Notice of Privacy Practices

About This Notice

Glowtology MD (“we,” “our,” or “the Practice”) is required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and applicable state law to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”), to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

This Notice applies to all PHI created or maintained by the Practice. It is separate from any privacy policy that governs the use of this website; see our Website Privacy Policy for information about how this site collects and handles online data.

How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI Without Your Authorization

The following categories describe the ways we may use and disclose your PHI without obtaining your written authorization. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed, but every permitted use or disclosure will fall within one of these categories.

Treatment

We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your medical and aesthetic care. This includes sharing your PHI with physicians, nurses, estheticians, laboratories, pharmacies, or other healthcare providers involved in your treatment at or outside of our Practice.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and obtain payment for the services we provide. This may include contacting your insurance carrier or third-party financing provider, verifying coverage, or sharing information necessary to process payment.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI to operate the Practice — for example, to assess quality of care, train staff, evaluate practitioner performance, conduct internal audits, or carry out other administrative activities necessary to run the Practice.

Appointment Reminders, Treatment Alternatives, and Health-Related Benefits

We may contact you by phone, text, or email to remind you of upcoming appointments, follow up on your care, or tell you about treatment alternatives or health-related services that may be of interest to you. You may ask us to use a different contact method or address; see “Your Rights” below.

Individuals Involved in Your Care

Unless you object, we may disclose PHI to a family member, friend, or other person you identify as involved in your care or payment for that care, to the extent the disclosure is relevant to that person’s involvement.

Required by Law and Other Permitted Disclosures

We may use or disclose your PHI without your authorization when required or permitted by law. These situations include, but are not limited to: public health activities; reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; health oversight activities; judicial and administrative proceedings (such as a court order or subpoena); law enforcement purposes; coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors; organ and tissue donation; research that has been approved by an institutional review board; serious threats to health or safety; specialized government functions (such as military, national security, or protective services); and workers’ compensation.

Business Associates

Some services are provided to the Practice by third parties — for example, billing companies, IT vendors, or scheduling platforms. These “business associates” may receive PHI to perform services on our behalf and are contractually required to protect it under HIPAA.

Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization

The following uses and disclosures of your PHI will only be made with your written authorization, which you may revoke in writing at any time:

• ·Most uses or disclosures for marketing purposes.
• ·Any sale of your PHI.
• ·Use of your before-and-after photographs, testimonials, or identifiable images for advertising or social media.
• ·Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if applicable.
• ·Any other use or disclosure not described in this Notice or otherwise permitted by law.

Once you authorize a use or disclosure, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already taken action in reliance on it.

Your Rights

You have the following rights with respect to your PHI. To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer using the information below.

Right to Inspect and Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the PHI we maintain about you, in paper or electronic form, with limited exceptions. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies.

Right to Request an Amendment

You have the right to request that we amend PHI we maintain about you if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. Requests must be made in writing and include a reason supporting the requested change. We may deny requests in limited circumstances.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and a few other categories specified by law. The first accounting you request within any 12-month period will be provided free of charge; we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request a restriction on how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or to limit disclosures to people involved in your care. We are not generally required to agree, except where you request that PHI not be disclosed to a health plan for an item or service you have paid for in full out-of-pocket.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your care in a specific way or at a specific location — for example, by mail to a different address, by phone only at work, or by email at a particular account. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified following a breach of your unsecured PHI, as required by federal and state law.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice, even if you have previously agreed to receive it electronically. Ask any staff member, or contact our Privacy Officer.

Right to File a Complaint

You have the right to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.

Our Duties

• ·We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.
• ·We will notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.
• ·We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect and give you a copy.
• ·We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can, in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all PHI we maintain, including PHI created or received before the change. When we make material changes to this Notice, the revised Notice will be posted in the Practice and on this page with a new effective date. You may request a copy at any time.

Contact & Complaints

To exercise any of the rights described above, ask a question about this Notice, or file a complaint about our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer:

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.