Our Responsibilities

We are required to:

• Maintain the privacy of your PHI, including SUD information that may carry extra confidentiality protections under 42 CFR Part 2
• Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
• Notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI
• Follow the terms of this Notice

How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI Without Your Written Authorization

• Treatment: We may use and share your PHI with other dentists, physicians, or health care professionals who are treating you. Example: We send x-rays to a specialist for a consultation.
• Payment: We may use and share your PHI to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: We submit information to your dental plan to obtain payment.
• Health care operations: We may use and share your PHI to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. Example: Quality assessment, auditing, or customer service.
• Public health and safety: We may share PHI for public health reporting, to report abuse or neglect, to avert a serious threat to health or safety, or for product recalls, as permitted by law.
• Health oversight and law enforcement: We may share PHI with health oversight agencies, for law enforcement purposes, or as required by a court or administrative order, subpoena, or similar process, as permitted by law.
• Research: We may use or share PHI for research under specific conditions approved by an Institutional Review Board or privacy board, or with your authorization.
• Workers' compensation and government functions: We may share PHI for workers' compensation claims and for specialized government functions as permitted by law.
• Business associates: We may share PHI with third parties who provide services for us under contracts requiring them to protect your information.

Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if applicable)
• Marketing communications, sales of PHI, and other uses not described in this Notice
• Sharing your PHI for purposes not permitted by law without your written permission

Your Rights Regarding Your PHI

• Right to access: You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your dental record and other PHI we have about you. We will provide a copy or summary within required timeframes and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Right to request an amendment: You can ask us to correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may say "no," but will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
• Right to request restrictions: You can ask us not to use or share certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree, except when you pay out-of-pocket in full and request we not share information with your health plan for that service.
• Right to request confidential communications: You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (e.g., home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• Right to an accounting of disclosures: You can ask for a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI for the six years prior to your request.
• Right to a paper copy of this Notice: You can ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Right to choose a personal representative: If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information, consistent with applicable law.

Our Duties

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI. 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 upon request.
• 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.

Special Notice About Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Records — 42 CFR Part 2

Fundraising Communications

If we contact you for fundraising, you will have a clear opportunity to opt out of receiving further communications. We will not use or share 42 CFR Part 2 SUD records for fundraising without your written consent.

Questions and Complaints

If you have questions, want to exercise your rights, or believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact us. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

✓ We will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint.