Notice of Privacy Practices

Read this notice carefully

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. This notice applies to protected health information (PHI) maintained by AnchorPoint Medical of the Ozarks, LLC in connection with its health care services. It describes our HIPAA duties and your rights. Other federal or Missouri laws may afford additional protection, including for certain mental health, substance use disorder, HIV-related, and other sensitive information.

Your rights: access and a copy of your records

You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical records and other PHI we maintain about you, subject to lawful exceptions. We generally respond within 30 days and may charge only a fee permitted by law. Ask the practice how to submit a request or use available patient portal functions.

Your rights: correct information

You may request an amendment if you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request as permitted by law but will explain the reason in writing, generally within 60 days, and explain available follow-up options.

Your rights: confidential contact and restrictions

You may request that we contact you using a specific method or at a different address. We will accommodate reasonable requests. You may ask us to restrict uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations; we generally need not agree. If you pay in full out of pocket for an item or service, you may request that we not disclose information about it to a health plan for payment or operations, and we will honor that restriction unless disclosure is required by law.

Your rights: accounting, notice, and representation

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI during the prior six years, subject to lawful exclusions. One accounting in a 12-month period is generally free; a reasonable permitted fee may apply for additional requests. You may request a paper copy of this notice even if you agreed to electronic delivery. A legally authorized personal representative may act for you after we verify that authority under applicable law.

Your rights: complaints without retaliation

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact our privacy contact listed below. You may also submit a complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/ or by contacting HHS at 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201. We will not retaliate against you for submitting a complaint.

Your choices about sharing

Where applicable, you may tell us your preferences about sharing information with family, friends, or people involved in your care or payment. If you cannot express a preference, we may share limited information when legally allowed and when we believe it is in your best interest. We may disclose information to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat when permitted by law. We obtain written authorization for uses or disclosures requiring authorization, including most marketing, sale of PHI, and most uses of psychotherapy notes. You may revoke an authorization in writing, except to the extent we already relied on it.

How we routinely use or disclose PHI

Treatment: we may use or disclose PHI to provide care and coordinate with other treating professionals, pharmacies, laboratories, and referral partners. Payment: we may use or disclose PHI to collect payment and process authorized billing or insurance transactions. Health care operations: we may use or disclose PHI for quality improvement, clinical supervision, credentialing, audits, business administration, and related activities. We use or disclose only the information allowed for the purpose under applicable law.

Other permitted or required disclosures

Depending on the circumstances and legal requirements, we may use or disclose PHI for public health reporting, safety concerns, health oversight, certain research, legally required reporting, organ and tissue donation, coroners and medical examiners, workers’ compensation, specified governmental functions, law enforcement, or judicial and administrative proceedings. Applicable conditions, authorization rules, and any more protective law must be satisfied before disclosure.

Behavioral health, psychotherapy notes, and sensitive records

Mental health information is protected as PHI and may also be subject to additional confidentiality laws. Separately maintained psychotherapy notes have special authorization protections, with limited legal exceptions. Not every mental health progress note is a psychotherapy note under HIPAA. We comply with applicable additional protections for sensitive records and will not treat a general authorization as sufficient when a more specific authorization is required.

Substance use disorder records and 42 CFR Part 2

Certain substance use disorder (SUD) patient records may be protected by 42 CFR Part 2. When AnchorPoint creates, receives, or maintains Part 2 records, we apply applicable additional restrictions. A valid written consent may allow specified uses and disclosures, including consent for future treatment, payment, and health care operations when permitted under Part 2. Part 2 records cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against a patient without the patient’s specific written consent or a qualifying court order and subpoena or other legal process meeting Part 2 requirements. A separate written consent may be required for SUD counseling notes. A patient may revoke consent as allowed by law. If fundraising based on Part 2 records is proposed, affected patients receive the required clear advance notice and an opportunity to opt out.

Information received through a Part 2 record

When information subject to 42 CFR Part 2 is received by or maintained by the practice, additional restrictions may continue to apply even when other elements of the record can be used for routine treatment, payment, or operations. We will follow the most protective applicable requirements and will provide any notices, consents, and segregation or disclosure limitations required by law.

Fundraising, marketing, and sale of information

We do not sell patient PHI. We do not currently plan to use PHI for fundraising. If those practices change, we will provide any notice, opportunity to opt out, or authorization required by law, including special rules applicable to Part 2 records. Marketing uses or disclosures requiring authorization will not occur without an appropriate authorization.

Our responsibilities

We are required to maintain the privacy and security of PHI, comply with the privacy practices described in this notice, and provide a copy upon request. We will notify affected persons following a breach of unsecured PHI when required by law. We will not use or disclose PHI in ways not described here unless permitted or required by law or you authorize the disclosure in writing. We may change the terms of this notice and apply the revised notice to information we already maintain; updated versions will be made available upon request and posted on our website.

Additional Missouri and other legal safeguards

We will comply with more restrictive confidentiality, disclosure, consent, or record-access rules imposed by applicable federal or Missouri law. Specific protections can depend on the type of information, patient’s age, services, and circumstances of disclosure.

Privacy contact

To exercise privacy rights, request this notice, or ask questions, contact the AnchorPoint Privacy Officer, Dr. Jared M. Seavey, DNP, APRN, at [email protected]. Phone: 573-217-6804. Mailing address: 1600 W Maud Street, Poplar Bluff, MO 63901. Website: https://AnchorPointMed.org.