, or information that was sent with your authorization.

• Right to Request Limits on Uses or Disclosures of Health Information. You may ask FDVA to limit how your information is used or shared. You must make the request in writing, and tell FDVA what information you want to limit and to whom you want the limits to apply.

• Right to Revoke Permission. If you are asked to sign an authorization to share information, you can cancel that authorization at any time. You must make the request in writing. This will not affect information that has already been shared.

• Right to Choose How We Communicate with You. You may ask FDVA to share information with you in a certain way or in a certain place. For example, you may ask FDVA to send information to your work address instead of your home. You must make this request in writing. You do not have to explain the basis for your request.

• Right to File a Complaint. You have the right to file a complaint if you believe that your privacy rights have been violated.

• Right to Get a Paper Copy of this Notice. You may ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time.

 

Contact Information

Please contact the persons listed below if you desire more information or wish to make one of the requests listed above.

If you are a resident of a State Veterans’ Home, contact the Home Administrator:

• Alexander Nininger State Veterans’ Home (Pembroke Pines) (954) 985-4824

• Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Home (Land O’Lakes) (813) 558-5000

• Clifford Chester Sims State Veterans’ Home (Springfield) (850) 747-5401

• Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Home (St. Augustine) (904) 940-2193

• Douglas Jacobson State Veterans’ Home (Port Charlotte) (941) 613-0919

• Emory L. Bennett State Veterans’ Home (Daytona) (386) 274-3460

• Robert Jenkins State Veterans’ Domiciliary Home (Lake City) (386) 758-0600

If you are a veteran or claimant seeking assistance in obtaining federal benefits, contact the FDVA Director, Division of Veterans’ Benefits and Assistance:

9500 Bay Pines Blvd, Room 214,
Bay Pines, FL 33744
Telephone:  (727) 319-7421
Fax: (727) 319-7780

Otherwise, please contact: the FDVA General Counsel

400 South Monroe Street, Suite 2105,
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Telephone:  (850) 487-1533
Fax: (850) 488-4001

 

Complaints

If you are concerned that your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the FDVA General Counsel at the contact information listed above, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights.  FDVA cannot retaliate against you for filing a complaint, cooperating in an investigation, or refusing to agree to something that you believe to be unlawful.

 

(Revised August 2018)

Benefits Buyout Offer – This scheme offers a quick lump-sum buyout for future disability or pension payments. Companies that offer this buyout often only end up paying a fraction of the veteran’s benefits over time. Veterans should think twice about entering such an agreement.

Secret Benefits Scam – A caller says the veteran is missing out on money, but must pay a fee to claim it. Veterans benefits are available to claim at any time free of charge. Florida veterans should contact the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs for questions regarding unclaimed benefits.

Phishing Scam – A caller claims to work for the federal government and asks veterans for Social Security Numbers and personal financial information to update military records. Active military and veterans should never give out personal information over the phone. Do not click on hyperlinks contained in emails from unknown individuals or businesses.

Phony Employment Scam – Scammers are aware that past military experience appeals to many employers and use that to their advantage. Scam artists will collect personal information by advertising fake positions to steal someone’s identity or may even charge a fee for locating a job that doesn’t exist. If a company or organization is mentioned in an ad or interview, contact that company directly to find out if they are hiring.

Mortgage Relief Scam – Military homeowners looking for assistance with paying their mortgage should be cautious of this type of scam. Some mortgage relief companies will try to convince servicemembers and veterans to pay a fee in exchange for a loan modification or to stop foreclosure. It’s against the law for mortgage relief companies to charge any money until you have been given a written offer from your lender and you have accepted it. If you’re struggling to make you mortgage payment, there are legitimate programs that can help.

Pension Scam – Veterans 65 and over are targeted by financial advisers persuading them to transfer pensions into a special trust and charge excessive fees. The advisers claim to help veterans qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits, but may cause them to lose eligibility for Medicaid or access to their pension.

Credit Repair Scam – Scam artists claim to improve your credit score, remove bankruptcies, judgments and liens, and repair your credit. Under federal law, credit repair companies cannot require you to pay any fees until they have completed the service they promised. Financial counselors on your military installation can help review your credit report free of charge and dispute errors on the report. Active military servicemembers should also consider freezing their credit before deploying. As of July 1, 2018, credit reporting agencies can no longer charge a fee to freeze your credit.

Courtesy of the Florida Department of Financial Services.

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Military and Veterans Assistance Program

The Military and Veterans Assistance Program (“MVAP”) was created by the Florida Attorney General’s Office to help educate military members and veterans on the types of scams that target their communities, what they can do to protect themselves, and how they can help protect others by reporting scams and deceptive business practices. In addition, members of the MVAP team work directly with military servicemembers and veterans who have been targeted, or their representatives, to help resolve their consumer protection related issues or find other outside assistance if necessary.

If you are aware of a scam targeting our servicemembers or veterans, or have been affected by a scam or deceptive business practice, please file a complaint by calling the Attorney General’s consumer protection division at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). For more information, visit http://www.myfloridalegal.com/MVAP

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Protecting Veterans Against Fraud

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the AARP Fraud Watch Network recently launched Operation Protect Veterans – a nationwide campaign to warn military members and veterans about scams and fraud schemes that target them. A recent survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago showed that 16 percent of U.S. veterans have lost money to fraudsters, compared to 8 percent of nonveterans. A major component of the Operation Protect Veterans campaign includes distributing printed brochures at more than 37,000 post offices to warn veterans about the scams. For more information, visit https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/