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NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES (HIPPA)

[THE REESE COLLECTIVE, 13000 S TRYON ST. F #213 CHARLOTTE, NC 28278]

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

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

I.  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.

II.   IT IS MY LEGAL DUTY TO SAFEGUARD YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI).

By law I am required to insure that your PHI is kept private.  The PHI constitutes information created or noted by me that can be used to identify you.  It contains data about your past, present, or future health or condition, the provision of health care services to you, or the payment for such health care.  I am required to provide you with this Notice about my privacy procedures. This Notice must explain when, why, and how I would use and/or disclose your PHI. Use of PHI means when I share, apply, utilize, examine, or analyze information within my practice; PHI is disclosed when I release, transfer, give, or otherwise reveal it to a third party outside my practice.

With some exceptions, I may not use or disclose more of your PHI than is necessary to

accomplish the purpose for which the use or disclosure is made; however, I am always legally required to follow the privacy practices described in this Notice.

Please note that I reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and my privacy policies at any time.  Any changes will apply to PHI already on file with me. Before I make any important changes to my policies, I will immediately change this Notice and post a new copy of it in my office.  You may also request a copy of this Notice from me.

III. HOW I WILL USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PHI.

I will use and disclose your PHI for many different reasons.  Some of the uses or disclosures will require your prior written authorization; others, however, will not. Below you will find the different categories of my uses and disclosures, with some examples.

A. Uses and Disclosures Related to Treatment, Payment, or Health Care

Operations Do Not Require Your Prior Written Consent. I may use and

disclose your PHI without your consent for the following reasons:

1. For treatment. I may disclose your PHI to physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other licensed health care providers who provide you with health care services or are otherwise involved in your care. Example: If a psychiatrist is treating you, I may disclose your PHI to her/him in order to coordinate your care.

2. For health care operations. I may disclose your PHI to facilitate the efficient and correct operation of my practice. Examples:  Quality control - I might use your PHI in the evaluation of the quality of health care services that you have received or to evaluate the performance of the health care professionals who provided you with these services.  I may also provide your PHI to my attorneys, accountants, consultants, and others to make sure that I am in compliance with applicable laws.

3. To obtain payment for treatment. I may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect

payment for the treatment and services I provided you. Example: I might send your PHI to your insurance company or health plan in order to get payment for the health care services that I have provided to you. I could also provide your PHI to business associates, such as billing companies, claims processing companies, and others that process health care claims for my office.

4. Other disclosures.   Examples: Your consent isn't required if you need emergency treatment

provided that I attempt to get your consent after treatment is rendered. In the event that I try to get your consent but you are unable to communicate with me (for example, if you are unconscious or in severe pain) but I think that you would consent to such treatment if you could, I may disclose your PHI.

B. Certain Other Uses and Disclosures Do Not Require Your Consent.

I may use and/or disclose your PHI without your consent or authorization for the following reasons:

1. When disclosure is required by federal, state, or local law; judicial, board, or

administrative proceedings; or, law enforcement. Example: I may make a disclosure to the appropriate officials when a law requires me to report information to government agencies, law enforcement personnel and/or in an administrative proceeding.

2. To avoid harm. I may provide PHI to law enforcement personnel or persons able to prevent or mitigate a serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.

3. If disclosure is compelled or permitted by the fact that you are in such mental or

emotional condition as to be dangerous to yourself or the person or property of others,

and if I determine that disclosure is necessary to prevent the threatened danger.

4. If disclosure is mandated by the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting law.  For example,

if I have a reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect or if I have a reasonable suspicion of elder abuse or dependent adult abuse.

5. If disclosure is compelled or permitted by the fact that you tell me of a

serious/imminent threat of physical violence by you against a reasonably identifiable

victim or victims.

6. For Workers' Compensation purposes. I may provide PHI in order to comply with

Workers' Compensation laws.

7. If disclosure is required or permitted to a health oversight agency for oversight

activities authorized by law.  Example: When compelled by U.S. Secretary of Health and

Human Services to investigate or assess my compliance with HIPAA regulations.

8. If disclosure is otherwise specifically required by law.

Psychotherapy Notes. I do keep “psychotherapy notes” and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is: a. For my use in treating you. b. For my use in training or supervising mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy. c. For my use in defending myself in legal proceedings instituted by you. d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate my compliance with HIPAA. e. Required by law and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law. f. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes. g. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law. h. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.

Psychotherapy notes, are the personal notes of a mental health care provider documenting or analyzing the contents of a counseling session, and are maintained separate from the rest of the patient’s medical record. See 45 CFR 164.524(a)(1)(i) and 164.501.

