Health1stChiropractic LLC Doing business as Health First Chiropractic
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how we protect that information, and how you can access it. Please review it carefully.
This notice applies to Health1stChiropractic LLC, its practitioners, employees, contractors, business associates, and both Health First Chiropractic locations.
Your Rights
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains those rights and our responsibilities.
Get a copy of your medical record
You may ask to see or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you.
Under Washington law, we will respond to a written request as promptly as circumstances require, but generally no later than 15 working days after receiving it. If unusual circumstances cause a delay, we will notify you in writing and explain when the information will be available.
We may charge a reasonable, legally permitted, cost-based fee for copies. We will explain any codes or abbreviations in the information upon request.
Ask us to correct your medical record
You may ask us in writing to correct or amend health information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.
Under Washington law, we will respond as promptly as circumstances require, but generally no later than 10 days after receiving your request. We may deny the request in certain circumstances. If we deny it, we will explain the reason in writing and describe your right to submit a statement of disagreement.
Request confidential communications
You may ask us to contact you in a particular way, such as at your home, office, or mobile telephone number, or to send mail to a different address.
We will agree to reasonable requests. Please tell us clearly how and where you would like to be contacted.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
We are not required to agree to every request. We may deny a request if, for example, the restriction could affect your care. If we agree to a restriction, we will follow it unless the information is needed to provide emergency treatment or disclosure is otherwise required by law.
If you pay for a healthcare service or item completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We will agree unless the law requires us to disclose it.
Get a list of certain disclosures
You may ask for an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before the date of your request.
The accounting will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations; disclosures made directly to you; disclosures you specifically authorized; and certain other disclosures excluded by law.
We will provide one accounting during any 12-month period without charge. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests during the same period after notifying you of the cost.
Get a copy of this notice
You may request a paper or electronic copy of this notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
The current notice is also available on our website.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian or otherwise legally authorized to act for you, that person may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
We will verify that the person has the appropriate legal authority before taking action.
File a complaint
You may complain if you believe we violated your privacy rights.
You may contact our Privacy Officer using the information at the end of this notice.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:
Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue SW Washington, DC 20201
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775 Website: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising any privacy right.
Your Choices
For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences about what we disclose.
You may tell us whether we may:
- Share relevant information with family members, close friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.
- Share information in a disaster-relief situation.
- Contact you about fundraising activities, if we ever conduct them.
If you cannot tell us your preference, such as during a medical emergency, we may disclose information when we believe the disclosure is in your best interest. We may also disclose information when necessary to prevent or reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
We do not maintain a hospital directory.
Uses that require written authorization
We will not use or disclose your protected health information for the following purposes unless you give us written authorization or the law expressly permits the use or disclosure:
- Marketing that requires HIPAA authorization.
- Sale of your protected health information.
- Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if we maintain them.
Health1stChiropractic LLC does not sell protected health information.
If you give us written authorization, you may revoke it at any time by notifying us in writing. Revocation will not affect information already used or disclosed in reliance on your previous authorization.
How We Typically Use or Disclose Your Information
To treat you
We may use your health information and disclose it to other healthcare professionals involved in your treatment.
Example: A Health First chiropractor may disclose relevant examination or imaging information to another provider involved in treating your condition.
To operate our practice
We may use and disclose your health information to operate the practice, coordinate services, improve patient care, train staff, conduct quality reviews, and contact you when necessary.
Example: We may review treatment records to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of our services.
To bill for services
We may use and disclose your health information to bill health plans, process claims, obtain payment, or work with our billing service.
Example: We may provide information about an examination or treatment to your health plan so that it can process a claim.
To communicate with you
We may use your contact and health information to:
- Schedule or confirm appointments.
- Send appointment reminders.
- Respond to your questions.
- Discuss treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
- Tell you about treatment alternatives or health-related services that may be relevant to your care.
You may request reasonable changes to how we communicate with you.
Through our business associates
We use outside companies and professionals to help operate the practice. These may include billing, electronic health record, scheduling, hosting, email, information technology, records-management, and professional-advisory providers.
When a business associate creates, receives, maintains, or transmits protected health information for us, we require a written Business Associate Agreement and appropriate safeguards as required by HIPAA.
Other Permitted or Required Uses and Disclosures
We may use or disclose your health information without written authorization when permitted or required by law. Applicable conditions and limitations will be followed.
These situations may include:
Public health and safety
We may disclose information for activities such as:
- Preventing or controlling disease or injury.
- Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
- Reporting adverse events or product problems.
- Assisting with product recalls.
- Preventing or reducing a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Compliance with law
We will disclose information when state or federal law requires it, including to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when it is investigating our compliance with HIPAA.
Health oversight
We may disclose information to health oversight agencies for audits, inspections, licensing, disciplinary proceedings, investigations, or other activities authorized by law.
Workers’ compensation
We may disclose health information as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
Law enforcement and legal proceedings
We may disclose information to law enforcement or in response to a court order, administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when the applicable legal requirements are satisfied.
Washington law may provide protections that are more restrictive than HIPAA. When Washington law provides greater privacy protection, we will follow Washington law.
Research
We may use or disclose health information for research only when the research satisfies HIPAA and other applicable legal requirements, including any required patient authorization or review-board approval.
Medical examiners, coroners, and funeral directors
We may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when authorized by law.
Organ and tissue donation
We may disclose information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation when applicable and permitted by law.
Specialized government functions
We may disclose health information for certain authorized government functions, including military, national-security, intelligence, and protective-service activities.
Substance Use Disorder Records
To the extent that we create or maintain substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, those records receive additional legal protection.
We will not use or disclose Part 2 records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent or a court order and subpoena that meet the applicable legal requirements.
We will provide any additional notices, consent rights, and protections required by 42 CFR Part 2.
Washington Notice of Information Practices
We keep a record of the healthcare services we provide to you.
You may ask to see and copy that record. You may also ask us to correct or amend that record.
We will not disclose your record to others unless you direct us to do so or unless state or federal law authorizes or requires the disclosure.
You may obtain information about your record by contacting our Privacy Officer.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
- Follow the duties and privacy practices described in the currently effective version of this notice.
- Give you a copy of this notice upon request.
- Notify you following a breach when required by law.
- Limit uses and disclosures to the minimum necessary information when the minimum-necessary rule applies.
- Maintain appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.
- Follow more protective state privacy requirements when those requirements apply.
We will not use or disclose your health information other than as described in this notice unless you give us written authorization or the law otherwise permits or requires the use or disclosure.
Medical Records and Deletion Requests
Medical records are subject to federal and Washington record-maintenance requirements.
A right to request deletion of ordinary website or marketing information does not necessarily require us to delete a patient’s medical or billing record. We will retain and dispose of medical records according to applicable healthcare, licensing, billing, litigation-hold, and record-retention requirements.
Changes to This Notice
We may change this notice and our privacy practices.
A revised notice may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information we receive or create in the future.
The current notice will be:
- Available on our website.
- Available at both Health First Chiropractic locations.
- Provided in paper or electronic form upon request.
Website Information
This Notice of Privacy Practices governs protected health information and clinical records.
Our separate Website Privacy Policy explains how our public website handles cookies, analytics, advertising technology, website inquiries, and other nonclinical website information.
A website privacy disclosure or cookie banner does not constitute a HIPAA authorization for disclosure of protected health information.
Contact Our Privacy Officer
For questions, complaints, record requests, amendment requests, confidential-communication requests, or additional information, contact:
Privacy Officer Health1stChiropractic LLC Doing business as Health First Chiropractic
Email: info@health1stchiro.com
Mail may be sent to either Health First Chiropractic location listed above.