Notice of Privacy Practices
Tao Cosmetics pllc
(DBA: The Adiposity Clinic)
Last updated: June 14, 2024
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.
A. About Us
This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) describes the privacy practices of Tao Cosmetics pllc DBA “The Adiposity Clinic” and its affiliates, including certain affiliated professional entities and The Adiposity Clinic, their pharmacists, health care practitioners, and other personnel (“we” or “us”).
B. Our Legal Privacy Requirements
It is our legal obligation to safeguard the confidentiality of your health information, also known as (‘Protected Health Information” (“PHI“), and to inform you about our legal responsibilities and privacy practices regarding your PHI. In the event of a breach of unsecured PHI, we are required to notify you. Our use or disclosure of your PHI must adhere to the guidelines outlined in this Notice (or any other applicable notice at the time of use or disclosure).
C. Allowed Uses and Disclosures Without Your Written Authorization
In certain situations, which we describe in Section D below, we must obtain your written authorization in order to use and/or disclose your PHI. We do not need any type of authorization, however, for the following uses and disclosures:
1. Uses and Disclosures For Treatment, Payment and Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose PHI, but not your “Highly Confidential Information” (defined in Section D.2 below), in order to treat you, obtain payment for services provided to you, and conduct our “Healthcare Operations” as detailed below:
Treatment & Payment. As needed to provide medical treatment as requested by you, to facilitate Medication delivery from pharmacies, and obtain payment utilizing Stripe services.
Healthcare Operations. Your Protected Health Information (PHI) may be utilized and shared for our healthcare operations, encompassing internal administration, planning, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and cost efficiency of the care provided to you. This may involve assessing the proficiency of our healthcare providers and disclosing PHI to address any concerns you raise.
2. Disclosure to Relatives, Close Friends and Other Caregivers.
– Your Protected Health Information (PHI) may be shared with family members, relatives, friends, or individuals identified by you if you are present or available to agree, do not object, or if it is inferred that you do not object to the disclosure.
– In situations where you are not present or unable to provide consent due to incapacity or emergency, we may use our professional judgment to decide if disclosing PHI is in your best interest.
-When sharing information with family members or friends, only relevant details related to your healthcare or payment will be disclosed, and your location, general condition, or death may be communicated to them if necessary.
3. As required by law. Your PHI may be released as a result of being required by law. This includes:
– Public health reporting requirements such as Communicable disease reporting, Child abuse reporting, FDA medication side effect reporting
– Health Systems Oversight. We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency that oversees the health care system and is charged with responsibility for ensuring compliance with the rules of government health programs, such as Medicare or Medicaid.
–Law enforcement or Judicial and Administrative Proceedings or governmental Agencies. In response to a legal order or other lawful process, as required to law enforcement, or in compliance with a court order or a grand jury or administrative subpoena.
-We may use or disclose your PHI to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person’s or the public’s health or safety.
-We may use and disclose your PHI to units of the government with special functions, such as the U.S. military or the U.S. Department of State under certain circumstances as required by law.
-We may disclose your PHI as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with state law relating to workers’ compensation or other similar programs
–Research. We may use or disclose your PHI without your consent or authorization if an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board approves a waiver of authorization for disclosure. Often this is in the form of de-identified information that can’t be used to directly identify you.
–As Required By Law not otherwise listed. We may use and disclose your PHI when required to do so by any other law not already referred to in the preceding categories.
D. Written Consent required Disclosures and Uses
1. Use or Disclosure with Your Authorization. For any other purpose not listed above, we must obtain your consent before we can use your PHI. This includes marketing information you have not self-posted on the Website or social media or for marketing purposes considered.
Note: THE ADIPOSITY CLINIC does not sell PHI. Please refer to our Privacy Policy Section G.
Although the Patient Portal is HIPPA protected once being utilized, 3rd party sites (such as google or facebook) that you access websites including AdiposityClinic.com website access may legally be able to capture information and sell such information. THE ADIPOSITY CLINIC is not responsible for information your web browser or social media sites may capture. It is recommended you review your internet provider’s, browser’s, and any social media sites you may use for their Privacy Practices.
Any PHI information you request for any purpose not listed above- Private Legal matters or otherwise will need your consent before information can be sent.
