Privacy Policy

Notice of Privacy Practices

I. Purpose of This Notice

PCG is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your health information. This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) explains how we use, disclose, and protect your Protected Health Information (“PHI”) as required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (“HITECH”) Act, and other applicable laws. This Notice also describes your rights and our legal duties regarding your PHI.

II. Who Will Follow This Notice

This Notice applies to all employees, staff, volunteers, contractors, and other personnel at PCG who may have access to your PHI. This includes:

  • Healthcare professionals authorized to enter information into your medical record.
  • All departments and units of [Entity Name].
  • All employees, staff, and other personnel of [Entity Name].
  • Any business associates or third-party service providers working with us, who are also required to comply with HIPAA.

III. Our Legal Duties We are required by law to:

  • Ensure the privacy and security of your PHI.
  • Provide you with this Notice outlining our legal duties and privacy practices concerning your PHI.
  • Abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
  • Notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
  • Follow federal and state laws that provide greater privacy protections than those described in this Notice.

IV. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

We may use and disclose your PHI for various purposes without your authorization. Below are the most common uses and disclosures:

A. Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations

  1. For Treatment: We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and any related services. This includes the coordination of care with other healthcare providers, the disclosure of information to doctors, nurses, and other personnel involved in your care, and the sharing of information with family members or others involved in your care, unless you object.
  2. For Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for the healthcare services we provide to you. This includes billing, claims management, and collection activities. We may also disclose your PHI to other entities involved in your care, such as insurance companies or other healthcare providers, for payment purposes.
  3. For Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI for our healthcare operations, which include activities necessary to maintain our healthcare services, ensure quality care, conduct training and education programs, manage our business operations, and perform necessary administrative functions.

B. Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures

We may also use and disclose your PHI in the following circumstances without your authorization:

  1. As Required by Law: We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
  2. Public Health Activities: We may disclose your PHI for public health activities, such as reporting diseases, injuries, or vital events, and reporting adverse reactions to medications or problems with products.
  3. Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose your PHI to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure actions.
  4. Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: We may disclose your PHI in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, subject to certain conditions.
  5. Law Enforcement: We may disclose your PHI to law enforcement officials under certain circumstances, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, or other legal process, or to report a crime on our premises.
  6. Research: We may use and disclose your PHI for research purposes, provided that the research has been approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or a Privacy Board and meets the requirements of applicable law.
  7. Organ and Tissue Donation: If you are an organ donor, we may use or disclose your PHI to facilitate organ or tissue donation and transplantation.
  8. Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: We may disclose your PHI to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.
  9. Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose your PHI as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws or other similar programs that provide benefits for work-related injuries or illnesses.
  10. Military and Veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may disclose your PHI as required by military command authorities. We may also disclose your PHI to the Department of Veterans Affairs if necessary to determine your eligibility for benefits.
  11. National Security and Intelligence Activities: We may disclose your PHI to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities as authorized by law.
  12. Inmates: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may disclose your PHI to the institution or official for the provision of healthcare or the safety and security of the institution.
  13. Breach Notification Purposes: We may use or disclose your PHI to provide legally required notices of unauthorized access to or disclosure of your health information.

C. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization

In most cases, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes other than those described above. The following uses and disclosures require your written authorization:

  1. Marketing Activities: We will not use your PHI for marketing purposes without your written authorization unless the communication is in the form of a face-to-face conversation or involves a promotional gift of nominal value.
  2. Sale of PHI: We will not sell your PHI without your written authorization. If you authorize us to sell your PHI, your authorization must state that the disclosure will result in remuneration to PCG.

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

V. Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information

You have the following rights regarding your PHI:

  1. Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI maintained by us, with certain exceptions. This right includes the right to request an electronic copy of your records if we maintain them electronically. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies.
  2. Right to Amend: If you believe that your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment to your PHI. We may deny your request if we believe the information is accurate and complete or if the information was not created by us.
  3. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by us during a specified period, not exceeding six years prior to the date of your request. The accounting will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or other disclosures exempted by law.
  4. Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request restrictions on the use or disclosure of your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except if the restriction is on a disclosure to a health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes, and the PHI relates to a service for which you have paid out-of-pocket in full.
  5. Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information in a certain way or at a certain location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
  6. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice upon request, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically.
  7. Right to Be Notified of a Breach: You have the right to be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI, as defined by HIPAA.
  8. Right to Opt-Out of Fundraising Communications: You have the right to opt-out of receiving fundraising communications from us. We will provide you with a clear and conspicuous opportunity to opt-out of receiving any future communications.

VI. Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. Any changes to this Notice will apply to all PHI that we maintain, including PHI created or received before the effective date of the revised Notice. We will post the revised Notice in our facilities and make it available upon request.

VII. Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with PCG or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

To file a complaint with PCG, contact:

Brett Weaver, DC

Portland Chiropractic Group

5416 N Portland Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73112

405-724-8980

contact@pcgokc.com

To file a complaint with HHS, contact:

Centralized Case Management Operations

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Room 509F HHH Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20201

1-877-696-6775

OCRComplaint@hhs.gov