713-936-2966

Greater Houston

Diabetes & Endocrinology Center

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At Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center we have a reasonable cash rates for our uninsured Patients and out-of network patients. The patient is responsible for ensuring proper insurance coverage. Prior to an appointment please be sure to notify our staff of any changes to your contact details and Insurance coverage.

Please contact us if you have questions.

The following is a list of some of insurances for which we are in-network * :

  • Aetna
  • BlueCrossBlueShield
  • Humana Commercial
  • Humana Medicare Advantage Plans
  • Humana Tricare Military (*Non-Network TRICARE Certified Provider)
  • Cigna
  • UnitedHealthcare
  • Medicare
  • AARP
  • AARP Medicare Complete (*Not In Network)
  • Tricare
  • Palmetto GBA
  • Memorial Hermann Health Solutions
  • PHCS
  • SelectCare of Texas
  • Care Improvement Plus
  • Texan Plus
  • Multiplan
  • HealthSmart
  • GEHA
  • Group & Pension Administrators
  • Integrated Health Plan PPO   
  • Interplan Health Group
  • UMR
  • Boon-Chapman
  • Unicare
  • ChampVA
  •  

* If we do not participate with your insurance carrier our charges will apply as out-of-network coverage.

Disclaimer

The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.

TERMS OF USE


Use of this Information

The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment by a health care professional. This site provides information about Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center and services provided. All of your individual needs, you should consult your personal doctor to determine the appropriateness of the information for your situation. Advertising is not a source of funding for this site.

Confidentiality and Privacy

We are committed to protecting the privacy of our visitors. However, due to the nature of Internet communications, it may be necessary for system support personnel to view communications and logs of activities as a part of their responsibilities. We may gather information to monitor our effectiveness in providing health information, to answer consumer questions and to improve the site. This regular monitoring does not provide us with personal information such as names or addresses of users. Only non-confidential and non-proprietary information should be transmitted to the site by electronic mail or otherwise.

Accuracy and Completeness

Due to constant advances in technology and medicine, you are encouraged to confirm the information on our site with other reliable sources. Corrections and additions will be made as allowed by the availability of time and resources. Although care has been taken in preparing the information contained in this site, all material that is provided here or could be reached by using this as a starting point is supplied "AS IS" without warranty of quality or accuracy of any kind. Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center nor any author contributing to this site is responsible for any errors or omissions in any information provided or the results obtained from the use of such information. Our health-related information is derived from our Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center staff and health experts. Health-related information posted on the site has been reviewed and approved by our doctors.

Links to Other Sites

Links to other Web sites are provided as a service to our users and do not imply endorsement by Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center. GHDE is not responsible for the content of these websites. Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center does not assume responsibility and shall not be liable for any damages to or any viruses that may infect your computer equipment or software because of your access, use of or browsing in this or any other site.

Legal Compliance

You are prohibited from posting or transmitting any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic or profane material, any proprietary information belonging to others, or any material that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any law. In the course of monitoring individuals improperly using this system or in the course of system administration, the activities of authorized users also may be monitored. Anyone using this system expressly consents to such monitoring and is advised that if such monitoring reveals possible evidence of unlawful or criminal activity, Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center may provide the evidence from such monitoring to law enforcement officials or the administrators of systems providing the user's services.

Copyright

You should assume that everything you see or read on this site is copyrighted by Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center. You may download material from the site for non-commercial, personal use as long as you also retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained on the materials. You may not use, modify, make multiple copies of, distribute or transmit the contents of the site for any public or commercial purposes without the written permission of Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center.

NOTICE OF PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Feb 3rd, 2011

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

The following is the privacy policy ("Privacy Policy") of Greater Houston Diabetes & Endocrinology Center (GHDE) as described in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and regulations promulgated thereunder, commonly known as HIPAA. HIPAA requires Covered Entity by law to maintain the privacy of your personal health information and to provide you with notice of Covered Entity's legal duties and privacy policies with respect to your personal health information. We are required by law to abide by the terms of this Privacy Notice.

