Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: 05/25/2026

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.

YOUR RIGHTS

You have the following rights regarding your protected health information (PHI):

Right to a Copy of Your Records

  • You may request an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information. We will provide a copy or a summary within 30 days.

  • We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Right to Correct Your Records

  • You may ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete.

  • We may deny your request if we did not create the information or we determine it to be accurate.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

  • You may ask us to contact you in a specific way (e.g., a specific phone number or address). We will honor all reasonable requests.

Right to Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share

  • You may ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or operations.

  • We are not required to agree to your request, but if we do, we must keep our promise.

Right to a List of Those with Whom We Have Shared Information

  • You may request an accounting of disclosures of your PHI made in the past six (6) years.

Right to a Copy of This Notice

  • You may ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Right to Choose Someone to Act for You

  • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.

Right to File a Complaint

  • If you feel your rights are being denied or your health information is not being protected, you may file a complaint with our office or with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

YOUR CHOICES

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference, please let us know. In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us:

  • Whether to share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.

  • Whether to share information in a disaster-relief situation.

  • Whether we contact you for fundraising efforts.

If you are not able to tell us your preference (e.g., if you are unconscious), we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES

How Do We Use or Share Your Health Information?

We typically use or share your health information in the following ways:

For Treatment:

  • We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treating you (e.g., your prescribing physician, psychiatrist, or other treating providers).

For Payment:

  • We can use and share your health information to bill and receive payment from health plans or other entities for services we provide.

For Health Care Operations:

  • We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary (e.g., for appointment reminders, quality assessments, or business associates under a signed BAA).

Other Ways We May Use or Share Information Without Your Authorization:

  • As required by law.

  • For public health and safety issues.

  • For health oversight activities (e.g., audits, inspections, licensure).

  • For workers' compensation or similar programs.

  • In response to lawsuits and legal actions.

  • To law enforcement under specific lawful circumstances.

  • With coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors.

  • For organ and tissue donation requests.

  • For specialized government functions (e.g., military, national security, protective services for the President).

  • To avert a serious threat to health or safety (including imminent harm to self or others — consistent with Missouri RSMo §337.636 and Tarasoff duties).

  • For research, in limited circumstances with special safeguards.

  • To report child abuse, elder abuse, or neglect as required by Missouri law (RSMo §210.115, §192.2400).

  • For court-ordered evaluations or subpoenas.

Reproductive Health Care — 2024/2026 HIPAA Update (45 CFR §164.502(a)(5)(iii)):

Effective February 16, 2026, this practice is prohibited from using or disclosing your protected health information to investigate or impose liability on any person for the act of seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating reproductive health care that is lawful under the circumstances in which it was provided. If a third party requests your PHI for such a purpose, we are required to obtain a signed attestation that the information will not be used for these prohibited purposes before disclosure.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

  • We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.

  • We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.

CHANGES TO THE TERMS OF THIS NOTICE

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website https://www.redefinerealign.com.