We take your privacy and personal trust deeply seriously. Below is the standard, legally required federal outline explaining how health data is managed in our practice. If you have any questions at all about how your information is protected, please don't hesitate to ask us directly.
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.
You have the right to:
Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
Correct your paper or electronic medical record
Request confidential communication
Ask us to limit the information we share
Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared your information
Get a copy of this privacy notice
Choose someone to act for you
File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:
Tell family and friends about your condition
Provide disaster relief
Provide mental health care
Market our services and sell your information
Raise funds
We may use and share your information as we:
Treat you
Run our organization
Bill for your services
Help with public health and safety issues
Comply with the law
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
To the extent that we have your substance use disorder patient records, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we will not share that information for investigations or legal proceedings against you without (1) your written consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena.
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.
You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.
We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home, office, or cell phone) or to send mail to a different address.
We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.
You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no,” for example, if it could affect your care. If we agree to your request, we may still share this information in the event that you need emergency treatment.
If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.
You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.
We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provide one accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.
If someone has authority to act as your personal representative, such as if someone has your medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any action.
You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us.
You can file a complaint with us by contacting Saul Alvarez, saul@nyacu.com, 631-969-6422.
You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.
In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:
Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care
Share information in a disaster relief situation
If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
In these cases we never share your information unless you give us written permission:
Marketing purposes
Sale of your information
Most sharing of psychotherapy notes
In the case of fundraising:
We do not engage in fundraising efforts and will not contact you for this purpose.
If we have your substance use disorder patient records, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we will give you clear and obvious notice in advance and a choice about whether to receive fundraising communications that use your Part 2 information.
We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.
Treat you
We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.
Our practice example: We use and document your health information to create a safe, effective acupuncture and massage therapy treatment plan. For instance, your licensed acupuncturist or licensed massage therapist will review your intake notes regarding chronic lower back pain to select specific acupuncture points, meridian channels, or soft-tissue techniques. If necessary, we may share this information with your primary care physician to safely coordinate your integrative care plan.
Run our organization
We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary.
Our practice example: We may use your health history and treatment charts to review the quality of our acupuncture treatments, evaluate clinical outcomes, or train authorized staff members in our Lake Grove facility to maintain our high standard of holistic care.
Bill for your services
We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.
Our practice example: If you intend to use health insurance or request a Superbill, we use and disclose your treatment charts, specific diagnostic codes (ICD-10), and acupuncture procedural codes (CPT) to verify your coverage, file medical claims, or obtain reimbursement from your insurance provider.
We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes.
In all cases, including those listed below, if we have substance use disorder patient records about you, subject to 42 CFR part 2, we cannot use or share information in those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without (1) your consent or (2) a court order and a subpoena.
Help with public health and safety issues
We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:
Preventing disease
Helping with product recalls
Reporting adverse reactions to medications
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
Comply with the law
We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests
We can use or share health information about you:
For workers’ compensation claims
For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official
With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services
Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
We will not use or share your information other than as described in this notice unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
A digital copy of this notice is permanently hosted right here on our website for your convenience. You can also request a printed paper copy at our Lake Grove office at any time.
For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.
We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
Privacy Officer Contact:
For any questions or privacy concerns regarding our Acupuncture or Massage Therapy practices, please contact:
Saul Alvarez, L.Ac., LMT, Practice Owner
Phone: [Your Business Phone]
Email: saul@nyacu.com
Website: nyacu.com
Special Note on Privacy & Marketing
We believe in treating our patients like humans, not data points. We will never sell, rent, lease, or market your personal health information, phone number, email, or intake notes to any third-party marketing companies, track you across the web, or use your data for commercial profit. Your story stays safe with us.
Accessing Your Digital Health Record
Our practice utilizes Carepatron, a secure, HIPAA-compliant digital health platform, to manage your appointments, intake paperwork, and treatment records. If you wish to view, update, download, or request copies of your health records at any time, please contact us directly via text or email, and we will securely share access to your files through our digital system.
New York State Compliance Addendum
In accordance with New York State Education Department professional regulations, all adult clinical patient records for acupuncture and massage therapy will be securely retained for a minimum of six years. For minor patients, records will be retained for at least six years and for at least one year after the minor reaches the age of 21.