Notice of Privacy Practices
YOUR INFORMATION. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
This Notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can obtain access to this information, and your rights regarding your health information. Please review it carefully.
Alchemy Art of Healing is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information. This Notice applies to protected health information maintained by Dr. Amanda Tully Naturopathic PC d/b/a Alchemy Art of Healing.
YOUR RIGHTS
Get a Copy of Your Medical Record
You may request to inspect or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you. We will provide access or a copy as required by applicable law. A reasonable cost-based fee may be charged when permitted by law.
Ask Us to Correct Your Medical Record
You may ask us to correct health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny a request in certain circumstances permitted by law, but we will explain the reason when required.
Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to contact you in a particular manner or at a particular location. For example, you may request that we contact you using a particular telephone number or mailing address. We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share
You may request that we limit certain uses or disclosures of your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to every requested restriction. If you pay for a healthcare item or service entirely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information concerning that item or service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We will honor the request when required by law unless disclosure is otherwise required.
Obtain an Accounting of Certain Disclosures
You may ask for a list, sometimes called an accounting of disclosures, describing certain disclosures of your health information. The accounting may cover disclosures during the period provided by applicable law. Certain disclosures are not required to be included, including many disclosures for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or disclosures you specifically authorized.
Obtain a Copy of This Notice
You may ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically. The current Notice is also intended to be available through our website.
Choose Someone to Act for You
If another individual has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a healthcare power of attorney or legal guardian, that person may exercise applicable privacy rights on your behalf. We may verify the individual's authority before taking action.
File a Privacy Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint directly with Alchemy Art of Healing. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising your privacy rights.
YOUR CHOICES
Your Preferences
For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences regarding what information we share. For example, when permitted by law, you may tell us whether we may share relevant information with family members, close friends, caregivers, other persons involved in your care or payment for your care, or organizations providing disaster-relief services. If you are unable to tell us your preference, such as during an emergency, we may share information when permitted by law if we believe doing so is in your best interest. We may also share information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety when permitted by law.
Marketing and Sale of Health Information
Alchemy Art of Healing will not use or disclose your protected health information for marketing when your written authorization is legally required unless you have provided that authorization. We will not sell your protected health information where authorization is required by law.
Public Website Email Subscription
Alchemy Art of Healing also operates a voluntary public website email subscription list for people who choose to receive general practice news, events, educational information, services, and updates. The public subscription list is separate from your medical record. Signing up is voluntary and is not a condition of receiving treatment. We will not use protected health information from your medical record to enroll you in the public subscription list without appropriate permission. Subscribers may unsubscribe from general subscription emails at any time. Patient communications relating to treatment, appointments, payment, test results, or other healthcare operations are separate from general website subscription communications.
HOW WE TYPICALLY USE OR SHARE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Treatment
We may use your health information and share it with healthcare professionals involved in your treatment as permitted by law. For example, information may be shared with another healthcare professional involved in evaluating or treating you.
Healthcare Operations
We may use and share your health information to operate our practice, coordinate care, manage services, improve quality, conduct administrative activities, and contact you when necessary in connection with your care.
Payment
We may use or share information as necessary to bill for or receive payment for healthcare services. Even though Alchemy Art of Healing is not in network with insurance providers, payment-related information may still be used for purposes associated with patient billing, payment processing, receipts, reimbursement documentation, or other lawful payment activities.
Appointment and Care Communications
We may use the contact information you provide to communicate with you concerning appointments, scheduling, treatment, follow-up care, laboratory information, patient statements, payment, and other matters related to your healthcare. Communications may occur through methods you have provided or authorized, subject to applicable law and practice procedures.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES PERMITTED OR REQUIRED BY LAW
Public Health and Safety
We may disclose information for lawful public-health activities such as preventing or controlling disease, reporting certain adverse events, reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence where authorized or required, and preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety.
Health Oversight
Information may be disclosed to authorized health-oversight agencies for activities permitted by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, or professional oversight.
Legal and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose information in response to lawful judicial or administrative proceedings when the requirements for disclosure have been satisfied.
Law Enforcement
Health information may be disclosed for certain lawful law-enforcement purposes where permitted or required by law.
Workers' Compensation
We may disclose health information to the extent permitted or required by workers' compensation or similar laws.
Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors
We may disclose health information to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors when authorized by law.
Organ and Tissue Donation
Where applicable and permitted, health information may be shared with organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation.
Research
Health information may be used or disclosed for research when applicable legal and privacy requirements have been satisfied.
Government Functions
Certain information may be disclosed for specialized government functions when permitted by law.
Required by Law
We will disclose health information when a federal, state, or local law requires us to do so.
INFORMATION RECEIVING ADDITIONAL LEGAL PROTECTION
Additional Protections
Some categories of health information may receive protections beyond the general HIPAA requirements under federal or California law. When a law provides greater privacy protection or requires additional consent or authorization, Alchemy Art of Healing will follow the applicable requirement. This may include certain specially protected health records when applicable.
Substance Use Disorder Records
Certain substance use disorder patient records may receive additional confidentiality protection under federal law. If Alchemy Art of Healing maintains records protected by federal substance-use-disorder confidentiality requirements, those records will receive the protections required by applicable law. Protected substance-use-disorder records generally cannot be used against a patient in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings unless the patient's written consent or other legally sufficient authorization, court order, or legal process required by applicable law has been obtained.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Our Responsibilities
Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information as required by law.
Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
Follow the privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect.
Provide a copy of this Notice when required.
Notify affected individuals following a breach when notification is required by law.
Obtain written authorization before using or disclosing health information when authorization is legally required.
Authorizations
We will not use or disclose your health information in a manner not described in this Notice unless you authorize us to do so or another legal basis permits or requires the use or disclosure. If you provide written authorization, you may generally revoke that authorization in writing at any time. A revocation does not affect uses or disclosures that occurred before we received the revocation or actions already taken in reliance on the authorization.
Electronic Systems and OptiMantra
Alchemy Art of Healing may use electronic systems, including OptiMantra and other service providers, in connection with scheduling, patient records, treatment, healthcare operations, communications, and payment. When such providers handle protected health information on our behalf, their handling of that information is subject to applicable privacy and security requirements and contractual obligations where required.
Changes to This Notice
We may change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices as permitted by law. Changes may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information created or received after a revised Notice takes effect. The current Notice will be made available upon request and posted or made available through our website as required.