Marketing Purposes. As a psychotherapist, I will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes. My practice does use and maintain a CRM (Customer Relationships Management) system for organizing data, communication with you, and communication across the practice.

Sale of PHI. As a psychotherapist, I will not sell your PHI in the regular course of my business.

C. Certain Uses and Disclosures Require You to Have the Opportunity to Object. Disclosures to family, friends, or others. I may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other individual who you indicate is involved in your care or responsible for the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part.  Retroactive consent may be obtained in emergency situations.

D. Other Uses and Disclosures Require Your Prior Written Authorization.

In any other situation not described in Sections IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC above, I will request your written authorization before using or disclosing any of your PHI. Even if you have

signed an authorization to disclose your PHI, you may later revoke that authorization, in writing, to stop any future uses and disclosures (assuming that I haven't taken any action subsequent to the original authorization) of your PHI by me.

IV. WHAT RIGHTS YOU HAVE REGARDING YOUR PHI

These are your rights with respect to your PHI:

A. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI.  In general, you have the right to see your PHI that is in my possession, or to get copies of it; however, you must request it in writing. If I do not have your PHI, but I know who does, I will advise you how you can get it. You will receive a response from me within 30 days of my receiving your written request. Under certain circumstances, I may feel I must deny your request, but if I do, I will give you, in writing, the reasons for the denial.  I will also explain your right to have my denial reviewed.

If you ask for copies of your PHI, I will charge you not more than $.25 per page. I may see fit to provide you with a summary or explanation of the PHI, but only if you agree to it, as well as to

the cost, in advance.

B. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask that I limit how I use and disclose your PHI. While I will consider your request, I am not legally bound to agree. If I do agree to your request, I will put those limits in writing and abide by them except in emergency situations. You do not have the right to limit the uses and disclosures that I am legally required or permitted to make.

C. The Right to Choose How I Send Your PHI to You. It is your right to ask that your PHI be sent to you at an alternate address (for example, sending information to your work address rather than your home address) or by an alternate method (for example, via email instead of by regular mail). I am obliged to agree to your request providing that I can give you the PHI, in the format you requested, without undue inconvenience.

D. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures I Have Made. You are entitled to a list of disclosures of your PHI that I have made. The list will not include uses or disclosures to which you have already consented, i.e., those for treatment, payment, or health care operations, sent directly to you, or to your family; neither will the list include disclosures made for national security purposes, to corrections or law enforcement personnel, or disclosures made before April 15, 2003.  After April 15, 2003, disclosure records will be held for six years.

I will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list I give you will include disclosures made in the previous six years (the first six year period being 2003-2009) unless you indicate a shorter period. The list will include the date of the disclosure, to whom PHI was disclosed (including their address, if known), a description of the information disclosed, and the reason for the disclosure. I will provide the list to you at no cost, unless you make more than one request in the same year, in which case I will charge you a reasonable sum based on a set fee for each additional request.

E. The Right to Amend Your PHI. If you believe that there is some error in your PHI or that important information has been omitted, it is your right to request that I correct the existing information or add the missing information. Your request and the reason for the request must be made in writing. You will receive a response within 60 days of my receipt of your request. I may deny your request, in writing, if I find that: the PHI is (a) correct and complete, (b) forbidden to be disclosed, (c) not part of my records, or (d) written by someone other than me. My denial must be in writing and must state the reasons for the denial. It must also explain your right to file a written statement objecting to the denial. If you do not file a written objection, you still have the right to ask that your request and my denial be attached to any future disclosures of your PHI. If I approve your request, I will make the change(s) to your PHI. Additionally, I will tell you that the changes have been made, and I will advise all others who need to know about the change(s) to your PHI.

F. The Right to Get This Notice by Email- You have the right to get this notice by email or request a paper copy.

V. HOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY PRIVACY PRACTICES

If, in your opinion, I may have violated your privacy rights, or if you object to a decision I made about access to your PHI, you are entitled to file a complaint with the person listed in Section VI below. You may also send a written complaint to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services at 200 Independence Avenue S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201. If you file a complaint about my privacy practices, I will take no retaliatory action against you.

VI. PERSON TO CONTACT FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS NOTICE

OR TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY PRIVACY PRACTICES

If you have any questions about this notice or any complaints about my privacy practices, or would like to know how to file a complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, please contact me at 704-426-3419.

VII. EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE -

This notice went into effect on September 1, 2014.

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Privacy Notice

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. By checking the box below, you are acknowledging that you have received a copy of HIPPA Notice of Privacy Practices.

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