BLUESTONE HEALTH ASSOCIATION, INC.

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

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

Bluestone Health Association, Inc. is committed to providing
quality health care while protecting the privacy of your health
information. This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how
we may use and disclose your protected health information
(PHI) and your rights to access and control your information.
"Protected health information" is health information that
identifies you, such as information concerning your past,
present or future physical or mental conditions, care you
have received or payments made for such care. We also
are required to provide you with this notice of our legal
duties, our privacy practices and your rights concerning your
PHI. We are required to follow the terms of the notice of
privacy practices we have in effect at the time. As noted
above this notice is affective for health care services
provided on and after April 14, 2003 until we revise or replace it.

We reserve the right to revise or amend our Notice of Privacy
Practices at any time. Any revision or amendment to our
Notice will be effective for all PHI that our organization has
created or maintained in the past, and for any PHI that we
may create or maintain in the future. Our organization will
post a copy of our current Notice in our offices in a visible
location at all times, and you may request a copy of our
most current Notice at any time.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS NOTICE,
PLEASE CONTACT OUR PRIVACY OFFICER AT (304)
467-7143.

WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE PROTECTED HEALTH
INFORMATION (PHI) FOR TREATMENT. PAYMENT AND OUR
OPERATIONS AND AS OTHERWISE PERMITTED IN THE
FOLLOWING WAYS
Treatment: We may use PHI to treat you. For example, we may
ask you to have laboratory tests and we may use the results to
help us reach a diagnosis. Our medical staff may use or disclose
PHI in order to treat you or to refer you to other health care
providers to assist in your care.
Payment: We may use and disclose PHI in order to bill and
collect payment for the services and items you may receive from
us. For example, we may contact your health insurer to certify
that you are eligible for benefits and we may provide your insurer
with details regarding your treatment to determine if your insurer
will pay for your treatment.
Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose PHI to operate
our business. As examples of the ways in which we may use
and disclose your information for our operations, we may use
PHI to evaluate the quality of care you received from us, or to
conduct cost-management and business planning activities for
our organization.
Other Permitted Uses: We may use or disclose PHI to remind
you of appointments or to provide you with information about
treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services
that may be of interest to you. Unless your make an alternative
request, we may send postcards to your home or le aye messages
on your answering machine or with whomever answers your
phone to remind you of appointments, to ask you to contact us
concerning your care or to seek or coordinate your participation
in programs we offer, such as disease management programs.
We may also send you newsletters concerning treatment or care
alternatives, benefits, services and containing general health care
information. We may share your protected health information
with third party "business associates" that perform various
activities for us; however, we will require protection of PHI in our
written agreements with our business associates. We may also
use and disclose PHI for certain of our fund raising activities as
permitted by applicable regulations. If you do not want to receive
these materials, please contact our Privacy Officer and provide
a written request to be removed from our distribution list for these
materials.

We may also use or disclose PHI in accordance with federal
and state law in the following situations that do not require
your authorization for an opportunity for you to object:

Required By Law: We may use or disclose your PHI as required
by law, such as when required by the Secretary of the Department
of Health and Human Services to determine our compliance with
privacy laws and regulation.
Public Health: We may disclose PHI for public health activities
and purposes to a public health authority that is permitted by law
to collect or receive the information. We may also use or disclose
PHI for the purpose of controlling disease, injury or disability or
to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. West Virginia
law requires reporting of: child or vulnerable adult abuse; weapon
or burn-related injuries; communicable diseases; cancer; lead
poisoning; and duty to warn of imminent harm. Our disclosure of
PHI will be limited to the relevant requirements of the law.
Health Oversight: We may disclose PHI to a health oversight
agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits,
investigations, and inspections. Such oversight agencies include 
government agencies that oversee the health care system,
government benefit programs, other government regulatory
programs and civil rights laws.
Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your protected health
information to a public health authority that is authorized by law
to receive reports of suspected abuse, neglect or domestic
violence consistent with the requirements of applicable federal
and state laws.
Food and Drug Administration: We may disclose PHI as
required by the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse
events, product defects or problems.
Legal Proceedings: If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute,
we may disclose PHI in response to a court or administrative
order. We may also disclose PHI in response to a subpoena,
discovery request, or other lawful process, but only if the party
making the request has made efforts to notify you about the
request or to obtain a protective order.
Law Enforcement: We may also disclose PHI for certain law
enforcement purposes. These include (1) to respond to a court
order or as otherwise required by law; (2) limited information
requests for identification and location purposes; (3) pertaining
to suspects, fugitives, material witnesses, crime victims, or
missing persons; (4) suspicion that death has occurred as a result
of criminal conduct, (5) concerning a crime on our premises; and
(6) to report a crime in emergency circumstances.
Coroners, Funeral Directors: and Organ Donation: We may
disclose PHI to a coroner or medical examiner for identification
purposes for determining cause of death or for other duties
authorized by law. We may also disclose PHI to funeral directors
to carry out their duties. PHI may be used and disclosed for
organ, eye or tissue donation purposes.
Research: We may disclose PHI to researchers when their
research has been approved by an institutional Review board that
has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols
to ensure the privacy of your protected health information.
We may disclose PH) to prevent or lessen a serious and
imminent threat to the health or safety of the public or another
person.
Military Activity and National Security:: When the appropriate
conditions apply, we may use or disclose PHI of individuals who
are Armed Forces personnel (1) for activities deemed necessary
by appropriate military command authorities; (2) for the purpose
of a determination by the Department of Veterans Affairs of your
eligibility for benefits, or (3) to foreign military authority if you are
a member of that foreign military services. We may also disclose
your protected health information to authorized federal officials
for conducting national security and intelligence activities.
Workers' Compensation: We may disclose PHI to comply with
West Virginia Workers' Compensation laws.
Inmates: We may use or disclose PHI concerning inmates of a
correctional facility that we created or received in the course of
providing care to such inmates.;