2. Uses and Disclosures of Your Highly Confidential Information. Certain highly confidential information about you, known as “Highly Confidential Information”, is subject to special privacy protections under federal and state law. This information includes specific subsets of your PHI, such as mental health and developmental disabilities services, alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment, HIV/AIDS testing and treatment, sexually-transmitted diseases, genetic testing, child abuse and neglect, domestic abuse of an adult with a disability, and sexual assault. To disclose this Highly Confidential Information for purposes not permitted by law, we require your authorization.
3. Revocation of Your Authorization. You may withdraw (revoke) your Authorization, or any written authorization, regarding your Highly Confidential Information (except to the extent that we have taken action in reliance upon it) by delivering a written statement to the Privacy Officer identified below. A form of written revocation is available upon request from the Privacy Officer.
E. Your Rights Regarding Your Protected Health Information
We Take Safeguarding your PHI Seriously
Your Rights Include:
–Inspection, Amendment and/or Copy of your health records. You may request access to your medical record file and billing records maintained by us in order to inspect, amend and/or request copies of the records. We can send them electronically to your email using a secured HIPPA compliant download link. We recommend only downloading your records to your own personal computer and not publicly shared computers. Under limited circumstances, we may deny you access to a portion of your records. If you would like to access your records or for amendment, please request a Release of Information Form from the Privacy Officer and submit the completed form to info@AdiposityClinic.com . If you request Physical Paper copies, we will charge you a cost-based fee that includes (1) labor for copying the PHI; (2) supplies for creating the paper copy or electronic media if you request an electronic copy on portable media; (3) our postage costs, if you request that we mail the copies to you; and (4) if you agree in advance, the cost of preparing an explanation or summary of the PHI.
–Additional Restrictions or Confidential Communications. You may ask for additional restrictions, such as for limitations on how your PHI is used and shared for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, as well as with individuals involved in your care or payment. For instance, you can request that we do not disclose your PHI to a health plan if it relates to a service paid out of pocket. We must adhere to such restrictions unless mandated by law. For requests for Restrictions not covered above, we are not obligated to comply but will consider reasonable requests.
You may request, and we will accommodate, any reasonable written request for you to receive your PHI by alternative means of communication. If you would like to request additional restrictions or alternate forms of communication, please contact our Privacy Officer for a form and we will respond in writing. Please note that additional restrictions beyond what is required by law or alternate communication may make patient care difficult to the point that quality care cannot be delivered and thus may make you not a good fit for our Program. For instance, wanting to see a clinician in person and not wanting Telehealth visits is not a service we currently offer.
Right to Receive an Accounting of Disclosures. Upon request, you may obtain an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI made by us during any period of time prior to the date of your request provided such period does not exceed six years. If you request an accounting more than once during a twelve (12) month period, we will charge you a reasonable fee for additional accountings of disclosure, and will inform you in advance of any fee to provide you with an opportunity to withdraw or modify the request.
For Further Information and Complaints. If you would like more information about your privacy rights, if you are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights, or if you disagree with a decision that we made about access to your PHI, you may contact our Compliance and Privacy Officer. You may also file written complaints with the Director, Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Upon request, the Compliance and Privacy Officer will provide you with the correct address for the Director. We will not retaliate against you if you file a complaint with us or the Director.
7. Right to Receive A Copy of this Notice. Upon request, you may obtain a copy of this Notice, either by email or in paper format. Please submit your request to:
THE ADIPOSITY CLINIC
ATTN: Privacy Officer
3710 168TH ST NE, ARLINGTON, WA 98223
Email: INFO@AdiposityClinic.com
F. Effective Date and Duration of This Notice
1. Effective Date. This Notice is effective on June 14,2024
2. Right to Change Terms of this Notice. We may change the terms of this Notice at any time. If we change this Notice, we may make the new notice terms effective for all Protected Health Information that we maintain, including any information created or received prior to issuing the new notice. If we change this Notice, we will post the new notice on our website at TheAdiposityClinic.com You also may obtain any new notice by contacting Privacy Officer below.
G. Privacy Officer
You may contact the Privacy Officer at:
THE ADIPOSITY CLINIC
ATTN: Privacy Officer
3710 168TH ST NE, ARLINGTON, WA 98223
Email: INFO@AdiposityClinic.com