Notice of Privacy Practices
Updated 12-12-2025
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION PURSUANT TO FEDERAL REGULATIONS. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY
At Collaborative Health (“Practice”), we understand that your medical information is personal. We are committed to protecting it. Each time you visit our clinic, we create a record of the care and services you receive. This record is necessary to provide high-quality care and to comply with legal requirements. This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) applies to all records of your care created by the Practice. It explains how we may use and disclose your protected health information (“PHI”) and your rights regarding that information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI, provide you with this Notice, and follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION
Treatment: We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your medical care. This includes sharing information with doctors, nurses, technicians, students, or other health care professionals involved in your treatment, as well as with other providers who are treating you.
Payment: We may use or disclose PHI to obtain payment for services. This includes sharing information with your health plan to verify benefits, obtain authorization, or process claims. We may also share PHI with companies that assist us with billing and claim submissions.
Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose PHI for operations that help us run our practice and improve the quality of care. These activities include quality assessment, training of staff, credentialing, compliance audits, planning, risk management, and preventing fraud or abuse. We may share PHI with consultants, attorneys, accountants, and students who assist us under confidentiality agreements.
Business Associates: We may share PHI with outside companies (“business associates”) that help us provide services such as billing, accreditation, data analysis, or quality assurance. Business associates must protect your information through a written agreement.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Public Health Activities: We may disclose PHI for authorized public health purposes, such as preventing or controlling disease, reporting adverse events, notifying individuals of possible exposure, or reporting births, deaths, or suspected abuse or neglect.
Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose PHI to health oversight agencies for audits, investigations, licensure, and other oversight activities authorized by law.
Coroners, Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors: We may provide PHI to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors as needed to perform their duties.
Averting a Serious Threat: We may disclose PHI when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious threat to health or safety, and only to persons able to help mitigate that threat.
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DISCLOSURES
As Required by Law: We may disclose PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law. We may also disclose PHI in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, or other lawful process. In addition, we are required to disclose your PHI to you or your personal representative upon request, consistent with your rights of access and your right to receive an accounting of disclosures. We must also disclose your PHI to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when requested to investigate or determine our compliance with federal HIPAA privacy regulations.
Legal Proceedings: We may disclose PHI in response to a court order, subpoena, warrant, or other lawful process.
Law Enforcement: We may disclose PHI for law enforcement purposes such as identifying a suspect, locating a missing person, reporting a crime, or providing information related to suspected criminal activity.
Workers’ Compensation: We may disclose PHI for workers’ compensation claims or similar programs related to work-related injuries.
Correctional Institutions & Law Enforcement Custody: If you are an inmate or in custody, we may disclose PHI as necessary for your health care, for safety, or for the security of the facility.
National Security, Intelligence, and Special Government Functions: We may disclose PHI of military personnel and veterans as required by military command authorities. We may also disclose PHI to authorized federal officials for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, national security activities, protective services for the President and other authorized persons or foreign heads of state, and for other authorized special investigations.
DISCLOSURE TO INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE
Family, Friends & Caregivers: Unless you object, we may disclose PHI to a family member, close friend, or other person involved in your care or payment for your care.
Disaster Relief: We may also disclose PHI to disaster relief organizations, such as the Red Cross, to assist in notifying your family or others involved in your care about your condition, status, or location.
USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRING YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
Uses Not Described in This Notice: Any use or disclosure of PHI outside what is listed in this Notice requires your written authorization. You may revoke authorization at any time, except where we have already relied on it.
Special Categories of Sensitive Information: In most cases, federal or state law require written authorization for disclosure of substance use disorder treatment information, mental health treatment records, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) test results, and certain genetic or reproductive health information.
Sale of PHI: We do not sell your PHI. Any sale of PHI would require your written authorization.
Research: If a research study involves your PHI, we may disclose information only with your written authorization, and only after Institutional Review Board approval.
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI
Right to Request Restrictions: You may request that Practice’s restrict the use and disclosure of your PHI. To request restrictions, you must make your request in writing. While we are not required to agree to all requests, we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate them. In your request, you must tell us (1) what information you want to limit; (2) whether you want to limit our use, disclosure or both; and (3) to whom you want the restrictions to apply.
Right to Confidential or Alternative Communications: You may request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location—for example, at your work address, through a designated phone number, or by another preferred method. We will accommodate reasonable requests and will not require you to explain the reason. We may also communicate with you by SMS/MMS text message for appointment reminders, care updates, or patient engagement. We do not share or sell your phone number for marketing purposes. You may reply STOP at any time to opt out of text messages, or HELP for assistance. Standard message and data rates may apply.
Right to Inspect and Copy: You may review or request copies of PHI we maintain about you. Reasonable fees may apply for copies or mailing. If we deny access, we will explain the reason and your rights to appeal.
Right to Amend Your Records: If you believe PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment in writing. If we deny your request, we will provide a written explanation and describe your options.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made in the past six years, excluding disclosures for treatment, payment, operations, or those you authorized. One request per year is free.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Collaborative Health’s Privacy Officer at 760-304-1383 or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.