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF PHI THAT MAY BE MADE
UNLESS YOU OBJECT
We may use and disclose your PHI in the following instances
unless you object. If you are not present or able to agree or
object to the use or disclosure of the PHI, then we may, using
our professional judgement, determine whether the disclosure is 
in your best interest, in this case, only PHI that is relevant to your
health care' will be disclosed. Unless you object, we may disclose
PHI:
.- to a member of your family, a relative, a close friend or any other
person that you involve in your health care, but only to the extent
that the PHI directly relates to that person's involvement in your
health care;
- to notify a family member or other person responsible for your
care of your location, general condition or death; or
.- to entities (such as the American Red Cross) to assist in disaster
relief efforts.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF PHI BASED UPON YOUR
WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
Other uses and disclosures of your protected health information
will be made only with your written authorization, unless otherwise
permitted or required by law. You may revoke such authorization
at any time, in writing, except to the extent that our organization
has taken any action in reliance on the use or disclosure indicated in the
authorization.
MORE STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS UNDER WEST VIRGINIA
LAW
You should note that the foregoing summary of permitted uses
and disclosures of PHI is based upon federal requirements are to
be followed unless West Virginia law offers PHI greater protection.
In certain situations, West Virginia has adopted stronger protections
for PHI than the federal provisions. Since we are providing your
health care in West Virginia, these laws will apply, even though
you may be a citizen of another state. In West Virginia, mental
health information obtained in the course of our care for is
considered to be confidential and may not be disclosed without
patient authorization, by qualified court order or where necessary
to protect someone from clear and substantial danger of imminent
harm, For this purpose, mental health information includes the
(fact someone is our patient or has received treatment; Information
related to diagnosis or treatment and PHI concerning physical,
mental or emotional condition and advice, instructions or
prescriptions related to such care, treatment or diagnosis.

Also under West Virginia law, we may not release or disclose PHI
of a minor receiving treatment or services for birth control, prenatal
pare, drug rehabilitation or venereal disease without the minor's
Prior written consent (even to parents or guardians).

Under West Virginia law, the identity of a person who has received
an HIV-related test and the results of such test may not be disclosed
Without the person's consent. However, disclosure is permitted to
certain parties, such as to the victim of a sexual assault or to health
care workers involved in the treatment of the person. Recipients
of such information under on of these exceptions are prohibited
from re-disclosing the PHI. We also cannot disclose to third parties
PHI concerning substance abuse treatment without patient
authorization.

