Privacy Policy

Introduction:
We are committed to protecting the privacy of your personal health information. This document outlines our legal obligations and practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your protected health information (“PHI”).

Definitions:

  • PHI: Any identifiable information about your physical or mental health, healthcare history, or healthcare payments.
  • Treatment: Providing, coordinating, or managing your healthcare, including consultations and referrals.
  • Payment: Activities related to obtaining reimbursement for your healthcare, including eligibility and coverage determinations.
  • Healthcare Operations: Activities supporting treatment and payment, such as quality assurance, case management, and audits.

Permitted Uses and Disclosures:

We may use or disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

  • Treatment: Sharing your PHI with healthcare providers involved in your care, such as specialists or other healthcare institutions.
  • Payment: Submitting your PHI to insurance companies or other payment providers for reimbursement.
  • Healthcare Operations: Using your PHI for quality assurance, case management, and other activities to improve our services.

Disclosures Related to Communications:

We may contact you to:

  • Remind you about appointments.
  • Inform you about treatment alternatives.
  • Provide other health-related information relevant to your care.

We may also disclose your PHI to family members or friends who are involved in your care or payment, with your consent.

Other Situations:

In certain situations, we may disclose your PHI without your consent, including:

  • Organ and tissue donation: To facilitate organ, eye, or tissue donation.
  • Military and veterans: To provide information as required by military command authorities.
  • Public health risks: To prevent or control disease, report abuse, or monitor product recalls.
  • Health oversight activities: To comply with government regulations and oversight programs.
  • Lawsuits and disputes: In response to court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes.
  • Law enforcement: To comply with law enforcement requests or in emergency situations.
  • Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors: For identification, cause of death determination, or funeral arrangements.
  • Inmates: To correctional institutions for healthcare purposes or to protect the safety of the institution.
  • Serious threats: To prevent harm to individuals or the public.
  • Disaster relief: To coordinate disaster relief efforts with authorized entities.

Your Rights:

You have the following rights regarding your PHI:

  • Request restrictions on how we use and disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.
  • Request alternative communication methods for receiving PHI.
  • Inspect and obtain copies of your medical and billing records, with some exceptions.
  • Request corrections to your PHI.
  • Receive an accounting of disclosures of your PHI made by us for six years.
  • Request and receive a paper copy of this privacy notice.

Complaints:

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Practice or the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Contact Information:

For further information or to exercise your rights, please contact us at info@bergerorthodonticsoc.com or by phone at 714-772-2840
Revisions to this Notice:

We reserve the right to revise this privacy notice at any time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the revised notice on our website.