Your Personal Health Information

We collect personal health information from you through treatment, payment and related healthcare operations, the application and enrollment process, and/or healthcare providers or health plans, or through other means, as applicable. Your personal health information that is protected by law broadly includes any information, oral, written or recorded, that is created or received by certain health care entities, including health care providers, such as physicians and hospitals, as well as, health insurance companies or plans. The law specifically protects health information that contains data, such as your name, address, social security number, and others, that could be used to identify you as the individual patient who is associated with that health information.

Uses or Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

Generally, we may not use or disclose your personal health information without your permission. Further, once your permission has been obtained, we must use or disclose your personal health information in accordance with the specific terms that permission. The following are the circumstances under which we are permitted by law to use or disclose your personal health information.

Without Your Consent

Without your consent, we may use or disclose your personal health information in order to provide you with services and the treatment you require or request, or to collect payment for those services, and to conduct other related health care operations otherwise permitted or required by law. Also, we are permitted to disclose your personal health information within and among our workforce in order to accomplish these same purposes. However, even with your permission, we are still required to limit such uses or disclosures to the minimal amount of personal health information that is reasonably required to provide those services or complete those activities. Examples of treatment activities include: (a) the provision, coordination, or management of health care and related services by health care providers; (b) consultation between health care providers relating to a patient; or (c) the referral of a patient for health care from one health care provider to another. Examples of payment activities include: (a) billing and collection activities and related data processing; (b) actions by a health plan or insurer to obtain premiums or to determine or fulfill its responsibilities for coverage and provision of benefits under its health plan or insurance agreement, determinations of eligibility or coverage, adjudication or subrogation of health benefit claims; (c) medical necessity and appropriateness of care reviews, utilization review activities; and (d) disclosure to consumer reporting agencies of information relating to collection of premiums or reimbursement. Examples of health care operations include:

(a) development of clinical guidelines; (b) contacting patients with information about treatment alternatives or communications in connection with case management or care coordination; (c) reviewing the qualifications of and training health care professionals; (d) underwriting and premium rating; (e) medical review, legal services, and auditing functions; and (f) general administrative activities such as customer service and data analysis.

As Required By Law

We may use or disclose your personal health information to the extent that such use or disclosure is required by law and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law. Examples of instances in which we are required to disclose your personal health information include: (a) public health activities including, preventing or controlling disease or other injury, public health surveillance or investigations, reporting adverse events with respect to food or dietary supplements or product defects or problems to the Food and Drug Administration, medical surveillance of the workplace or to evaluate whether the individual has a work-related illness or injury in order to comply with Federal or state law; (b) disclosures regarding victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence including, reporting to social service or protective services agencies; (c) health oversight activities including, audits, civil, administrative, or criminal investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, or civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings or actions, or other activities necessary for appropriate oversight of government benefit programs; (d) judicial and administrative proceedings in response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal, a warrant, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process; (e) law enforcement purposes for the purpose of identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person, or reporting crimes in emergencies, or reporting a death; (f) disclosures about decedents for purposes of cadaveric donation of organs, eyes or tissue; (g) for research purposes under certain conditions; (h) to avert a serious threat to health or safety; (i) military and veterans activities; (j) national security and intelligence activities, protective services of the President and others; (k) medical suitability determinations by entities that are components of the Department of State; (l) correctional institutions and other law enforcement custodial situations; (m) covered entities that are government programs providing public benefits, and for workers' compensation.

All Other Situations, With Your Specific Authorization

Except as otherwise permitted or required, as described above, we may not use or disclose your personal health information without your written authorization. Further, we are required to use or disclose your personal health information consistent with the terms of your authorization. You may revoke your authorization to use or disclose any personal health information at any time, except to the extent that we have taken action in reliance on such authorization, or, if you provided the authorization as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage, other law provides the insurer with the right to contest a claim under the policy.

