Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Patient Rights
Providence physicians are committed to partnering with
you in maintaining your good health. As a patient, you have the right to:
- Exercise these rights without regard to gender, sexual orientation or cultural,
economic, educational or religious background.
- Receive information about our Medical Group, its services, and health care
providers.
- Be treated with professionalism, respect, courtesy and dignity.
- Have all matters considered in privacy and confidentiality.
- Participate in decisions about your healthcare and treatment, as well as
receive adequate information about your diagnosis and proposed treatment
plan from your healthcare provider.
- A candid discussion of appropriate or medically necessary treatment options
for your condition, regardless of cost or benefit coverage.
- Refuse any procedure or treatment if you so desire and be told what effect
this may have on your health.
- Be informed of test results in a timely manner.
- Obtain a second opinion by another St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group provider.
- Have access to acute medical care twenty-four (24) hours a day, through
emergency room coverage, every day of the year if you have a life threatening
medical condition.
- Have the physician whom you visit focus his or her best efforts on your
behalf in order to make a diagnosis and develop a proposed treatment plan
based on the information available at the time of the visit.
- Receive complete information about our fees upon request.
- Right to voice complaints or appeals about the medical group or the care provided
- Knowledge that the Medical Group specifically does not reward practitioners
or other individuals conducting utilization review for issuing denials
of coverage, service or decisions that result in underutilization.
- Have the right to submit to the provider an amendment to the medical record
if upon review the patient believes any item or statement is incorrect
or incomplete.
- Right to be represented by parents, guardians, designated family members
or other conservators for those who are unable to fully participate in
their treatment decisions.
- Right to make recommendations regarding the Physician Group's Member
Rights and Responsibilities Policies.
Patient Responsibilities
Providence physicians are committed to partnering with
you in maintaining your good health. As a patient, you have the responsibility to:
- Provide your healthcare provider with complete and accurate information.
- Understand your health problems and participate in developing mutually
agreed upon treatment goals to the degree possible and notify him/her
of any significant changes in your condition.
- Recognize that your primary care physician will provide the care he or
she is trained to provide prior to seeking consultation with a specialist.
- Know the benefits, limitations and exclusions of your insurance coverage.
- Pay for services rendered, including co-payments and deductibles.
- Understand that before specialty care may be obtained, you must receive
a referral from your primary care physician, if required by your insurance company.
- Give adequate notice of delay or cancellation of scheduled appointments.
- Contact your primary care physician or substitute anytime for perceived
urgent medical needs or questions.
- Know how to access healthcare services for routine, urgent and emergency
situations. An emergency is a serious condition requiring immediate intervention.
An urgent condition could either lead to a potentially harmful outcome
if not treated or requires immediate attention (within 24 hours) due to
the severity of the symptoms. A non-urgent condition includes a limited
physical exam or follow-up of acute or chronic medical or surgical conditions.
- To designate a family member(s) or other conservator(s) if you are unable
to participate in treatment decisions.