NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

 

Effective Date: April, 1,2013

Revised Date: May 18, 2026

 

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN ACCESS THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

 

At Honest Dermatology Medical Group (“HDMG,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), protecting your medical information and privacy is important to us. We are required by federal and California law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (“PHI”), provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices, and follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect.

 

This Notice applies to all records of your care created or maintained by HDMG, including records maintained electronically.

 

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OUR LEGAL DUTIES

 

We are required by law to:

 

Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;

Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices;

Notify you if a breach occurs that may compromise the privacy or security of your information; and

Follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect.

 

We reserve the right to revise this Notice at any time. Any revised Notice will apply to all information we maintain and will be available in our office and on our website.

 

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WHAT IS PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION?

 

Protected Health Information (“PHI”) is information that identifies you and relates to:

 

Your past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition;

The healthcare services provided to you; or

Payment for your healthcare services.

 

PHI may include information in paper, verbal, or electronic form.

 

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HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

 

Treatment

 

We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services. For example, we may share information with physicians, pharmacies, laboratories, imaging facilities, hospitals, or other providers involved in your care.

 

Payment

 

We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment from you, your insurance company, or another responsible party.

 

Healthcare Operations

 

We may use and disclose your PHI for practice operations, including:

 

Quality assessment and improvement;

Staff training and education;

Licensing and accreditation activities;

Business management and administration; and

Legal, accounting, and auditing services.

 

Appointment Reminders and Communications

 

We may contact you regarding:

 

Appointment reminders;

Follow-up care;

Test results;

Treatment options; or

Health-related services that may interest you.

 

These communications may occur by phone call, voicemail, text message, email, patient portal, or mail, unless you request otherwise.

 

Please note that standard text messaging and email may not always be fully secure.

 

Business Associates

 

We may share PHI with third-party service providers (“Business Associates”) who assist us with operations such as billing, electronic medical records, cloud storage, IT support, scheduling, and legal or accounting services. These parties are contractually required to safeguard your information.

 

Individuals Involved in Your Care

 

Unless you object, we may disclose relevant information to family members, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.

 

Required by Law

 

We may disclose your PHI when required by federal, state, or local law.

 

Public Health and Safety

 

We may disclose PHI for public health and safety purposes, including reporting:

 

Disease or injury;

Abuse or neglect;

Adverse medication reactions;

Product recalls; or

Threats to health or safety.

 

Health Oversight Activities

 

We may disclose PHI to governmental agencies for audits, investigations, inspections, licensing, and other oversight activities authorized by law.

 

Legal Proceedings and Law Enforcement

 

We may disclose PHI in response to court orders, subpoenas, warrants, or other lawful legal processes, subject to applicable legal protections.

 

Workers’ Compensation

 

We may disclose PHI as authorized by laws relating to workers’ compensation or similar programs.

 

Research

 

We may use or disclose PHI for approved research purposes when permitted by law and subject to privacy protections.

 

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USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRING YOUR AUTHORIZATION

 

We will obtain your written authorization before:

 

Using or disclosing psychotherapy notes (if applicable);

Using your PHI for most marketing purposes;

Selling your PHI; or

Using or disclosing PHI in situations not otherwise described in this Notice.

 

You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent action has already been taken in reliance on it.

 

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YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

 

Right to Access and Obtain Copies

 

You may request access to or copies of your medical records and billing records.

 

Right to Electronic Copies

 

If your records are maintained electronically, you may request an electronic copy in a readily producible format.

 

Right to Request Amendments

 

You may request corrections to your medical records if you believe information is incorrect or incomplete.

 

Right to Request Restrictions

 

You may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to all requested restrictions except where required by law.

 

Right to Confidential Communications

 

You may request that we communicate with you in specific ways or at specific locations.

 

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

 

You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made by us.

 

Right to Notification of a Breach

 

You have the right to be notified if your unsecured PHI is breached.

 

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

 

You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time.

 

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SPECIAL RIGHT FOR SELF-PAY PATIENTS

 

If you pay for a service out-of-pocket in full, you may request that we not disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes, and we will comply unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

 

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CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

 

California law may provide additional privacy protections beyond federal HIPAA requirements, including protections under the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (“CMIA”).

 

We comply with applicable California privacy laws regarding medical information confidentiality and security.

 

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WEBSITE AND DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

 

Our website may collect limited technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information, and website usage analytics.

 

If you communicate with us through website forms, email, text messaging, or patient portals, those communications may become part of your medical record.

 

For additional information regarding website data collection practices, please review our separate Website Privacy Policy available on our website.

 

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COMPLAINTS

 

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.

 

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

 

Contact Information

 

Privacy Officer

Honest Dermatology Medical Group

15840 Ventura Blvd., Suite 101

Encino, CA 91436

Phone: (818) 789-3811

Email: pegah@honestdermatology.com

 

You may also file a complaint with:

 

Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

HHS Office for Civil Rights