Notice of Privacy Practices

Your rights

You may contact our privacy contact below to exercise these rights. We may ask for a written request and verify your identity or the authority of someone acting for you.

• Get your records: Ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you. We will respond within the time required by law and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee where permitted.
• Request a correction: Ask us to amend information you believe is wrong or incomplete. If we deny your request, we will explain why in writing.
• Request confidential communications: Ask us to contact you by a particular method or at a different address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Request limits: Ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We do not have to agree to every request. If you pay for a service or item completely out of pocket and ask us not to disclose it to your health plan for payment or health care operations, we will agree unless disclosure is required by law.
• Get an accounting: Request a list of certain disclosures of your information for the six years before your request, subject to legal exclusions. One accounting in a 12-month period is free; a reasonable, cost-based fee may apply for another.
• Get a paper notice: Ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you receive it electronically.
• Choose a representative: A person with legal authority to act for you may exercise your rights. We will verify that authority before acting.
• File a complaint: Contact us below, or file with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint or 1-877-696-6775. We will not retaliate against you.

Your choices and authorizations

Tell us your preferences about sharing information with family, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment, or in a disaster relief situation. If you cannot tell us, we may share information when permitted by law and when we believe it is in your best interest.

We will obtain written authorization when required for marketing, a sale of your health information, and most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes. Other uses or disclosures not described here or otherwise allowed by law also require authorization. You may revoke an authorization in writing, except to the extent we have already relied on it. PrimeMD does not conduct fundraising using patient information.

How we may use and share health information

We may use and share your information as allowed by federal and California law to:

• Treat you: Provide or coordinate your care, including sharing with other clinicians, laboratories, pharmacies, and professionals involved in treatment.
• Run our practice: Manage quality, training, audits, administration, and communications about your care.
• Bill for services: Bill you, your health plan, or another payer and manage claims and payment.

Law may also permit or require information to be shared for public health and safety, reports of abuse or neglect, health oversight, approved research, workers’ compensation, organ donation, a medical examiner or funeral director, certain law enforcement or government requests, or a court order, subpoena, or other legal process. These disclosures have legal conditions and limits.

Some records, including psychotherapy notes, certain HIV-related information, and records for services to which a minor may legally consent, may have additional protections under California or federal law. A parent or guardian accompanying a minor does not remove those protections. We apply the rule that governs the particular record and request.

If we receive substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, those records cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent or a qualifying court order and subpoena or similar legal mandate. Other Part 2 rules may apply. PrimeMD does not operate a federally assisted Part 2 substance-use treatment program.

Our responsibilities

We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of protected health information, follow the practices in this notice, provide a copy on request, and notify affected individuals of a breach when required by law. We will not use or share information outside the practices described here unless law permits it or you authorize it in writing.

We may change this notice. A revised notice will be available on request, at our office, and on our website. The effective date above identifies when this version takes effect.

Privacy contact

PrimeMD Clinics front office handles privacy questions, rights requests, and complaints and routes them to the appropriate practice personnel. Please do not include medical records or sensitive details in a general email; call us for a secure way to send them.

Phone: 916.259.1117
Email: billing@primemdclinics.com