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.
In this Privacy Notice, “medical information” and “psychological information” mean the same as “health information.” Health information includes any information that relates to:
Counselors must always manage psychological records with great concern for privacy and confidentiality. I am required by law to protect the privacy of your health information. This means that I will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization except in the ways I tell you in this notice. If I wish to use or disclose your health information in ways other than those stated in this notice, I will ask you for your written authorization. If you give such an authorization, you may revoke it at any time, but I will not be liable for uses or disclosures made before you revoked your authorization.
Although the security of psychological records has continuously been addressed by Counseling Codes of Ethics as well as by State and Federal laws, the rules have been considerably strengthened by the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The following information provides details about the provisions of HIPAA and your rights concerning privacy and your psychological records.
Who will observe these rules?
In my practice, the following individuals are required by HIPAA to comply with the privacy rules:
Your information will be encrypted.