Notice of Private Practices

OUR OBLIGATIONS:

We are required by law to:

  • Maintain the privacy of protected health information 

  • Give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices regarding health information about your child

  • Notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information

  • Follow the terms of our notice that is currently in effect

YOUR RIGHTS

You have the right to:

  • Get a copy of your child’s paper or electronic medical record

  • Correct your child’s medical record

  • Request confidential communication

  • Ask us to limit the information we share

  • Get a copy of this privacy notice

  • Choose someone to act for you

  • File a complaint if you believe your child’s privacy rights have been violated

YOUR CHOICES

You have some choices in the way that we use and share information as we:

  • Tell your family and friends about your child’s condition

  • Provide disaster relief

  • Provide mental and behavioral health care

  • Market our services and sell your child’s information

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES

We may use and share your child’s information as we:

  • Treat your child

  • Bill for services provided to your child

  • Healthcare operations

  • For appointment reminders, treatment alternatives and health related benefits and services. 

  • To individuals involved in your child’s care or payment for your child’s care.  

  • Do research

  • Comply with the law

  • Organ and tissue donation

  • Military and veterans.  

  • Address workers’ compensation.

  • Public health risks.  

  • Health oversight activities. 

  • Data breach notification purposes.  

  • Lawsuits and disputes. 

  • Law enforcement. 

  • Coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors. 

  • National security and intelligence activities.  

  • Protective services for the president and others.  

YOUR RIGHTS

When it comes to your child’s health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

  • Get an electronic or paper copy of your child’s medical record.

  • You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your child’s medical record and other health information we have about your child. 

  • We will provide a copy or a summary of your child’s health information, usually within 30 days of your request. 

  • Ask us to correct your child’s medical record.

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

  • We may say “no” to your request with an explanation of why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communications.

  • You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone), or to send mail to a different address.

  • Ask us to limit what we use or share

  • You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your child’s care.

  • If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your child’s health insurer. We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a copy of this privacy notice.

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

  • We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you.

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

  • We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you, before we take any action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated:

  • You can complain if you feel we have violated your child’s rights by contacting us using the information on page #6.

  • You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by:

sending a letter to: 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, 

Calling: 1-877-696-6775, or

visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/

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 for how we share your child’s information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

  • Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your child’s care

  • Share information in a disaster relief situation

If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unreachable, we may go ahead and share your child’s information if we believe it is in your child’s best interest. 

We may also share your child’s information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, we never share your child’s information unless you give us written permission:

  • Marketing purposes

  • Sale of your information

OUR USES AND DISCLOSURES

How do we typically use or share your child’s health information?

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

For Treatment.

We may use and disclose Protected Health Information for your child’s treatment and to provide your child with treatment-related health care services.  

For example, we may disclose Protected Health Information to doctors, nurses, technicians, or other personnel, including people outside our office, who are involved in your child’s medical care and need the information to provide your child with medical care.

For Payment.

We may use and disclose Protected Health Information so that we or others may bill and receive payment from you, an insurance company or a third party for the treatment and services your child received.  

For example: We give information about your child to your health insurance plan so it will pay for services your child receives.

For Health Care Operations.

We may use and disclose Protected Health Information for health care operations purposes.  These uses and disclosures are necessary to make sure that all of our patients receive quality care and to operate and manage our office. 

For example, we may use and disclose information to make sure the Speech and Language care your child receive is of the highest quality.  

We also may share information with other entities that have a relationship with you child (for example, your health plan) for their health care operation activities.   

For Appointment Reminders, Treatment Alternatives and Health Related Benefits and Services. 

We may use and disclose Protected Health Information to contact you to remind you that your child has an appointment with us.  

We also may use and disclose Protected Health Information to tell you about treatment alternatives or health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.


To Individuals Involved in Your Child’s Care or Payment for Your Child’s Care.  

When appropriate, we may share Protected Health Information with a person who is involved in your child’s medical care or payment for your child’s care, such as your family or a close friend.  We also may notify your family about your location or general condition or disclose such information to an entity assisting in a disaster relief effort.

How else can we use or share your child’s health information?

We are allowed or required to share your child’s information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. 

We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see:

 www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/index.html

To do research.

We can use or share your child’s information for health research. However, we will specifically ask for your written permission before we do this.

To comply with the law.

We will share information about your child if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Organ and Tissue Donation.  

If your child is an organ donor, we may use or release Protected Health Information to organizations that handle organ procurement or other entities engaged in procurement, banking or transportation of organs, eyes or tissues to facilitate organ, eye or tissue donation and transplantation.

Military and Veterans.  

If you are a member of the armed forces, we may release Protected Health Information as required by military command authorities.  We also may release Protected Health Information to the appropriate foreign military authority if you are a member of a foreign military.

Workers’ Compensation. 

We may release Protected Health Information for workers’ compensation or similar programs.  These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.

Public Health Risks.  

We may disclose Protected Health Information for public health activities.  These activities generally include disclosures to prevent or control disease, injury or disability; report births and deaths; report child abuse or neglect; report reactions to medications or problems with products; notify people of recalls of products they may be using; a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition; and the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence.  We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.

Health Oversight Activities. 

We may disclose Protected Health Information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law.  These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure.  These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

Data Breach Notification Purposes.  

We may use or disclose your Protected Health Information to provide legally required notices of unauthorized access to or disclosure of your health information.

Lawsuits and Disputes. 

If you or your child are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose Protected Health Information in response to a court or administrative order.  We also may disclose Protected Health Information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the information requested. 

Law Enforcement. 

We may release Protected Health Information if asked by a law enforcement official if the information is: (1) in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process; (2) limited information to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person; (3) about the victim of a crime even if, under certain very limited circumstances, we are unable to obtain the person’s agreement; (4) about a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct; (5) about criminal conduct on our premises; and (6) in an emergency to report a crime, the location of the crime or victims, or the identity, description or location of the person who committed the crime. 

Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors. 

We may release Protected Health Information to a coroner or medical examiner.  This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death.  We also may release Protected Health Information to funeral directors as necessary for their duties. 

National Security and Intelligence Activities.  

We may release Protected Health Information to authorized federal officials for intelligence, counter-intelligence, and other national security activities authorized by law. 

Protective Services for the President and Others.  

We may disclose Protected Health Information to authorized federal officials so they may provide protection to the President, other authorized persons or foreign heads of state or to conduct special investigations. 

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

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

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

For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html


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 your child. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.

OTHER INFORMATION

  • This notice is effective as of July 19, 2022

  • If you have a question, concern, or complaint regarding how your health information is protected, used and/or disclosed, you may contact The Learning Spot Consulting Services, LLC Compliance Department by:

Email: adriana@tlsaba.com

Mail: The Learning Spot Consulting Services, LLC

Attn: ADRIANA A PRIETO

140 S PRESTON RD. SUITE 10
PROSPER, TX. 75078

  • TLS will never sell nor market your child’s personal information.

  • As a parent or guardian, you will have access to your child’s health and treatment information when requested in writing.