PRIVACY POLICY

When we provide medical care to you, we may collect the following personal information about you:

• Name
• Mailing address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Date of birth
• Driver license information
• Insurance information 
• Emergency contacts
• Medical history, diagnoses, treatments, surgeries, labs, etc…

This information may constitute Protected Health Information ("PHI") under HIPAA and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (“CMIA”).

We will use your health information for the following purposes: 

• To evaluate and treat you
• To run and operate our practice (healthcare operations)
• For reports and documentations
• To communicate with you
• To communicate with other healthcare professionals involved in your care
• To comply with legal obligations
• To obtain payment for your care
• To bill health plans and other entities for your care

•  We are a mandated reporter and are required to report any observed or disclosed incidents where a child has been injured as a result of physical, mental, or emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, or exposure to domestic violence. 
• We are a mandated reporter and are required to report any observed or disclosed incidents that an adult or elder has been or is being abused, abandoned, abducted, neglected, financially exploited, or in need of protective services. 
• We can use or share your health information if there is reason to believe that you pose a serious threat to another person or person(s) or that you are at risk of doing serious physical harm or death to yourself.
• We will share information about you with health oversight agencies, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we're complying with federal privacy law.
• We can share your health information in response to lawsuits, to a court or administrative order, or to a subpoena. 
• We can share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including for law enforcement purposes and for other government requests such as the military, national security, and presidential protective services.
• We can share your health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director.
• We can share your health information for worker's compensation claims.

• For marketing purposes
• For sale of your information 

• Right to Inspect and Copy

Patients have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of their health and billing records that are used to make decisions about their care. We will provide a copy in the form and format that is requested, if readily producible. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as permitted by HIPAA and applicable state law. We will provide a copy or summary within thirty (30) days. 

• Right to Request an Amendment

If the patient believes that information we have about them is incorrect or incomplete, the patient may request that we amend it. This request must be in writing and must explain why the information should be amended. We may deny the request under limited circumstances permitted by law.  

• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

Patients have the right to request an accounting of certain disclosures of PHI we made for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or that were not made pursuant to written authorization. The request must state a time period of up to six (6) years prior to the date of the request. We will provide one (1) accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within twelve (12) months. 

• Right to Request Restrictions

Patients have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the PHI we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or to a person who is involved in a patient’s care or the payment for that care. If you pay for a service out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information. 

• Right to Confidential Communications

Patients have the right to request that we communicate with them about health matters in a specific way or at a specific location- for example, only by mail at a particular address. We will say “yes” to reasonable requests submitted in writing.

• Right to Receive a Paper or Electronic Copy of This Notice

Patients have the right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if they have agreed to receive it electronically. Patients may also request an electronic copy.

• Right to Be Notified of a Breach

Patients have the right to be notified if there is a breach of unsecured PHI, in compliance with the HIPAA breach-notification rules.

• Right to File a Complaint

If you believe privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the Company by contacting the Privacy Officer at the email address below. You may also file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against or penalized for filing a complaint.

              DHHS, Office of Civil Rights

              200 Independence Avenue SW

               Washington, DC 2020

               877-696-6775

               https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/ (for online filing) 

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it. 
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time by letting us know in writing. 

• Our email server is encrypted to protect you, but your email server may not be      secure. If you choose to email us, you are doing so at your own risk. Please do not send sensitive medical information by unsecured email unless you understand and accept the associated risks. 
• We provide a Patient Portal that is secure and HIPAA compliant for you to      directly message us and to receive messages from us. Please use only secure portal messaging for medical communications whenever possible. 

These technologies on our website and mobile applications allow us to track your browsing behavior, such as links clicked, pages viewed, and items purchased.  These technologies also automatically collect date to measure website performance and improve our systems, including metadata, log files, page load time, server response time, network routing, and server configurations.  You have the option to opt out of these technologies by not accepting cookies.

We may revise the Privacy Policy from time to time. The changes will apply to all information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. The current Privacy Policy will be posted on our website and/or our office and will include the effective date.  You may also request a current copy by contacting us. 

If you have questions about our Privacy Policy, wish to exercise any of the rights described above, or want to file a privacy complaint, you may contact our Privacy Officer.  We will respond to all requests and inquiries within thirty (30) days. 

           Susan Taylor, Esq. 

           562-755-9734

           Staylor@taylorhealthlaw.com