HIPAA Privacy Policy for Regenerative Joint Clinics (RJC)

Effective Date: December 5, 2024

Regenerative Joint Clinics (RJC) is committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI) in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its regulations. This HIPAA Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your health information.

1. Your Rights Under HIPAA

Under HIPAA, you have the following rights regarding your PHI:

a. Right to Access

You have the right to access and obtain a copy of your PHI maintained by RJC. This includes medical records, billing records, and other health information.

b. Right to Request Amendment

If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment. We will review your request and make changes as appropriate, or provide a written explanation if we deny the request.

c. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made by RJC, excluding those for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

d. Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on how your PHI is used or disclosed for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. While we will consider your request, we are not required to agree to all restrictions.

e. Right to Confidential Communications

You may request that we communicate with you through alternative means or at an alternative location (e.g., sending mail to a P.O. box instead of your home address). We will accommodate reasonable requests.

f. Right to File a Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). You will not face retaliation for filing a complaint.

2. How We Use and Disclose Your PHI

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

a. Treatment

To provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare, including sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in your care.

b. Payment

To obtain payment for the services we provide, including billing your insurance company or other third-party payers.

c. Healthcare Operations

To support our internal operations, such as quality assessment, training, and administrative activities to improve our services.

d. Required by Law

We may disclose PHI when required by federal, state, or local laws, such as reporting communicable diseases or responding to a court order.

e. Public Health and Safety

We may disclose PHI to authorized public health authorities to prevent or control disease, report adverse reactions to medications, or notify individuals of potential exposure to communicable diseases.

f. Business Associates

We may share PHI with third-party business associates who perform services on our behalf, such as billing or data management. These associates are required by law to protect your PHI.

g. Research

We may use or disclose PHI for research purposes if approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or with your explicit authorization.

3. Safeguarding Your PHI

We take the following measures to protect your PHI:

• Physical Safeguards: Secured facilities, locked filing cabinets, and restricted access to records.
• Technical Safeguards: Use of encryption, secure servers, and firewalls to protect electronic PHI.
• Administrative Safeguards: Staff training, confidentiality agreements, and regular security audits.

4. Authorization for Other Uses

Any use or disclosure of your PHI not covered by this policy requires your explicit written authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that RJC has already acted in reliance on it.

5. Breach Notification

In the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI, we will notify you promptly, as required by HIPAA, and provide details about the breach, what information was involved, and steps you should take to protect yourself.

6. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update or change this HIPAA Privacy Policy at any time. Any significant changes will be posted on our website with the updated effective date. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

7. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this HIPAA Privacy Policy, your rights, or wish to file a complaint, please contact us at:

Regenerative Joint Clinics
Email: contact@regenerativejointclinics.com
Phone: (470) 895-0610

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html.

This HIPAA Privacy Policy ensures our commitment to protecting your health information in compliance with federal regulations.