Privacy policy
Last updated March 1, 2021
The HIPAA Privacy Rule gives you the fundamental right to be informed of your privacy rights and the privacy practices that we have instilled into Hello Optometry, Inc. and our related services. We use and disclose protected health information with certain safeguards for your treatment, payment, and our health care operation activities. This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information.
Please read this privacy policy carefully as it will help you make informed decisions about sharing your personal information with us.
Use and Disclosures
We may use and disclose your personal health information when it pertains to your treatment. Generally, when we coordinate or manage your health care among other health care providers or health care plans we may disclose your personal health information. In most cases, a consultation with or a referral to another health care provider will require some health information be disclosed. In other instances, we may disclose your health information to your health care plan to obtain authorization for certain medications required in your treatment and health care management. We may use and disclose your personal health information when it pertains to obtaining payment or reimbursement for our services. This includes billing and collection activities.
We may use and disclose your personal health information when it pertains to developing our health care operations that will allow us to provide better services to you. This may occur in a number of ways. During training of our optometrists and opticians, personal health information may be used. Additionally, personal health information may be disclosed upon medical review with compliance programs.
We may disclose your personal health information to public health authorities who are legally authorized to receive reports for the purposes of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability. Examples of certain situations where sharing health information would contribute to the public good would including reporting adverse reactions to medications and medical devices. Examples of public health authorities include the state and local health department, the food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
We may disclose your personal health information to worker’s compensation insurers, state administrators, employers, and other persons involved in worker’s compensations system when you have provided your authorization for the release of the information.
We may disclose your personal health information in response to court order to comply with the law. We may disclose your health information when the state or federal law requires it.
Our Responsibilities
Communication in healthcare is essential, but we put in place all the reasonable safeguards, mitigation, and necessary policies to protect your privacy. For example, any discussion of health conditions will be done in private. We also follow the minimum necessary standard, which limits how much health information is used, disclosed, and requested, when it is not necessary to accomplish or satisfy a particular purpose. We limit and determine who has access to health information based on job responsibilities. Our optometrists and opticians onsite will need access to your health information in order to carry out our responsibilities. For example, our optometrists will need access to your entire medical record to provide complete care and our opticians will need access to your eye glass or contact lens prescription to correctly dispense your material orders.When it comes to conducting our health care operations and extending services to you, we may disclose pertinent health information to our business associates and their subcontractors to carry out these operations and particular services. We obtain written assurance from our business associates that they will appropriately safeguard and protect the health information they receive or created on our behalf, unless they are a healthcare provider related to your care.
We will not use your or share your information other than as described in this privacy policy. If a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information, we will notify you without reasonable delay and with the information that is available to us.
Marketing
We may use paper mail, email, or texting as a form of communication to describe health-related products or services that are provided by us, particularly when we
begin providing new products or services. You may also receive reminders to refill your contact lens prescription, schedule annual appointments, or confirm appointments. We will never sell your protected health information to any other entities and you should not receive any marketing material outside of our business.
You have the right to request restrictions on how we use and disclose your personal health information for your treatment, payment, and our health care operations. For example, you have the right to let us know what information we can share with your family, friends, and others involved in payment for your care. In an emergency situation, we will share your information if it is in your best interest or to lessen a serious threat to health or safety. In other instances, we may not be able to agree to your requests if it significantly affects your care. You have the right to request confidential communication by alternative means. For example, you may ask us to call you at your office or to send mail to a different
address.
that your health information was shared, who we shared it with, and why.
You have the right to file a complaint if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting Hello Optometry, Inc. using the information listed at the top of the page. You may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil rights by calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. You have the right to ask for a copy of this privacy policy at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice
electronically.
Personal Representatives
If you are under 18 years of age, your parent or legal guardian may act for you as your personal representative. If you are an adult or an emancipated minor, then your healthcare power of attorney or person with legal authority will act as your personal representative. If your personal representative has the legal ability to make health care decision for you, then your personal representative has the right to exercise your rights and authorize disclosure of your personal health information. We will disclose your information to your personal representative to the extent that information is relevant. If there is reason to believe that you are being subjected to domestic violence, abuse, or neglect by your personal representative and providing your health information to your personal presentative would not be in your best interest, then we will decline to provide access to your personal health information.
Changes to the Terms of this Notice
We may change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request in paper or electronic copy. It will also be available on our website.
Contact Us
If you have questions or comments about this policy, you may email us at contact@hello-optometry.com or by post to:
Hello Optometry, Inc141 N Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
United States