THE FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT OF YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING
YOUR PHI AND HOW YOU MAY EXERCISE THESE RIGHTS:
:You have the right to Inspect and copy your protected health
Information. This means you may inspect and obtain a copy of
protected health information about you that is contained in a
designated record set for as long as we maintain the protected
health information. A "designated record set" contains medical and
billing records that we use for making health care or business
operation decisions about you. Under federal law, however, you
may not inspect or copy the following records: psychotherapy
notes: information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or use
in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, and
protected health information that is subject to law that prohibits
access to such information or was obtained from someone other
than a health care provider upon a condition of confidentially.
You may request an appointment to inspect and copy your PHI
by completing an Access Request form and submitting it to our
Privacy Officer. If your request is granted, we will schedule a
mutually convenient time for such action.
We are required to respond to your request to inspect and copy
your records within 30 days of receipt of your request if the
requested information is maintained on-site (60 days if off-site),
unless we extend this response time by up to an additional 30
days, with written notice to you of the reasons for the delay and
the date by which we will complete our action on your request.
We may deny your request to inspect and copy your records in
certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to
medical information, you may request that the denial be reviewed.
One of our medical staff will review your request and the denial.
The person conducting the review will not be the person who
denied your request. We will comply with the outcome of the
review.
Please note that all original health records created by us in the
course of your care remain our property. We are required to take
reasonable measures to safeguard these records and to prevent
unauthorized additions, deletions, or changes in these
documents.
Accordingly, while you have a general right to inspect and copy
your medical records under federal and state law, we must control
the conditions and circumstances under which any inspection
and copying occurs. No patient or authorized representative will
be permitted unsupervised access to any medical record and no
medical records may leave our control for inspection and copying
purposes. We may charge you a fee for the cost of copying,
mailing or searching these records in accordance with applicable
laws, except where prohibited by such governing laws and
regulations. If you request, we may prepare a summary of your
PHI (a fee will be charged). You may request information
concerning our fees from our Privacy Officer.

You have the right to request a restriction of your protected
health Information. This means you may ask us not to use or
disclose any part of your PHI for the purposes of treatment,
payment or healthcare operations or to family members or friends
who may be involved in your care. Your request must state the
specific restriction requested.
We are not required to agree to a restriction that you may request.
If our health care providers believe it is in your best interest to
permit use and disclosure of your protected health information,
your protected health information will not be restricted. If our
health care providers do agree to the requested restrictions, we
may not use or disclose your PHI as restricted unless it is needed
to provide emergency treatment or in the event the restriction is
terminated. You may request a restriction by completing a
Request for Restriction of PHI form and submitting it to our Privacy
Officer. Copies of these forms may be obtained from our Privacy
Officer.

You may request to receive communications from us by
alternative means: For example, you may ask that we only
contact you at home, not at work. We will accommodate
requests. We may condition this accommodation by asking you
for information as to how payment will be handled. We will not
request a reason for your request. Please make this request to
our Privacy Officer by completing an Alternative Contact Request
Form that is available from our Privacy Officer.

You have the right to request amendment of your PHI. This
means you may request an amendment of PHI about you in a
designated record set for as long as we maintain this information.
To request an amendment, your request must be on forms available
from our Privacy Officer (Request for Amendment/Correction of
PHI). You must provide a reason that supports your request. We
may deny your request for an amendment if it is not in writing or
does not include a reason to support your request. In addition, we
may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

- Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created
the information is no longer available to make the amendments;

.- Is not part of the designated record set kept by us;
.
-Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to
inspect and copy; or
.
-Is accurate and complete

If we deny your request for an amendment, you have the right to
file a statement of disagreement with us and we may prepare a
rebuttal to your statement. We will provide you with a copy of any
such rebuttal. Your statement of disagreement may not exceed
250 words. If you submit a statement of disagreement or clearly
indicate in writing that you want your request for amendment to be
made part of your medical record, we will attach it to your records
and include in whenever we make a disclosure of the item or
statement you believe to be incomplete or incorrect.
You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures
 of your PHI.  This right applies to disclosures for purposes other than 
treatment, payment or health care operations
or as otherwise permitted by law. It also excludes disclosures we
may have made to you or to others pursuant to your authorization
or to family members or friends involved in your care. You may
request an accounting of these disclosures for up to six years
prior to the data on which your accounting is requested or a shorter
time frame; however, we are not required to include any disclosures
prior to April 14, 2003. The right to receive this information is
subject to certain other exceptions, restriction and limitations. The
first accounting of disclosures you request within a 12-month period
is free of charge, but our organization may charge you for additional
requests, and you may withdraw your request before you incur
any costs.

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of the notice from
us. Upon request, even if you have agreed to accept this notice
electronically. You may contact our Privacy Officer for a paper
copy.
Complaints: You may complain to us or to the Secretary or Health
and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been
violated by us. You may file a complaint with us by notifying our
Privacy Officer of your complaint. We will not retaliate against
you for filing a complaint. You may contact our Privacy Officer at
(304) 467-7143 for further information about the complaint process.