Patient Rights and Responsibilities

CONFIDENTIALITY

It is the policy of Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. to treat all patient information confidentially.  This includes patient records and conversations.  We will investigate any reported violation of this policy.  If you have any questions, please ask a front desk representative for information.

Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. makes every effort to provide our patients with an environment, which is safe, private and respectful of our patient’s needs.  If you have a complaint about our services, facilities or staff, we want to hear from you.  We will do everything we can to see that your experience with us is professional in every way.

ISSUES OF CARE

Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. is committed to your participation in care decisions.  As a client, you have the right to ask questions and receive answers regarding the course of clinical care recommended by any of our health providers, including discontinuing care.  We urge you to follow the healthcare directions given to you by our providers.  However, if you have any doubts or concerns, or if you question the care prescribed by our providers, please ask.

PATIENT RIGHTS

  1. The patient has the right to receive information from health providers and to discuss the benefits, risks, and costs of appropriate treatment alternatives.  Patients should receive guidance from their health providers as to the optimal course of action.  Patients are also entitled to obtain copies or summaries of their medical records, to have their questions answered, to be advised of potential conflicts of interest that their health providers might have, and to receive independent professional opinions.
  2. The patient has the right to make decisions regarding the health care that is recommended by his or her health provider.  Accordingly, patients may accept or refuse any recommended medical treatment.
  3. The patient has the right to courtesy, respect, dignity, responsiveness, and timely attention to his or her needs, regardless of race, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.
  4. The patient has the right to confidentiality.  The health provider should not reveal confidential communications or information without the consent of the patient, unless provided for by law or by the need to protect the welfare of the individual or the public interest.
  5. The patient has the right to continuity of health care.  The health provider has an obligation to cooperate in the coordination of medically indicated care with other health providers treating the patient.  The health provider may discontinue care provided they give the patient reasonable assistance and direction, and sufficient opportunity to make alternative arrangements.

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Good communication is essential to a successful health provider-patient relationship.  To the extent possible, patients have a responsibility to be truthful and to express their concerns clearly to their health providers.
  2. Patients have a responsibility to provide a complete medical history, to the extent possible, including information about past illnesses, medications, hospitalizations, family history of illness and other matters relating to present health. 
  3. Patients have a responsibility to request information or clarification about their health status or treatment when they do not fully understand what has been described.
  4. Once patients and health providers agree upon the goals of therapy, patients have a responsibility to cooperate with the treatment plan.  Compliance with health provider instructions is often essential to public and individual safety.  Patients also have a responsibility to disclose whether previously agreed upon treatments are being followed and to indicate when they would like to reconsider the treatment plan.
  5. Patients should also have an active interest in the effects of their conduct on others and refrain from behavior that unreasonably places the health of others at risk.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. is committed to providing the best treatment for our patients, and we charge what is usual and customary for our area.
  2. Payment for services (your insurance co-payment, the Blue Ridge plan (sliding fee), or full payment) is required at the time of your visit.  Cash, personal checks, VISA and MasterCard are accepted at all of our locations.  At the Blue Ridge Health Center location, your ATM (bank debit) card is also accepted.  A service charge will be added to your account for all returned checks.
  3. If you have health insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, we will file for reimbursement for the services we provided.  Your insurance policy is a contract between you and your insurance company.  You are responsible for knowing and understanding what services are and are not covered under your policy.  If your insurance carrier denies any or all of the payment for any reason, you will be responsible for the denied amount of the visit.  You are required to notify staff immediately when your insurance coverage changes.
  4. If you are uninsured, you may qualify for a discount.  Our Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. plan is a ‘sliding fee’ scale, which calculates the discount based on the number of individuals in your household and your household income.  If you would like to apply for a discount, you will be required to interview with a financial counselor, complete and sign an application form, and provide proof of income (such as a recent income tax form, a W-2 form or several recent check stubs).  Based on the application and the information provided, we will determine the amount, if any, of your discount.  You will be required to re-qualify for our ‘sliding fee’ scale at least annually.
  5. Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. is not a free clinic and we must collect from all of our patients in order to continue to provide services to our community.  We recognize, however, that on occasion, our patients require financial assistance.  An extended payment plan is available to patients who qualify.  If you would like to apply for an extended payment plan, you are required to interview with a financial counselor.
  6. Should you fail to comply with the above stated responsibilities, Blue Ridge Community Health Services, Inc. reserves the right to reschedule your visit, refer you to another practice, or dismiss you from our practice

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