Statements & Policies

Your medical and mental health care at Texas A&M University - University Health Services is a cooperative effort between you and your medical and mental health provider. University Health Services would like for you to be aware of your individual rights as well as your responsibilities.

You Have the Right to:

• Be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity.
• Reasonable and impartial access to available, counseling and medically indicated care, treatment, and services within our capability and capacity regardless of race, religion, beliefs, cultural values, gender, age, or financial status.
• Have the counselor, medical provider, and other staff members respect your privacy and confidentiality.
• Receive, to the degree known, complete information concerning your diagnosis, test results, treatment philosophy and methods, evaluation, treatment, progress, and prognosis.
• Participate in decisions involving your care.
• Consent to, or refuse, care and/or treatment and be informed of both the risks and benefits.
• Expect reasonable attempts to communicate in your primary language or manner.
• Receive information about advance directives.
• A high standard of patient safety while in our care.
• Know the name, credentials, professional status, and experience of the people serving you.
• Select and/or change your health care provider.
• You have a right to a second opinion and end services at any time. You may discuss your reasons with a counselor or medical provider.
• Information about our services, the associated costs, and payment policies.
• Information about after-hours and emergency care
• Voice feedback or grievances regarding treatment or care.

You Have the Responsibility to:

• Provide proper identification.
• Provide complete. accurate, and truthful information about current conditions, past medical and mental health history, medications, supplements, and any allergies or sensitivities that may impact your current treatment.
• Follow the agreed-upon treatment plan prescribed by your counselor or medical provider and participate in your care.
• Inform a counselor, medical provider, or staff member if you do not understand the treatment plan or have additional questions.
• Provide a responsible adult that can transport you from the facility and remain with you if directed by your counseling or healthcare provider or indicated on discharge instructions. 
• Inform your counselor or clinician of any directive that could affect your care.
• Accept financial responsibility for charges incurred, including those not covered by insurance.
• Be respectful of other patients, staff, visitors, and University Health Services property.
• Keep appointments or cancel the appointment in advance.
• Respect the privacy and preserve the confidentiality of other patients and University Health Services staff.

Counseling & Mental Health Care Financial Practices

Charges for Services  

There are currently no charges for visits or services provided through University Health Services Counseling & Mental Health Care. There are charges for missing an appointment without appropriate notice.

Payment for Services

Charges for missed appointments are transferred to the student bursar account. Those charges are paid through Student Business Services.

Primary Care & Speciality Medical Care Financial Practices

Charges for Services 

There are charges associated for visit and services provided by University Health Services Primary & Specialty Medical Care. Charges for services are at a reduced student rate because of the Student Health Fee. Charges for services may include primary and specialty care visits, telemedicine visits, procedures, supplies, immunizations, medication, laboratory, radiology, physical therapy, dietitian, and pharmacy.    

Payment for Services

Payment for your visit is expected at the time of service. Unpaid Primary & Specialty Medical Care charges or charges posted after your visit will be transferred to your student bursar account. There may be a delay in the posting of incurred medical charges from our clinical management system to your Texas A&M student bursar account. 

University Health Services also accepts all major credit cards, checks (with driver’s license, state issued identification card, or passport), as well as payments from insurance plans. 

If you have Health Insurance

University Health Services can file health insurance for medical services rendered to you. This includes the Texas A&M Student Plan for graduate, undergraduate, and international students as well as commercial insurance and some federal programs. University Health Services does not contract with insurance companies, managed care networks or government insurance programs.

You are responsible for the payment of all co-pays, deductibles, and non-covered services as deemed your responsibility by your insurance plan. 

Questions regarding coverage and benefits may be directed to your specific insurance carrier or a University Health Services staff member.

NOTICE

Texas A&M University - University Health Services reserves the right to change the terms of this Policy at any time, and the changes will be effective immediately. Any material changes to the Notice will be promptly posted in our facilities and posted on our website if we maintain one.

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions or if you wish to file a grievance regarding these practices, please contact University Health Services Patient Services at 979.458.8310 or uhsinfo@tamu.edu.

This notice describes how medical and counseling information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Your information is protected by federal law.
Texas A&M University – University Health Services is required to maintain the privacy of certain confidential medical and counseling information referred to as Student Health Records or SHR and to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your SHR. We are required to abide by the terms of this version of this notice, most currently in effect.

Records may be shared with another healthcare provider if it is determined that a referral or consultation is needed for ongoing or continuing care.
University Health Services operates as a single healthcare provider across all service areas and collaborate closely for the health of Texas A&M students. University Health Services may share information between University Health Services providers as it relates to a student’s health concerns, appointment attendance, assessments, and treatment planning for coordination of care purposes.

Uses and Disclosures of Student Health Records (SHR)

• For Treatment – This includes such things as verbal and written information that we obtain about you and use pertaining to your medical or mental health condition and treatment provided to you by us and other medical personnel including providers who give orders to allow us to provide treatment to you. It also includes information we give to other healthcare personnel to whom we transfer your care and treatment.

• For Payment – This includes any activities we must undertake to get reimbursed for the services we provide to you. This includes filing and management of your insurance claims.

