HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Prime Vitality Care, located in San Antonio, Texas, is committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as amended, and applicable Texas state law.

I. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

We may use and disclose your Protected Health Information for the following purposes:

• Treatment: We may use or disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services. This includes sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care, such as specialists, pharmacies, and laboratories.
• Payment: We may use or disclose your PHI to obtain payment for healthcare services, including billing your insurance company, processing claims, determining eligibility, and collecting outstanding balances.
• Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose your PHI for our operational activities, including quality assessment, staff training, compliance programs, audits, business planning, and customer service.
• Required by Law: We may disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including mandatory reporting obligations.
• Public Health Activities: We may disclose your PHI for public health purposes, such as reporting communicable diseases, adverse drug reactions, product recalls, and vital statistics.
• Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose your PHI to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, including audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure actions.
• Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: We may disclose your PHI in response to a court order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.
• Law Enforcement: We may disclose your PHI to law enforcement officials as required or permitted by law, including identifying or locating suspects, fugitives, or missing persons.
• Deceased Persons: We may disclose PHI to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors as necessary for them to carry out their duties.
• Research: Under certain circumstances, we may use or disclose your PHI for research purposes, subject to approval by an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board.
• Serious Threats to Health or Safety: We may use or disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
• Military and Veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces, we may disclose your PHI as required by military command authorities.
• Workers' Compensation: We may disclose your PHI as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws.
• Inmates: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose your PHI to the institution or its agents as necessary for your health and safety, the health and safety of others, or the administration and maintenance of safety of the institution.
• Emergency Situations: We may use or disclose your PHI in an emergency treatment situation when we are unable to obtain your authorization. We will attempt to obtain your authorization as soon as reasonably practicable after providing treatment.

II. When We May Not Use or Disclose Your Health Information

Except as described in this notice, we will not use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization. Uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke your authorization at any time by submitting a written request to our Privacy Officer. Revocation will not apply to information already disclosed in reliance on your prior authorization.

We are required to obtain your written authorization for: (a) most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes; (b) uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes; and (c) disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI.

III. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

• Right to Request Restrictions: You may request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to your request unless you request that we restrict disclosure to a health plan for services you paid for in full out of pocket.
• Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you about health matters using a particular method or at a certain location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI maintained in our records. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies. We must respond within 30 days of your request (one 30-day extension permitted).
• Right to Amend: You have the right to request that we amend your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request under certain circumstances but must provide a written explanation.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made. This accounting covers the six years prior to your request.
• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have previously agreed to receive it electronically.
• Right to Breach Notification: You have the right to be notified in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI. We will notify you without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days following discovery of the breach.

IV. Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this notice and to make the revised or changed notice effective for PHI we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. A copy of the current notice will be posted at our facility and on our website. You may also request a copy at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer.

V. How to File a HIPAA Privacy Complaint

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

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201
Toll-free: 1-877-696-6775 | Website: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints

VI. Privacy Officer Contact Information