PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information obtained through our Practice, website and related communications. 

Your Rights

1. You can request a copy of your paper or electronic medical record.  We will provide a copy or      summary within thirty (30) days of your request. 
2. You can ask us to correct your paper or electronic medical record.  We may say "no" to your request, but we'll tell you why in writing within sixty (60) days.
3. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way or to send mail to a different address.  We will      say "yes" to reasonable requests.
4. You can ask us to limit what we use or share.  We may say "no" if it would affect your 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. 
5. You can ask us for a list (accounting) of the times we have shared your health information for 6      years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.  We will include all disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.  We'll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another      one within twelve (12) months. 
6. You can ask for a paper copy of this policy at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.  
7. You can choose someone to act for you.  We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
8. You can file a complaint if you      feel we have violated your rights by contacting us.  

You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, SW Washington D.D, 20201 or by calling 877-696-6775, or by visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.  We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. 

Your Choices

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

● Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care;

● Share information in a disaster relief situation; and/or

● Include your information in a hospital directory.

If you are not able to tell us your preference (for example if you are unconscious), we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest.  We may also share your information when needed to reduce a serious and imminent threat to health and safety. 

We never share your information for:

● Marketing purposes

● Sale of your information

Our Typical Uses and Disclosures

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

● Insurance information submitted through appointment requests

● Medical care, diagnoses, services provided, 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 provide medical treatment to you

● To run and operate our practice

● Respond to inquiries

● Schedule appointments

● Verify insurance

● Communicate with you

● Improve website functionality

● Maintain website security

● Comply with legal obligations

● Prevent fraud or unauthorized access

● To bill health plans and other entities for your care

Other Uses and Disclosures are as follows:

● We can use or share your health information to help with public health and safety issues such as to prevent disease, to help with product recalls, to report adverse reactions to medications or vaccines, to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, and to prevent or reduce a serious threat to anyone's health or safety;

● We can use or share your information for health research;

● We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, 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 with organ procurement organizations in response to organ and tissue donation requests;

● 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 law enforcement purposes, with health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, and for other government requests (such as the military, national security, and presidential protective services);

● We can share your health information in response to lawsuits, to a court or administrative order, or to a subpoena. 

We may also use third-party service providers for:

● Website hosting

● Email communications

● Appointment scheduling

● Electronic forms

● Payment processing

● Analytics

● Cloud storage

These third-party providers are contractually required, where applicable, to protect confidential information and comply with applicable privacy laws.

Our Responsibilities

● 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. We will not sell your personal information.

Emails, Texts, Patient Portal 

● 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. 

● Texting is not secure and we advise you against texting us.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

The 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 data 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. Most browsers allow you to disable cookies, although certain features of the website may not function properly.

For More Information 

www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html 

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We can change the terms of this Policy , and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. We may revise the Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will become effective upon posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website and/or at our office.  You may also request a copy from our office.

Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about our Privacy Policy, you may contact our Privacy Officer Susan Taylor, Esq. by emailing STaylor@taylorhealthlaw.com or by calling (562) 755-9734.  We will respond to all requests and inquiries within thirty (30) days.