Privacy and communication policies

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

PLEASE REVIEW CAREFULLY

This notice of Privacy Practices is NOT an authorization. This notice of Privacy Practices

describes how we, our Business Associates and their subcontractors, may use and disclose your

protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations

(TPO) and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights

to access and control your protected health information. “Protected Health Information” is

information about you, including demographic information, that may identify you and that

relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health condition and related health care

services.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION

Your protected health information may be used and disclosed by your physician, our office staff

and others outside of our office that are involved in your care and treatment for the purpose of

providing health care services to you, to pay your health care bills, to support the operation of the

physician’s practice, and any other use required by law.

Treatment: We will use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or

manage your health care and any related services. This includes the coordination or management

of your health care with a third party. For example, your protected health information may be

provided to a physician to whom you have been referred to ensure that the physician has the

necessary information to diagnose or treat you.

Payment: Your protected health information will be used, as needed, to obtain payment for your

health care services. For example, obtaining approval for a hospital stay may require that your

relevant protected health information be disclosed to the health plan to obtain approval for the

hospital admission.

Healthcare Operations: We may use or disclose, as needed, your protected health information in

order to support the business activities of your physician’s practice. These activities include, but

are not limited to, quality assessment, employee review, training of medical professionals/allied

health students, licensing, fundraising, and conducting or arranging for other business activities.

For example, we may disclose your protected health information to medical school students that

see patients at our office. In addition, we may use a sign-in sheet at the registration desk where

you will be asked to sign your name and indicate your physician. We may also call you by name

in the waiting room when your physician is ready to see you. We may use or disclose your

protected health information, as necessary, to contact you to remind you of your appointment,

and inform you about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may

be of interest to you. If we use or disclose your protected health information for fundraising

activities, we will provide you the choice to opt out of those activities. You may also choose to

opt back in.

We may use or disclose your protected health information in the following situations without

your authorization. These situations include: as required by law, public health issues as required

by law, communicable diseases, health oversight, abuse or neglect, food and drug administration

requirements, legal proceedings, law enforcement, coroners, funeral directors, organ donation,

research, criminal activity, military activity and national security, workers’ compensation,

inmates, and other required uses and disclosures. Under the law, we must make disclosures to

you upon your request. Under the law, we must also disclose your protected health information

when required by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate

or determine our compliance with the requirements under Section 164.500.

USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION

Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures will be made only with your consent,

authorization or opportunity to object unless required by law. Without your authorization, we are

expressly prohibited to use or disclose your protected health information for marketing purposes.

We may not sell your protected health information without your authorization. We may not use

or disclose most psychotherapy notes contained in your protected health information. We will

not use or disclose any of your protected health information that contains genetic information

that will be used for underwriting purposes. You may revoke the authorization, at any time, in

writing, except to the extent that your physician’s practice has taken an action in reliance on the

use or disclosure indicated in the authorization.

YOUR RIGHTS

The following are statements of your rights with respect to your protected health information.

You have the right to inspect and copy your protected health information.

Pursuant to your written request, you have the right to inspect or copy your protected health

information whether in paper or electronic format. Under federal law, however, you may not

inspect or copy the following records: Psychotherapy notes, information compiled in reasonable

anticipation of, or used in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding, protected

health information restricted by law, information that is related to medical research in which you

have agreed to participate, information whose disclosure may result in harm or injury to you or

to another person, or information that was obtained under a promise of confidentiality.

You have the right to request a restriction of your protected health information – This means you

may ask us not to use or disclose any part of your protected health information for the purposes

of treatment, payment or healthcare operations. You may also request that any part of your

protected health information not be disclosed to family members or friends who may be involved

in your care or for notification purposes as described in this Notice of Privacy Practices. Your

request must state the specific restriction except if you request that the physician not disclose

protected health information to your health plan with respect to healthcare for which you have

paid in full out of pocket.

You have the right to request to receive confidential communications – You have the right to

request confidential communication from us by alternative means or at an alternative location.

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us, upon request, even if you have

agreed to accept this notice alternatively i.e. electronically.

You have the right to request an amendment to your protected health information – If we deny

your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with us and

we may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy of any such

rebuttal.

You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures – You have the right to receive

an accounting of disclosures, paper or electronic, except for disclosures: pursuant to an

authorization, for purposes of treatment, payment, healthcare operations; required by law, that

occurred prior to April 14, 2003, or six years prior to the date of the request.

You have the right to receive notice of a breach – We will notify you if your unsecured protected

health information has been breached.

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice from us even if you have agreed to

receive the notice electronically. We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice. The new

notice will be available on display in our office. We will also make available copies of our new

notice if you wish to obtain one.

COMPLAINTS

You may complain to us or to the Secretary of Health and Human Services if you believe your

privacy rights have been violated by us. You may file a complaint with us by notifying our

Compliance Officer of your complaint. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint

HIPAA COMPLIANCE OFFICER - 760-783-5502; info@coastalpacificdermatology.com

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of, and provide individuals with, this notice of

our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. We are also

required to abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect. If you have any questions in

reference to this form, please ask to speak with our HIPAA Compliance Officer in person or by

Phone.

SMS Policy

By providing your mobile phone number and opting in to receive text messages from Coastal Pacific Dermatology, you agree to receive SMS communications related to your care. These messages may include appointment reminders, appointment scheduling or rescheduling, and responses to patient questions or other healthcare-related communications.

You may opt out of receiving text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message. For assistance, reply HELP or contact Coastal Pacific Dermatology directly.

Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary depending on your interactions with our practice and your healthcare needs.

Your consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of receiving medical care. Coastal Pacific Dermatology is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in accordance with applicable laws and our Privacy Policy. Please note that no mobile opt-in data will be shared with third parties or affiliate

Email Security

RISKS OF USING EMAIL

Coastal Pacific Dermatology Inc. offers patients the opportunity to communicate by email. However, before patients elect to communicate with Coastal Pacific Dermatology Inc via email, patients should consider the risks involved in transmitting patient information by email. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Email can be circulated, forwarded, and stored in numerous paper and electronic files. Email can be immediately broadcast worldwide and be received by many intended and unintended recipients.

  • Email senders can easily misaddress an email.

  • Email is easier to falsify than handwritten or signed documents.

  • Backup copies of email may exist even after the sender or recipient has deleted his or her copy.

  • Employers and on-line services have a right to archive and inspect emails transmitted through their systems.

  • Email can be intercepted, altered, forwarded, or used without authorization or detection.

  • Email can be used to introduce viruses into computer systems.

  • Email can be used as evidence in court.

COASTAL PACIFIC DERMATOLOGY SECURITY MEASURES

  1. Paubox encryption: HIPAA compliant and HITRUST CSF certified email

  2. Google Workspace: HIPAA compliant platform with Business Associates Agreement

CONDITIONS FOR THE USE OF EMAIL

Coastal Pacific Dermatology (CPD) will use reasonable means to protect the security and confidentiality of email information sent and received. However, because of the risks outlined above, we cannot guarantee the security and confidentiality of email communication, and will not be liable for improper disclosure of confidential information that is not caused by our intentional misconduct. Thus, patients must consent to the use of email for patient information, including agreement with the following conditions:

  1. CPD may forward emails internally to CPD staff and agents as necessary for diagnosis, treatment, reimbursement, and other handling. CPD will not, however, forward emails to independent third parties without the patient’s prior written consent, except as authorized or required by law.

  2. The patient is responsible for informing CPD of any types of information the patient does not want to be sent by email.

  3. The patient is responsible for protecting his/her password or other means of access to email. CPD is not liable for breaches of confidentiality caused by the patient or any third party.

  4. CPD shall not engage in email communication that is unlawful, such as unlawfully practicing medicine across state lines.

  5. It is the patient’s responsibility to follow up and/or schedule an appointment if warranted.

INSTRUCTIONS

To communicate by email, the patient shall:

  1. Limit or avoid use of his/her employer’s computer or any publicly accessible computer.

  2. Immediately inform CPD of changes to his/her email address.

  3. Take precautions to preserve the confidentiality of emails, such as using screen savers and safeguarding his/her computer password.