Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

This Notice explains how InnerGrove Psychiatry PC, doing business as InnerGrove Psychiatry (the “Practice”), may use and disclose protected health information (“PHI”), your privacy rights, and our legal duties. PHI is identifiable information about your health, care, or payment for care. This Notice applies to Practice records and personnel acting for the Practice. Independent providers or services may have their own privacy notices.

YOUR RIGHTS

• Request to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of information in your designated record set, subject to legal exceptions. California law generally permits inspection within five working days and copies within 15 days after a qualifying written request. We may verify identity and charge only fees permitted by law.
• Ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. We may deny a request on legally permitted grounds.
• Request reasonable confidential communications by alternative means or at an alternative location.
• Ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures. We are not generally required to agree unless law requires otherwise. If you pay in full out of pocket for an item or service, you may ask us not to disclose that information to a health plan for payment or health care operations when disclosure is not otherwise required by law.
• Request an accounting of certain disclosures during the legally applicable period.
• Receive a paper copy of this Notice even if you received it electronically.
• Have a legally authorized representative exercise rights within the scope of that authority.
• File a privacy complaint without retaliation.

YOUR CHOICES AND AUTHORIZATIONS

When law gives you a choice, you may tell us your preferences about sharing relevant information with family, friends, or others involved in your care or payment. If you cannot express a preference, we may use professional judgment as permitted by law. These preferences may also apply to disclosures for disaster-relief purposes as permitted by law.

Written authorization is generally required for most uses or disclosures of separately maintained psychotherapy notes, marketing, and sale of PHI, subject to legal exceptions. Other uses or disclosures not described in this Notice require authorization unless permitted or required by law. You may revoke an authorization in writing to the extent we have not already relied on it or another legal exception applies. We do not use PHI for fundraising.

HOW WE MAY USE OR DISCLOSE INFORMATION

Treatment. We may use or share PHI with clinicians, pharmacies, laboratories, and others involved in your care as permitted by law. For example, we may coordinate medication treatment or obtain information needed for safe prescribing.

Payment. We may use or disclose PHI to verify benefits, obtain authorization when applicable, submit claims, collect lawful patient responsibility, and otherwise obtain payment. For example, we may send a health plan information needed to process a claim.

Health care operations. We may use or disclose PHI to operate the Practice, including quality review, compliance, credentialing, licensing, scheduling, information technology, billing, and other administrative activities. For example, authorized personnel or vendors may use information needed to maintain records or support billing. Vendors handling PHI must meet applicable legal requirements. We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may interest you.

Other permitted or required disclosures. Subject to applicable limits, we may use or disclose PHI for public health and safety, abuse or neglect reporting, health oversight, legally authorized research, workers’ compensation, coroners, medical examiners, funeral directors, organ and tissue donation, specialized government functions, legally sufficient judicial or administrative process, permitted law-enforcement purposes, serious threats to health or safety, and other uses or disclosures permitted or required by law. A request for information does not by itself authorize disclosure.

CALIFORNIA MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION, MINORS, AND REPRESENTATIVES

California law may provide additional protection for mental health information, and we follow those protections when they are more restrictive. Access to mental health records may be limited or handled through special procedures when permitted by law. Parents, guardians, conservators, agents, and other representatives receive access only to the extent their legal authority permits; they do not automatically receive all information about a minor.

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RECORDS (42 CFR PART 2)

If the Practice creates, receives, or maintains records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, additional federal protections apply. Such records may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you unless applicable Part 2 requirements are satisfied, including any required consent, court order, subpoena, or other legal process. This Notice is not itself a Part 2 consent or authorization.

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY

The Practice may use a secure patient portal and other legally permitted communication methods. Email, text, voicemail, telehealth, and other technologies may carry privacy or technical risks. We use safeguards required by law, but no technology can be guaranteed risk-free. You may request reasonable confidential-communication alternatives.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

We are required by law to protect PHI, follow the Notice currently in effect, provide and make this Notice available as required, and notify affected individuals of a reportable breach of unsecured PHI as required by law. We will use or disclose PHI only as permitted by this Notice, your authorization, or applicable law.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We may change this Notice and apply revised terms to information we already maintain and information received later, as permitted by law. The current Notice will state its effective date and be available on request and through the Practice website or office as applicable.

QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

For questions, requests, or complaints, contact the Privacy Officer, Chien Shien Yang, MD, at (415) 655-0952 or [email protected]. Written requests may also be submitted through the secure patient portal when available.

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at 1-877-696-6775 or https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html. The Practice will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.