Patient Rights & Responsibilities

It is the policy of Stormont Vail Health to respect and inform patients of their rights and responsibilities. Patients and families are informed of their rights through the patient handbook as well as being posted at prominent places at the hospital and clinics.

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Patient Rights

  1. Stormont Vail Health respects, protects and promotes patient rights by:
    1. Treating the patient in a dignified and respectful manner that supports his or her dignity
    2. Respecting the patient’s right to and need for effective communication
    3. Respecting the patient’s cultural and personal values, beliefs and preferences
    4. Respecting the patient’s right to personal privacy
    5. Accommodating the patient’s right to religious and other spiritual services
    6. Allowing the patient to the confidentiality of their clinical record and access, request amendment to, and obtain information on disclosures of his or her health information, in accordance with law and regulation
    7. Allowing a family member, friend, or other individual to be present with the patient for emotional support during the course of stay
    8. Receiving health care in a safe setting free from abuse or harassment
    9. Prohibiting discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression
  2. Stormont Vail Health respects the patient’s right to receive information in a manner he or she understands. This is achieved by:
    1. Providing information in a manner tailored to the patient’s age, language and ability to understand
    2. Providing language interpreting and translation services
    3. Providing information to the patient who has vision, speech, hearing, or cognitive impairments in a manner that meets the patient’s needs. Necessary interpretive services and/or assistive devices will be provided free of charge
  3. Stormont Vail Health respects the patient’s right to participate in decisions about his or her care, treatment, and services by:
    1. Involving the patient in making decisions about his or her care, treatment, and services, including the right to have his or her family and physician promptly notified of his or her admission to the hospital at the patient’s request
    2. Involving a surrogate decision-maker in making decisions when a patient is unable to make decisions about his or her care, treatment and services.
    3. Providing the patient or surrogate decision-maker with written information about the right to refuse care, treatment and services
    4. Respecting the patient’s or surrogate decisionmaker’s right to refuse care, treatment and services in accordance with law and regulation
    5. Involving the patient’s family in care, treatment and services decisions to the extent permitted by the patient or surrogate decision-maker, in accordance with law and regulation
    6. Providing the patient or surrogate decision-maker with information about the following:
    7. Outcomes of care, treatment and services that the patient needs in order to participate in current and future health care decisions
    8. Unanticipated outcomes of the patient’s care, treatment, and services that are sentinel events as defined by the Joint Commission
  4. Stormont Vail Health honors the patient’s right to give or withhold informed consent
  5. Stormont Vail Health protects the patient and respects his or her rights during research, investigation, and clinical trials
  6. Stormont Vail Health respects the patient’s right to receive information about the individual(s) responsible for, as well as those providing, his or her care, treatment or services by:
    1. Informing the patient of the following:
      1. The name of the physician, clinical psychologist, or other practitioner who has primary responsibility for his or her care, treatment, or services
      2. The name of the physician(s), clinical psychologist(s), or other practitioner(s) who will provide his or her care, treatment and services
  7. Stormont Vail Health addresses patient decisions about care, treatment and services received at the end of life by:
    1. Following written policies on advance directives, forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, and withholding resuscitative services
    2. Respecting the patient’s right to end of life decisions, regarding care, treatment and services including Advance Directives and organ donation
  8. The right to be free from neglect; exploitation; and verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse
  9. The right to be free from corporal punishment, restraint or seclusion of any form
  10. The patient and his or her family have the right to have complaints reviewed by the hospital
  11. The right to access protective and advocacy services

Patient Responsibilities

  1. Each patient is informed about his or her responsibilities related to their care, treatment and services including:
    1. The responsibility to provide accurate information to the healthcare team
    2. The responsibility to ask questions or acknowledge when he or she does not understand the treatment course or care decisions
    3. The responsibility to follow instructions, policies, rules and regulations in place to support quality care for patients and a safe environment for all individuals in the hospital/clinics
    4. The responsibility to support mutual consideration and respect by maintaining civil language and conduct in interactions with staff and licensed independent practitioners
    5. The responsibility to meet financial commitments

Report a patient safety event to The Joint Commission:

The Office of Quality and Patient Safety
The Joint Commission
One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60180
1-800-994-6610 | 630-792-5636 (fax)
Website: www.jointcommission.org

Adult care complaint program:

Kansas Department on Aging and Disability Services (MBO)
612 S. Kansas Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66603-3404
1-800-842-0078
Website: www.kdads.ks.gov

Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
800 SW Jackson Street
Topeka, Kansas 66612
785-296-7413
Website: www.ksbha.ks.gov

HIPAA privacy and discrimination Issues:

Office for Civil Rights, U.S. DHHS Region VII
601 East 12th Street – Room 248, Kansas City, MO 64106
816-426-7277; 816-426-7065 (TDD)
816-426-3686 (fax)
Website: www.hhs.gov.ocr

Appeal of premature discharge:

Livanta LLC
10820 Guilford Road, Suite 202
Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-1105
1-888-755-5580; 1-888-985-9295 (TIY)

Notice of Privacy Practices

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities. This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
  • Ask us to correct health and claims records
  • Request confidential communication
  • Ask us to limit the information we use or share
  • Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
  • Get a copy of this privacy notice
  • Choose someone to act for you
  • File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated

Your Choices

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

  • Tell family and friends about your condition
  • Provide disaster relief
  • Include you in a hospital directory
  • Market our services
  • Raise funds
  • Share your information in the Health Information Exchanges available

Our Uses and Disclosures

We may use and share your information as we:

  • Get a copy of your health and claims records
  • Treat you or assist other providers treating you
  • Bill for your services
  • Operate our organization
  • Help with public health and safety issues
  • Do research
  • Comply with the law
  • Respond to organ and tissue donation requests
  • Work with a medical examiner or funeral director
  • Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

Request a full version of this document for more information on these uses and disclosures. A full version of this Notice is available upon request or found at stormontvail.org HIPAA Privacy Office - 785-354-6343.

Your Rights Regarding Electronic Health Information Technology

We participate in the electronic sharing of health information with other health care providers and health plans in the State of Kansas through an approved Health Information Organization (HIO). Unless you direct otherwise, your electronic health records will be accessible through the HIO to properly authorized users for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations only.

If you want to restrict access to your records through the HIO, you must submit a request for restriction through KanHIT. Visit kanhit.ks.gov for more information.

Even if you restrict access, your information still will be available through the HIO by a properly authorized individual as necessary to report specific information to a government agency as required by law (for example, reporting of certain communicable diseases or suspected incidents of abuse).

For your protection, each request for restrictions is subject to verification procedures. Please allow sufficient time for your request to be processed. Your failure to provide all information required for verification may result in additional delay or denial of your request.

Human Trafficking

Are you or someone you know being sold for sex or forced to work for little or no pay and cannot leave?

There is a way out. Here’s how:

Contact the National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Call 1-888-373-7888 toll free and confidential or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733)

The Hotline and Text line can be used to:
Get help, report a tip, connect with anti-trafficking services in your area, and to request training and technical assistance, general information or specific anti-trafficking resources.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center is a national, toll-free hotline available to answer calls and texts from anywhere in the country, in English, Spanish, and more than 200 additional languages through an interpreter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

Human trafficking situations can be dangerous to you and to victims if you attempt to intervene.
If you suspect human trafficking, call the Hotline or 1-800-KS-CRIME. If it is an emergency situation, call 911.

Provided by: Kansas Attorney General 1-800-828-9745 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central Time)

Non-Discrimination Policy

As a recipient of Federal financial assistance, Stormont Vail Health does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the ground of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its programs and activities, and in staff and employee assignments to patients, whether carried out by Stormont Vail Health directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which Stormont Vail Health arranges to carry out its programs and activities. This statement is in accordance with the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (nondiscrimination on the basis of disability), the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (nondiscrimination on the basis of age), regulations of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued pursuant to these three statutes at Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 80, 84, and 91, Additionally, in accordance with Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, 42 U.S.C. § 18116, Stormont Vail Health does not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any person on the ground of sex including gender identity in admission to, participation in, or receipt of the services and benefits under any of its health programs and activities, and in staff and employee assignments, whether carried out by Stormont Vail Health directly or through a contractor or any other entity with which Stormont Vail Health arranges to carry out its programs and activities. In case of questions, please contact: Corporate Compliance Telephone number: 1-785-354-6008 (TDD) 1-785-270-8600.

Medicare Shared Savings Program

Accountable Care Organizations

Working together to give you the best care.

Stormont Vail HealthCare, Inc. is part of an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). We’ve teamed up with other doctors, hospitals, and health care providers to make sure you get the best care.

