Privacy Policy

LIGHTHOUSE PSYCHIATRY

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. YOU MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS UNDER STATE AND LOCAL LAW. PLEASE SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL FROM AN ATTORNEY LICENSED IN YOUR STATE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR RIGHTS TO HEALTH CARE INFORMATION.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE: 1/13/2025.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF PRIVACY NOTICE Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (hereafter, “HIPAA”), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information (hereafter, “PHI”).

  1. OUR PLEDGE REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION: At Lighthouse Psychiatry, we understand that your health information is personal, and we are committed to protecting it. We create records of the care and services you receive to provide quality care and comply with legal requirements. This notice applies to all records of your care generated by Lighthouse Psychiatry. It explains how we may use and disclose your health information, outlines your rights to this information, and describes our obligations to protect it.

We are required by law to:

  • Ensure that PHI that identifies you is kept private.
  • Provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
  • Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

We may change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all the information we maintain. The updated Notice will be available upon request in our office, on our website, and through other electronic communication methods if necessary.

  1. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU: The following categories describe different ways we may use and disclose your health information. While not every use or disclosure will be listed, all permitted uses and disclosures fall within these categories:
  1. For Treatment, Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules allow health care providers to use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization for treatment, payment, or health care operations. For example:
    • We may use your PHI to consult with other licensed health care providers, including through telemedicine or electronic consultations, about your condition to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment.
    • We may use your PHI to send appointment reminders, billing invoices, and other documentation.
  2. Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a legal proceeding, we may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order. We may also disclose health information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, provided efforts have been made to notify you or secure an order protecting the requested information.

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

  1. Psychotherapy Notes: Any use or disclosure of psychotherapy notes requires your authorization unless the disclosure is:
    • For our use in treating you.
    • For our use in training or supervising mental health practitioners.
    • For compliance investigations by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
    • Required by law to prevent harm or comply with other legal mandates.
  2. Marketing Purposes: We will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes without your prior written consent. For example, if we request a review from you to share publicly, we will first provide you with a HIPAA authorization form.
  3. Sale of PHI: We do not sell your PHI.
  1. USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION:

We may use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following purposes, provided certain legal conditions are met:

  • Appointment reminders and health-related benefits or services: We may contact you about treatment alternatives or other health services we provide.
  • Public health activities: Reporting suspected abuse or preventing serious health or safety threats.
  • Health oversight activities: Including audits and investigations.
  • Judicial and administrative proceedings: Responding to court orders or subpoenas.
  • Law enforcement purposes: Reporting crimes occurring on our premises.
  • Research purposes: Studying mental health outcomes for quality improvements.
  • Specialized government functions: Ensuring safety within military or correctional settings.
  • Workers’ compensation: Complying with applicable laws.
  • Organ and tissue donation requests.
  1. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT: You have the right and choice to:
  • Allow us to disclose PHI to family, friends, or others involved in your care or payment.
  • Provide or withhold consent retroactively in emergency situations.
  1. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI: You have the following rights concerning your health information:
  1. Request Restrictions: You may request limits on how your PHI is used or disclosed. While we are not required to agree, we will consider all requests.
  2. Request Confidential Communications: You may ask us to contact you using specific methods or at alternate addresses.
  3. Access Your PHI: You have the right to view or obtain a copy of your medical records. We will provide this within 30 days of receiving a written request and may charge a reasonable fee.
  4. Request an Accounting of Disclosures: You can request a list of disclosures of your PHI made outside of treatment, payment, or operations.
  5. Request Corrections: If you believe information is incorrect or incomplete, you may request amendments. We will respond within 60 days.
  6. Receive a Copy of this Notice: You may request a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time.
  7. Appoint Someone to Act for You: If someone has medical power of attorney or is your legal guardian, they can act on your behalf regarding your PHI.
  8. Revoke Authorization: You may revoke any previously given authorization, provided the revocation is submitted in writing.
  9. Opt-Out of Communications: You have the right to opt out of marketing or fundraising communications.
  10. File a Complaint: If you feel your rights have been violated, you may file a complaint directly with Lighthouse Psychiatry by contacting us directly, or with the HHS Office for Civil Rights.

VII. CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE: We reserve the right to modify this Notice. The revised version will apply to all PHI we maintain and will be available in our office and on our website.

Lighthouse Psychiatry is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring your health information is handled responsibly. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact us via email at info@lighthouse-psychiatry.com or by phone at (918) 850-9488.