Notice of Privacy Practices
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.
Who Follows This Notice
Asymmetric Health, PLLC, 8282 28th Ct NE, Suite C, Lacey, WA 98516. This notice applies to all providers and staff of the practice, and to the health information we create and maintain about you, whether you are seen in our office or by telehealth.
We are required by law to protect the privacy of your health information, to give you this notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect. We are also required to notify you if a breach of your unsecured health information occurs.
Information collected through our website before you become a patient is not covered by this notice. It is governed by our Privacy Policy and, where it is health-related, by our Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information Without Your Authorization
Treatment. To provide, coordinate and manage your care. We send your information to laboratories that run your tests, to pharmacies that fill your prescriptions, and to other providers involved in your care when a referral or consultation is appropriate.
Payment. To bill you and to document the services provided. We are a direct-pay practice and do not bill health insurance. If you submit our documentation to your insurer, health savings account administrator or another payer yourself, that disclosure is yours to make.
Health care operations. To run the practice. This includes quality review, provider evaluation, training, business planning, and consulting with our attorneys, accountants and auditors.
Business associates. We use outside companies for our electronic health record, patient portal, telehealth platform, secure messaging, patient communication, prescription routing and medication billing, supplement dispensing and AI-assisted clinical documentation. Each of these is a business associate that has signed a written agreement requiring it to protect your information. They are identified by name in our Privacy Policy.
Appointment reminders and treatment alternatives. To contact you about appointments, results, refills and services that may be relevant to your care.
Prescription monitoring. We review the Washington Prescription Monitoring Program database when prescribing controlled substances, as state law and our controlled substance policy require. Pharmacies that dispense controlled substances report those prescriptions to the program. We do not submit reports to the program ourselves.
As required by law. Including public health reporting, communicable disease reporting, reporting suspected abuse or neglect, health oversight activities, judicial and administrative proceedings, law enforcement requests that meet legal requirements, coroners and medical examiners, organ donation, workers’ compensation, and specialized government functions.
To avert a serious threat. Where disclosure is necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or that of another person.
Persons involved in your care. With your agreement or where you do not object, we may share information relevant to your care with a family member, friend or other person you identify. Where you are not present or unable to agree, we will use our professional judgment and disclose only what is directly relevant.
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before:
- Using or disclosing your health information for marketing purposes
- Selling your health information, which we do not do
- Disclosing psychotherapy notes, where such notes exist
- Any other use or disclosure not described in this notice
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. Revocation does not undo disclosures already made in reliance on it.
Special Protections
Reproductive health care. Washington law provides specific protections for health information relating to reproductive health care, and we follow those requirements. As a matter of practice policy, we do not disclose your health information to support an investigation into, or to impose liability for, lawful reproductive health care.
Substance use disorder records. Records covered by 42 C.F.R. Part 2 receive additional protection and generally require your written consent before disclosure.
HIV, genetic and mental health information. Washington law provides additional protections for these categories, and we follow those requirements where they apply.
Your Rights
Inspect and copy. You may see and get a copy of your health information. Records are available to you directly through the patient portal at asymmetrichealth.hint.com. You may also request a copy in another form, including an electronic copy or a copy sent to a person you designate. Washington law requires us to respond no later than fifteen working days after we receive your written request. If the information is in use or unusual circumstances delay your request, we will tell you in writing why, and when the information will be available, no later than twenty-one working days after we receive the request. We may charge a reasonable cost-based fee for copies.
Amend. If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us in writing to amend it, with the reason for your request. We may deny the request in certain circumstances, and if we do, we will explain why in writing and you may submit a statement of disagreement to be included in your record.
Accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of disclosures we made of your health information, other than those for treatment, payment, health care operations and certain others. The list covers up to six years before your request. The first request in any twelve-month period is free.
Request restrictions. You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your information. We are not required to agree, except in one case: if you pay for a service in full out of pocket and ask us not to disclose that information to a health plan, we must agree.
Confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you at a particular address or by a particular method. We will accommodate reasonable requests and will not ask you why.
Paper copy of this notice. You may request one at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
Breach notification. We will notify you if a breach of your unsecured health information occurs.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer using the information below.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us using the contact information below, or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201, by calling 1-800-368-1019, or online at hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints.
You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Changes to This Notice
We may change this notice and make the new terms apply to all health information we maintain. If we make a material change, we will post the revised notice at https://www.asymmetrichealth.com/notice-of-privacy-practices, make paper copies available at our office, and provide the revised notice to you through the patient portal or at your next visit. The current notice is always posted at that address.
Contact
Asymmetric Health, PLLC
Attn: Privacy Officer
8282 28th Ct NE, Suite C
Lacey, WA 98516
Telephone: 360-706-1808
Email: support@asymmetrichealth.com