We provide coordinated care for you to get well & stay well

  • You get patient-centered care focused on YOUR needs.
  • Your health care providers can see the same test results, treatments, and prescriptions.
  • More coordination helps prevent medical errors and drug interactions.
  • You may save time, money, and frustration by avoiding repeated tests and appointments.
  • Better communication can help protect against Medicare fraud and waste.

Get the most from your care with our communication & support

  • Ask about signing up for our secure online portal. You’ll get 24-hour access to your personal health information, including lab results and communication from your health care provider.
  • When you choose a health care provider that participates in an ACO, they’ll help you get the right care at the right time. You can visit Medicare.gov and log into (or create) your secure Medicare account to choose a primary care doctor.
  • Medicare protects the privacy of your health information. If you don’t want Medicare to share information with your health care providers for care coordination, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Medicare may still share general information to measure provider quality. For more information on how Medicare may use and give out your information, visitMedicare.gov and search for “privacy.”

Want more information? Ask our front desk or call us at 785-354-1150. You can also visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

To report a Medicare-related concern or complaint, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Learn more about Accountable Care Organizations here: https://www.medicare.gov/providers-services/coordinating-care

How Much Will Your Care Cost?

Ask our Customer Service Department for a good faith estimate; call 785-354-1150.

Financial Assistance Program

Stormont Vail Health’s mission is, “Working together to improve the health of our community.” As part of our mission, Stormont Vail Health has a Financial Assistance Program (FAP) for our patients who are financially unable to pay for emergency or other medically necessary care. A patient determined to be eligible for financial assistance will not be charged more for emergency or other medically necessary care than the amounts generally charged to patients who have insurance covering such care.

To learn more about financial assistance, or if you have any questions about the Stormont Vail Health’s Financial Assistance Program, please contact a Customer Service Representative at 785-354-1150 or 800-637-4716, or by email at [email protected]. Para Español 833-692-3054.

Your Rights and Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills

When you get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you are protected from balance billing. In these cases, you shouldn’t be charged more than your plan’s copayments, coinsurance and/or deductible.

What is "Balance Billing" (Sometimes Called "Surprise Billing")?

When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, like a copayment, coinsurance, or deductible. You may have additional costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that isn’t in your health plan’s network.

“Out-of-network” means providers and facilities that haven’t signed a contract with your health plan to provide services. Out-of-network providers may be allowed to bill you for the difference between what your plan pays and the full amount charged for a service. This is called “balance billing.” This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your plan’s deductible or annual out-of-pocket limit.

“Surprise billing” is an unexpected balance bill. This can happen when you can’t control who is involved in your care—like when you have an emergency or when you schedule a visit at an in- network facility but are unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider. Surprise medical bills could cost thousands of dollars depending on the procedure or service.

You're Protected from Balance Billing For:

Emergency Services

If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of- network provider or facility, the most they can bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent and give up your protections not to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services.

Certain Services at an In-Network Hospital or Ambulatory Surgical Center

When you get services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network. In these cases, the most those providers can bill you is your plan’s in-network cost-sharing amount. This applies to emergency medicine, anesthesia, pathology, radiology, laboratory, neonatology, assistant surgeon, hospitalist, or intensivist services. These providers can’t balance bill you and may not ask you to give up your protections not to be balance billed.

If you get other types of services at these in-network facilities, out-of-network providers can’t balance bill you, unless you give written consent and give up your protections.

You’re never required to give up your protections from balance billing. You also aren’t required to get out-of-network care. You can choose a provider or facility in your plan’s network.

When Balance Billing Isn't Allowed, You Also Have These Protections:

  • You’re only responsible for paying your share of the cost (like the copayments, coinsurance, and deductible that you would pay if the provider or facility was in-network). Your health plan will pay any additional costs to out-of-network providers and facilities directly.
  • Generally, your health plan must:
    • Cover emergency services without requiring you to get approval for services in advance (also known as “prior authorization”).
    • Cover emergency services by out-of-network providers.
    • Base what you owe the provider or facility (cost-sharing) on what it would pay an in-network provider or facility and show that amount in your explanation of benefits.
    • Count any amount you pay for emergency services or out-of-network services toward your in-network deductible and out-of-pocket limit.

If you think you’ve been wrongly billed, contact the No Surprises Help Desk at 1-800-985-3059 from 8 am to 8 pm EST, 7 days a week, to submit your question or a complaint.

Visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises/consumers for more information about your rights under federal law.

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