• For Health Care Operations – This includes quality assurance activities, accreditation, and training programs to ensure that University Health Services staff meet our standards of care and follow established policies and procedures, obtaining legal and financial services, conducting business planning, processing grievances, and creating reports that do not individually identify you for data collection purposes.

Other Permitted Uses and Student Health Records (SHR)

Other ways in which Texas A&M University Health Services is permitted to use and/or disclose your SHR are as follows.

• As Required by Law - We may use or disclose your SHR to the extent that federal, state, or local law requires the use or disclosure. When used in this Notice, "required by law" is defined as it is in 34 CFR Part 99 – Family Educational Rights and Privacy.

• For Public Health Activities – We may use or disclose your SHR for public health activities that are permitted or required by law.

• For Health Oversight Activities – We may disclose your SHR to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions, civil, administrative, or criminal proceedings or other activities.

• Reporting Abuse or Neglect – We may disclose your SHR to a government authority that is authorized by law to receive reports of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

• Legal Proceedings – We may disclose your SHR (1) in the course of any judicial or administrative proceeding (2) in the response to an order of a court or administrative tribunal to the extent such disclosure is expressly authorized (3) in response to a subpoena, a discovery request, or other lawful process, once we have met all administrative requirements of the 34 CFR Part 99 – Family Educational Rights and Privacy.

• Law Enforcement – Under certain conditions, we also disclose your SHR to law enforcement officials. Some of the reasons for such a disclosure may include, but not limited to: (1) it is required by law or some other legal process (2) it is necessary to locate or identify a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person (3) it is necessary to provide evidence of a crime that occurred on our premises.

• Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Directors, and Organ Donation – We may disclose SHR to a coroner or medical examiner for purposes of identifying a deceased person, determining a cause of death, or for the coroner or medical examiner to perform other duties authorized by law. We may also disclose, as authorized by law, information to funeral directors so that they may carry out their duties. Further, we may disclose SHR to organizations that handle organ, eye, or tissue donation and transportation.

• To Prevent a Serious Threat to Health or Safety – Consistent with federal and state laws, we may disclose your SHR if we believe that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety of a person or the public.

• Military Activity and National Security, Protective Services – Under certain conditions, we may disclose your SHR if you are, or were, Armed Forces personnel for activities deemed necessary by appropriate military command authorities. We also may disclose your SHR to authorized federal officials for conducting national security and intelligence activities, and for the protection of the President, other authorized persons, or heads of state.

Required Disclosures of Your Student Health Record (SHR)

The following is a description of the disclosure that we are required by law to make.

Disclosure to You – We are required to disclose to you most of your SHR in a "designated record set" when you request access to this information. Generally, a "designated record set" contains medical and billing records that are used to make decisions about your health care. We are also required to provide, upon your request, an accounting of disclosures of your SHR that are for reasons other than treatment, payment, and health care operations.

Other Uses and Disclosures of Your Student Health Record (SHR)

Your Rights

The following is a description of your rights with respect to your Student Health Record (SHR).

• Right to Access your Student Health Record - Primary access to your SHR is utilizing the University Health Services Appointment Portal. You also have the right to inspect and obtain a copy your SHR that is contained in the "designated record set. However, under certain circumstances, you may not have the right to inspect or copy psychotherapy notes or other information. We may deny your request to inspect and copy your SHR in certain limited circumstances.

• Right to Request a Restriction – We are not required to agree to any restriction that you may request. If we do agree to the restriction, we will comply with the restriction unless the information is needed to provide emergency treatment to you.

• Right to Request Confidential Communications - If you believe that a disclosure of all or part of your SHR may endanger you, you may request that we communicate with you regarding your information in an alternative manner or at an alternative location. For example, you may request that we contact you only at your work.

• Right to Request Amendment - If you believe that your SHR is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend your information. In certain cases, we may deny your request for amendment. If we deny your request, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us or the Texas A&M Privacy Office. This statement will be linked with the disputed information and all future disclosures of the disputed information will include your statement of disagreement.

• Right of Accounting – You have a right to an accounting of most disclosures of your SHR that are for reasons other than treatment, payment, or health care operations. An accounting will include the date(s) of disclosure, to whom we made the disclosure, a brief description of the information disclosed, and the purpose of the disclosure.

• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice –You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice, even if you have agreed to accept this notice electronically.

Grievances

You also have the right to make a grievance to University Health Services, the Texas A&M Privacy Office, to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Education if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint with University Health Services, AMU, or to a government agency. Should you have any questions, comments, or complaints you may direct all inquiries to the Texas A&M Privacy Office.

University Health Services reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. The changes will be effective immediately and will apply to all student health records that we maintain. Any material changes to the Notice will be promptly posted in our facilities and posted to the University Health Services web site. You may obtain a copy of the latest version of this notice by contacting Patient Services or printing the latest version from the website.

If you have any questions or if you wish to file a grievance or exercise any rights listed in this Notice, please contact: the Texas A&M Privacy Office at privacy@tamu.edu or call 979.845.9853.