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Notice of Privacy Practices

High Desert Psychological Services, INC

A Private Mental Health Practice

Effective Date: January 01, 2024

 

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This notice outlines how your medical information may be used and disclosed, and how you can access this information. It is important to review it carefully to understand your rights and our responsibilities.

 

Please Note: This notice is a summary. Specific laws and regulations, including federal HIPAA and California state laws, govern our practices and may impose additional requirements or limitations on the use and disclosure of your information. This notice is not intended to be more restrictive than applicable law, unless explicitly noted.

 

Your Rights

You have several important rights regarding your health information:

1. Access to Medical Records
   • Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to request an electronic or paper copy of your medical records and other health information we maintain. Contact us to learn how to submit a request.
   • Timely Response: We will provide a copy or summary of your health information, typically within 30 days of your request. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply for copies.
2. Request for Corrections
   • Right to Amend: If you believe that your health information is incorrect or incomplete, you can request that we amend the information. Contact us for the appropriate procedures.
   • Denial Process: We may deny your request, but we will provide a written explanation within 60 days.
3. Confidential Communications
   • Right to Request Confidential Communications: You can request that we contact you in a specific manner (e.g., home or office phone) or send mail to a different address.
   • Obligation to Accommodate: We will honor all reasonable requests.
4. Restrictions on Use and Disclosure
   • Right to Request Restrictions: You can request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. While we are not required to agree to these restrictions, we will comply if it does not affect your care.
   • Out-of-Pocket Payments: If you pay for a service out-of-pocket in full, you can request that we do not share this information with your health insurer. We will honor this request unless the law requires us to share that information.
5. Accounting of Disclosures
   • Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You can request a list (accounting) of certain disclosures of your health information made by us in the past six years. This accounting excludes disclosures for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, among others.
   • Free Annual Accounting: We will provide one free accounting per year, but may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests within the same 12-month period.
6. Copy of Privacy Notice
   • Right to a Paper Copy: You can request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
7. Personal Representatives
   • Rights of Personal Representatives: If you have designated someone as your medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make decisions about your health information.
   • Verification of Authority: We will verify the individual’s authority before taking any action.
8. Filing a Complaint
   • Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
   • Non-Retaliation: We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

 

Your Choices

For certain health information, you have choices about what we share:

 

• Sharing with Family and Friends: You have the right to direct us to share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care. We will follow your instructions.
• Disaster Relief Situations: You can express your preferences for sharing information in disaster relief situations.
• Marketing, Sale of Information, and Psychotherapy Notes: We will never share your information for these purposes without your explicit written permission.
• Fundraising Communications: We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can request not to receive such communications.

 

Our Uses and Disclosures

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

 

1. Treatment

• Coordination of Care: We use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you. For example, a doctor treating you for an injury may need to know about your overall health condition.

2. Healthcare Operations

• Practice Management: We use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. For instance, we may use your health information to manage your treatment and services.

3. Billing and Payment

• Insurance Claims: We use and share your health information to bill and receive payment from health plans or other entities. For example. We provide information about you to your health insurance plan to obtain payment for your services.

 

 

Additional Uses and Disclosures

Under applicable law, there are additional uses and disclosures of your health information that we may employ beyond what is specifically listed in this notice. High Desert Psychological Services is authorized to use or disclose your information in various ways permitted by law. These uses and disclosures include, but are not limited to: responding to your direct requests; sending appointment reminders; recommending alternative treatments and healthcare products or services; using limited data sets in certain scenarios; preventing or mitigating serious threats to health or safety; addressing public health and safety concerns; collaborating with third-party business associates who support our services; providing necessary information to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors following a death; aggregating data and de-identifying it, which exempts it from HIPAA regulations; sharing information within an Organized Healthcare Arrangement that we participate in, as well as with accountable care organizations, regional health information organizations, the Blue Button Project, or other health information exchanges. In such cases, you may have the right to opt-out or exercise other rights. Additionally, there may be incidental uses and disclosures that occur as part of other permitted activities.

 

HIPAA Compliance

1. Overview of HIPAA

• Purpose: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets national standards for the protection of individuals’ medical records and other personal health information.
• Scope: HIPAA applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses that conduct certain healthcare transactions electronically.

2. Your Rights Under HIPAA

• Privacy Rule: Ensures the protection of your health information while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high-quality healthcare.
• Security Rule: Sets standards for the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI) to ensure its confidentiality, integrity, and security.

3. Our Responsibilities Under HIPAA

• Safeguarding Information: We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI).
• Notification of Breach: We will promptly inform you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• Compliance with Notice: We must adhere to the privacy practices described in this notice and provide you with a copy upon request.
• Authorization for Use and Disclosure: We will not use or share your information for purposes not described here unless you provide us with written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time by notifying us in writing.

 

Text Messaging

We may use text messaging to communicate with you for appointment reminders, treatment follow-ups, or other healthcare-related purposes. Text Message and Data Rates may apply. You can opt-out of receiving text messages by sending “STOP,” and you can get more help by sending “HELP.”

 

Nondiscrimination Policy

High Desert Psychological Services complies with applicable federal and California civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude, or treat individuals differently based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, or other legally protected classes. We provide necessary aids and services to individuals with disabilities and language assistance to those whose primary language is not English. Contact us if you require these services.

 

Changes to the Terms of This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice, and such changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.

 

Additional Information

Please be aware that email and text messaging are not secure methods for transmitting health information. By choosing to communicate with us through these methods, you accept the associated risks.

 

We comply with all applicable laws that impose stricter nondisclosure or other requirements regarding sensitive information, including mental health, psychotherapy, genetic testing, substance abuse, pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS information.

 

This notice applies to High Desert Psychological Services and any other entity or member of an organized healthcare arrangement in which we may participate.

 

For more information or to file a complaint, please contact us at: Privacy and Security Officer, 442-327-9311. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

 

By ensuring compliance with federal and California laws, including HIPAA, and providing detailed information on your rights and our responsibilities, this notice aims to maintain the highest standards of privacy and security for your health information.