Miscellaneous Activities, Notice

We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. We may contact you to raise funds for Covered Entity. If we are a group health plan or health insurance issuer or HMO with respect to a group health plan, we may disclose your personal health information to be sponsor of the plan.

Your Rights With Respect to Your Personal Health Information

Under HIPAA, you have certain rights with respect to your personal health information. The following is a brief overview of your rights and our duties with respect to enforcing those rights.

Right to Request Restrictions on Use or Disclosure

You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your personal health information about yourself. You may request restrictions on the following uses or disclosures: to carry out treatment, payment, or healthcare operations; (b) disclosures to family members, relatives, or close personal friends of personal health information directly relevant to your care or payment related to your health care, or your location, general condition, or death; (c) instances in which you are not present or your permission cannot practicably be obtained due to your incapacity or an emergency circumstance; (d) permitting other persons to act on your behalf to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, X-rays, or other similar forms of personal health information; or (e) disclosure to a public or private entity authorized by law or by its charter to assist in disaster relief efforts.

While we are not required to agree to any requested restriction, if we agree to a restriction, we are bound not to use or disclose your personal healthcare information in violation of such restriction, except in certain emergency situations. We will not accept a request to restrict uses or disclosures that are otherwise required by law.

Right to Receive Confidential Communications

You have the right to receive confidential communications of your personal health information. We may require written requests. We may condition the provision of confidential communications on you providing us with information as to how payment will be handled and specification of an alternative address or other method of contact. We may require that a request contain a statement that disclosure of all or a part of the information to which the request pertains could endanger you. We may not require you to provide an explanation of the basis for your request as a condition of providing communications to you on a confidential basis. We must permit you to request and must accommodate reasonable requests by you to receive communications of personal health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations. If we are a health care plan, we must permit you to request and must accommodate reasonable requests by you to receive communications of personal health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations if you clearly state that the disclosure of all or part of that information could endanger you.

Right to Inspect and Copy Your Personal Health Information

Your designated record set is a group of records we maintain that includes Medical records and billing records about you, or enrollment, payment, claims adjudication, and case or medical management records systems, as applicable. You have the right of access in order to inspect and obtain a copy your personal health information contained in your designated record set, except for (a) psychotherapy notes, (b) information complied in reasonable anticipation of, or for use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, and (c) health information maintained by us to the extent to which the provision of access to you would be prohibited by law. We may require written requests. We must provide you with access to your personal health information in the form or format requested by you, if it is readily producible in such form or format, or, if not, in a readable hard copy form or such other form or format. We may provide you with a summary of the personal health information requested, in lieu of providing access to the personal health information or may provide an explanation of the personal health information to which access has been provided, if you agree in advance to such a summary or explanation and agree to the fees imposed for such summary or explanation. We will provide you with access as requested in a timely manner, including arranging with you a convenient time and place to inspect or obtain copies of your personal health information or mailing a copy to you at your request. We will discuss the scope, format, and other aspects of your request for access as necessary to facilitate timely access. If you request a copy of your personal health information or agree to a summary or explanation of such information, we may charge a reasonable cost-based fee for copying, postage, if you request a mailing, and the costs of preparing an explanation or summary as agreed upon in advance. We reserve the right to deny you access to and copies of certain personal health information as permitted or required by law. We will reasonably attempt to accommodate any request for personal health information by, to the extent possible, giving you access to other personal health information after excluding the information as to which we have a ground to deny access. Upon denial of a request for access or request for information, we will provide you with a written denial specifying the legal basis for denial, a statement of your rights, and a description of how you may file a complaint with us. If we do not maintain the information that is the subject of your request for access but we know where the requested information is maintained, we will inform you of where to direct your request for access.

