HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Our commitment

Rand Eye Institute is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to give you this notice explaining our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.

How we may use and disclose your health information

For treatment

We use your health information to provide, coordinate and manage your eye care. For example, your surgeon may share your corneal measurements with the technicians preparing your procedure, or with another physician involved in your care.

For payment

We may use and disclose your information to bill and collect payment from you, an insurance company or a third party — including verifying coverage and obtaining prior authorization for a procedure.

For health care operations

We may use your information for quality assessment, staff training and review, licensing, business planning and general administration.

Appointment reminders and health-related communications

We may contact you by phone, text, email or mail to remind you of an appointment, follow up after a procedure, or tell you about treatment alternatives and health-related benefits or services that may interest you. You may ask us to contact you at a specific number or address, or to stop these communications.

Other permitted or required disclosures

Federal and state law permit or require disclosure in certain circumstances without your authorization, including: as required by law; for public health activities; to report suspected abuse or neglect; for health oversight activities; in judicial and administrative proceedings; for law enforcement purposes; to coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors; for organ and tissue donation; for approved research; to avert a serious threat to health or safety; for specialized government functions; and for workers’ compensation.

Uses and disclosures that require your written authorization

Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, uses and disclosures for marketing purposes, and any sale of protected health information require your written authorization. Other uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization, and you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.

Your rights regarding your health information

• Request restrictions. You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your information. We are not required to agree, except that we must agree to a request to restrict disclosure to a health plan when you pay for the item or service in full, out of pocket.
• Request confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you at an alternate address or by an alternate means.
• Inspect and copy. You may inspect and obtain a copy of your health and billing records, including an electronic copy where we maintain them electronically. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Request an amendment. You may ask us to correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request in certain circumstances, and will tell you why in writing.
• An accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information.
• A paper copy of this notice. You may request one at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Notification of a breach. You will be notified if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

Our duties

We are required to maintain the privacy of your health information and to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. We must abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect. We reserve the right to change this notice and to make the revised notice effective for information we already hold as well as information we receive in the future. A current copy will be posted in the office and on this page.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the practice by contacting our Privacy Officer at the number below, or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, at hhs.gov/ocr/complaints. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

A note about this website

Information you submit through the consultation form on this site is transmitted to our practice management system. Please do not use it to send detailed medical history, test results or other sensitive clinical information — call the office instead. Standard email and text messages are not encrypted, and we cannot guarantee their confidentiality in transit.