HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Mintlife Health is required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information ("PHI"), to give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, to notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI, and to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Treatment

We use your PHI to provide, coordinate, and manage your care — for example, our physician and psychologist coordinating your integrated medical and behavioral health plan, or sharing records with a specialist, laboratory, or pharmacy involved in your care.

Payment

As a private-pay practice we do not bill insurers, but we may use PHI to process your payments, issue receipts, and — at your request — prepare a superbill that you may submit to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement.

Health Care Operations

We may use PHI for quality improvement, training, licensing, scheduling, and the day-to-day administration of the practice.

Other Permitted or Required Uses

• As required by law, including public-health reporting and reports of suspected abuse or neglect.
• To avert a serious threat to your health and safety or that of others.
• Health oversight, judicial, and administrative proceedings in response to lawful orders or subpoenas.
• Law enforcement in limited, legally defined circumstances.
• Workers' compensation as authorized by law.
• Appointment reminders and care communications by phone, text, or email — tell us your preferred method and any restrictions.

Uses Requiring Your Written Authorization

Most uses of psychotherapy notes, marketing uses, and any sale of PHI require your written authorization, which you may revoke at any time in writing (except to the extent we have already relied on it). We will never sell your PHI.

3. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

• Right to inspect and copy your record, including an electronic copy — we will respond within the time required by law and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Right to amend information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
• Right to an accounting of disclosures we have made other than for treatment, payment, or operations.
• Right to request restrictions on uses or disclosures. Because we are a cash-pay practice, note this important right: if you pay in full out of pocket for a service, you may require that we not disclose that service's PHI to a health plan, and we must agree.
• Right to confidential communications — for example, asking us to contact you only at a certain number or address.
• Right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Right to be notified of a breach of your unsecured PHI.

To exercise any right, contact our Privacy Officer using the information below.

4. Telehealth

When you receive care by telehealth, we use video platforms configured for clinical use and protect session information the same way we protect in-office records. See our Telehealth Informed Consent for details specific to virtual visits.

5. Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this Notice and make the new Notice apply to PHI we already hold. The current version will always be posted on this page and available at our office.

6. Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (200 Independence Ave. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201; 1-877-696-6775; hhs.gov/ocr/complaints). You will never be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

7. Contact — Privacy Officer