Privacy Practices

HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA)

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. THIS NOTICE APPLIES TO THE PRIVACY PRACTICES OF JOINTWORKS PHYSICAL THERAPY, PLLC, WHICH IS A COVERED ENTITY FOR HIPAA PURPOSES.

In plain language: We take your privacy seriously. This page explains how we use and protect your health information, and what rights you have.

JointWorks Physical Therapy is committed to protecting the health information we create and maintain about you, including any information we receive from other health care providers.

We want to build a relationship with you based on trust. That means we respect the privacy of your health information. We keep your records for as long as the law requires, and then we destroy them safely.

If you have questions about how long we keep your records, please contact our Privacy Officer. (See contact information at the end of this page.)

YOUR RIGHTS

In plain language: You have control over your health information. Below is a list of what you can do and how we can help.

Get a copy of your medical record

• You can ask for an electronic or paper copy of your medical record. Just ask us how.
• We will give you a copy or summary of your health information, usually within 30 days. We may charge a small fee to cover costs.

Ask us to correct your medical record

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.
• We may say "no", but we'll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Choose how we contact you

• You can ask us to reach you a certain way (for example, only by home phone) or to send mail to a different address.
• We will say "yes" to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say "no" if it would affect your care.
• If you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurance for payment purposes. We will say "yes" unless the law requires us to share it.

See who we have shared your information with

• You can ask for a list of the times we shared your health information over the past six years, who we shared it with, and why.
• This list will include all sharing except for treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other cases (such as sharing you asked us to do). We will provide one list per year for free. If you ask for another within 12 months, we may charge a small fee.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

• You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically.
• We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney, a health care proxy, or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can make choices about your health information on your behalf.
• We will confirm that person has the right to act for you before we do anything.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights by contacting us using the information at the end of this Notice.
• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6755, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html
• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

YOUR CHOICES

In plain language: In some cases, you get to decide whether we share your information. Just tell us what you prefer, and we will follow your wishes.

You can tell us whether or not to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care.
• Share information in a disaster relief situation.
• Include your information in a hospital directory.

If you are unable to tell us your preference (for example, if you are unconscious and have no health care proxy), we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information to reduce a serious and immediate threat to someone's health or safety.

In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes.
• Sale of your information.
• Most sharing of physical therapy notes.
• Substance abuse treatment records (protected by federal law, 42 CFR Part 2).
• HIV/AIDS testing or test results.
• Certain genetic information.
• Certain information about sexually transmitted diseases.

In the case of fundraising:

• We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you can tell us not to contact you again.

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES

In plain language: Here are the most common reasons we use or share your health information.

To treat you: We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you.

To run our practice: We can use and share your health information to run our day-to-day operations, improve your care, and contact you when needed.

To bill for your services: We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways -- usually for the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet many legal conditions before we can share your information for these reasons.

Public health and safety

We can share your health information in cases like:

• Preventing disease.
• Helping with product recalls.
• Reporting adverse reactions to medications.
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health or safety.

Research

In some cases, we can use or share your information for health research.

Follow the law

We will share information about you if state or federal law requires it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services to show we follow federal privacy law.

Organ and tissue donation

We can share your health information with organ donation organizations.

Medical examiners or funeral directors

We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when someone passes away.

Workers' compensation, law enforcement, and government requests

We can use or share your health information:

• For workers' compensation claims.
• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official.
• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law.
• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services.

Lawsuits and legal actions

We can share your health information in response to a court order or subpoena.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

We may update this notice at any time. Any changes will apply to the information we already have about you, as well as any new information we receive. We will always post the current version at our office, and a copy will be available each time you come in for treatment.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• The law requires us to keep your health information private and secure.
• We will notify you quickly if a breach occurs that may have put your information at risk.
• We must follow the practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information beyond what is described here unless you give us written permission. You can change your mind at any time by letting us know in writing.

CONTACT OUR PRIVACY OFFICER

If you have questions or concerns about this notice, please reach out to:

JointWorks Physical Therapy Privacy Officer
Email: Dr.Lagasse@JointWorksPT.com
Phone: (774) 246-6440
Address: 1047 Providence Road, Whitinsville, MA 01588