Notice of privacy practices.

Your rights are protected

RareKare Primary Care is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI), to give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the new terms effective for all PHI we maintain.

How we may use and disclose your health information

For treatment

We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate and manage your care, including sharing information with other providers involved in your care. Example: sending a prescription to your pharmacy, or a lab order to LabCorp.

For payment

We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services, including providing itemized receipts and, once credentialed, submitting claims to your insurance plan.

For healthcare operations

We may use and disclose your health information to run our practice, including quality improvement, compliance activities, appointment scheduling and reminders, and business planning.

Other uses and disclosures permitted without your authorization

• Required by law: court orders, subpoenas and administrative requests
• Public health: reporting communicable diseases, adverse drug reactions, and suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence
• Health oversight: audits, investigations, inspections and licensing activities
• Law enforcement: limited disclosures in response to legal process or as otherwise permitted by law
• Coroners and medical examiners: for identification and cause-of-death purposes
• To avert a serious threat: when necessary to prevent serious harm to you, another person or the public
• Prescription monitoring: reporting to and checking the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program when prescribing controlled substances
• Workers' compensation: as authorized by workers' compensation laws

Uses requiring your written authorization

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your health information for purposes not described in this Notice. You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time; the revocation will not affect disclosures already made.

• Marketing: we do not use your health information for marketing without authorization
• Sale of information: we do not sell your health information
• Psychotherapy notes: most uses require authorization, where applicable
• Highly confidential information: under Texas law, mental health records, HIV-related information and genetic testing results may require specific authorization

Your rights regarding your health information

Right to access

You may inspect and obtain a copy of your health information. Submit a written request; we respond within 30 days (extendable by 30 days with written notice). Reasonable fees may apply for copies.

Right to request amendment

If you believe your information is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment in writing. We respond within 60 days. If we deny the request, you may submit a statement of disagreement for your record.

Right to an accounting of disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures made in the six years before your request, excluding disclosures for treatment, payment and operations and those made to you or with your authorization.

Right to request restrictions

You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your information. We are not required to agree, with one exception: if you pay in full out of pocket for a service and ask us not to disclose it to your health plan, we must honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.

Right to confidential communications

You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to breach notification

You have the right to be notified if a breach of your unsecured health information occurs.

Right to a paper copy of this Notice

You may request a paper copy at either office at any time.

How to exercise your rights

Submit a written request to either office. We may ask you to verify your identity before processing a request.

RareKare Primary Care Sugar Land
7616 Branford Place, Suite 220
Sugar Land, TX 77479
Phone: (713) 597-7689

RareKare Primary Care Cypress
21212 Northwest Fwy, Suite 205
Cypress, TX 77429
Phone: (713) 574-9646

Filing a complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a written complaint with either office, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints, phone 1-800-368-1019, TTY 1-800-537-7697. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Our responsibilities

• Maintain the privacy and security of your health information
• Provide this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
• Tell you if we cannot agree to a requested restriction
• Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
• Notify you of a breach of your unsecured health information
• Not use or disclose your information without authorization except as described here or required by law

Texas privacy protections

Under the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, mental health records, HIV-related information and genetic testing results receive additional protection and generally require your specific written authorization for disclosure.

Questions

If you have questions about this Notice or our privacy practices, contact either office. This Notice is available on our website and on request.