Right to Amend Your Personal Health Information

You have the right to request that we amend your personal health information or a record about you contained in your designated record set, for as long as the designated record set is maintained by us. We have the right to deny your request for amendment, if: (a) we determine that the information or record that is the subject of the request was not created by us, unless you provide a reasonable basis to believe that the originator of the information is no longer available to act on the requested amendment, (b) the information is not part of your designated record set maintained by us, (c) the information is prohibited from inspection by law, or (d) the information is accurate and complete. We may require that you submit written requests and provide a reason to support the requested amendment. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written denial stating the basis of the denial, your right to submit a written statement disagreeing with the denial, and a description of how you may file a complaint with us or the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("DHHS"). This denial will also include a notice that if you do not submit a statement of disagreement, you may request that we include your request for amendment and the denial with any future disclosures of your personal health information that is the subject of the requested amendment. Copies of all requests, denials, and statements of disagreement will be included in your designated record set. If we accept your request for amendment, we will make reasonable efforts to inform and provide the amendment within a reasonable time to persons identified by you as having received personal health information of yours prior to amendment and persons that we know have the personal health information that is the subject of the amendment and that may have relied, or could foreseeably rely, on such information to your detriment. All requests for amendment shall be sent to SRINIVAS R PANJA, 19701 Kingwood Dr Building 4 Suite-A Kingwood TX 77339

Right to Receive an Accounting of Disclosures of Your Personal Health Information

Beginning April 14, 2003, you have the right to receive a written accounting of all disclosures of your personal health information that we have made within the six (6) year period immediately preceding the date on which the accounting is requested. You may request an accounting of disclosures for a period of time less than six (6) years from the date of the request. Such disclosures will include the date of each disclosure, the name and, if known, the address of the entity or person who received the information, a brief description of the information disclosed, and a brief statement of the purpose and basis of the disclosure or, in lieu of such statement, a copy of your written authorization or written request for disclosure pertaining to such information. We are not required to provide accountings of disclosures for the following purposes: (a) treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, (b) disclosures pursuant to your authorization, (c) disclosures to you, (d) for a facility directory or to persons involved in your care, (e) for national security or intelligence purposes, (f) to correctional institutions, and (g) with respect to disclosures occurring prior to 4/14/03. We reserve our right to temporarily suspend your right to receive an accounting of disclosures to health oversight agencies or law enforcement officials, as required by law. We will provide the first accounting to you in any twelve (12) month period without charge, but will impose a reasonable cost-based fee for responding to each subsequent request for accounting within that same twelve (12) month period. All requests for an accounting shall be sent to SRINIVAS R PANJA, 19701 Kingwood Dr. Building 4 Suite-A Kingwood TX 77339

Complaints

You may file a complaint with us and with the Secretary of DHHS if you believe that your privacy rights have been violated. You may submit your complaint in writing by mail or electronically to our privacy officer, Nirmala Polisetty at 19701 Kingwood Dr. Building 4 Suite-A Kingwood TX 77339, 713-936-2966. A complaint must name the entity that is the subject of the complaint and describe the acts or omissions believed to be in violation of the applicable requirements of HIPAA or this Privacy Policy. A complaint must be received by us or filed with the Secretary of DHHS within 180 days of when you knew or should have known that the act or omission complained of occurred. You will not be retaliated against for filing any complaint.

Amendments to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to revise or amend this Privacy Policy at any time. These revisions or amendments may be made effective for all personal health information we maintain even if created or received prior to the effective date of the revision or amendment. We will provide you with notice of any revisions or amendments to this Privacy Policy, or changes in the law affecting this Privacy Notice, by mail or electronically within 60 days of the effective date of such revision, amendment, or change.

On-going Access to Privacy Policy

We will provide you with a copy of the most recent version of this Privacy Policy at any time upon your written request sent to SRINIVAS R PANJA, 19701 Kingwood Dr. Building 4 Suite-A Kingwood TX 77339. For any other requests or for further information regarding the privacy of your personal health information, and for information regarding the filing of a complaint with us, please contact our privacy officer Nirmala Polisetty at the address, telephone number, or e-mail address listed above.