HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

We are required by law - specifically, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) - to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI), to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI, and to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI.

Protected Health Information (PHI) is individually identifiable health information, including demographic information, that relates to: your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition; the provision of health care to you; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to you.

1. Our Duties Regarding Your PHI

We are required to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI
• Provide you with this Notice of our privacy practices
• Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
• Notify you if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI
• Provide you with a paper copy of this Notice upon request

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new provisions effective for all PHI that we maintain. Revised Notices will be posted in our clinic and on our website.

2. How We Use & Disclose Your PHI

Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations (No Authorization Required)

We may use or disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:

Treatment

We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services. For example, we may share your information with specialists, labs, pharmacies, or hospitals involved in your care. We may also contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about your treatment.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain reimbursement for the services we provide to you. This includes submitting claims to your insurance company, verifying coverage, collecting copayments, and coordinating benefits.

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI for our internal operations, including quality assessment, staff training, accreditation, licensing, business planning, and conducting audits or reviews of our services.

Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures Without Authorization

• As required by law - We will disclose your PHI when required by federal, state, or local law.
• Public health activities - We may report PHI to public health authorities to prevent or control disease, report child abuse or neglect, or report reactions to medications.
• Health oversight activities - We may disclose PHI to government agencies for oversight activities such as audits, inspections, and investigations.
• Law enforcement - We may disclose PHI to law enforcement officials in response to a court order, warrant, subpoena, or similar process.
• Serious threats to health or safety - We may use or disclose PHI if we believe it is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person or the public.
• Workers' compensation - We may disclose PHI to the extent required by workers' compensation laws.
• Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors - We may disclose PHI to identify a deceased person, determine a cause of death, or as authorized by law.
• Research - Under certain conditions, we may use or disclose PHI for approved research purposes with appropriate safeguards.
• Facility directory - Unless you object, we may use your name, location in the facility, and general condition to tell family members or others who ask for you by name.
• Individuals involved in your care - We may disclose relevant PHI to a family member, friend, or other person involved in your care, unless you instruct us otherwise.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

For uses and disclosures other than those listed above, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI. This includes:

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes
• Uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes
• Disclosures that constitute the sale of PHI
• Other uses and disclosures not covered by this Notice or permitted by law

You may revoke any authorization you provide to us at any time, in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on the authorization.

3. Your Rights Regarding Your PHI

You have the following rights regarding your PHI. To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to our Privacy Officer (see contact information below).

Right to Inspect and Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI in our designated record set, including medical and billing records, for as long as we maintain the PHI. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Right to Amend

If you believe that PHI we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend the information. We may deny your request if we determine that the PHI was not created by us, is not part of our records, or is accurate and complete.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request an accounting of disclosures of your PHI made by us for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations during the previous six years.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except that we must agree to restrict disclosures to a health plan if you pay out-of-pocket in full for a service and ask us not to submit to insurance.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your PHI in a certain way or at a certain location (e.g., only at home, only in writing). We will accommodate reasonable requests.

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 receive it electronically. You may request a copy at any time by contacting our office.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified if your unsecured PHI is accessed, used, or disclosed in an unauthorized manner. We will notify you without unreasonable delay and within 60 days of discovering such a breach.

4. Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for PHI we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice in our office and on our website. The Notice will contain an effective date on the first page.

5. How to File a Complaint

If you believe we have violated your privacy rights, you have the right to file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Complaint to WeCare Wellness Clinic

Complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

6. Contact Our Privacy Officer

If you have any questions about this Notice or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact: