Notice of Privacy Practices

Your Rights

To exercise these rights, call our Privacy Officer at (904) 776-9126. We can explain the process and arrange an approved way for you to provide any required written request. We may verify your identity and a representative’s authority before releasing information.

See or obtain your records. You may request access to and an electronic or paper copy of health information in our designated record set, including medical and billing records, subject to limited legal exceptions. We normally respond within 30 days. If the law permits an extension, we will give you written notice explaining the delay and completion date. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee allowed by law. If access is denied, we will explain the reason and any review rights in writing.

Request a correction. You may ask us in writing to amend information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete and explain why. We normally respond within 60 days; any permitted extension will be explained in writing. We may deny a request for reasons allowed by law. If we do, we will provide a written explanation and describe how you can submit a statement of disagreement.

Request confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a different location, such as a different phone number or mailing address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Ask for limits on use or sharing. You may request restrictions on information used or disclosed for treatment, payment, or health care operations, or shared with people involved in your care. We generally do not have to agree, except when a required health-plan restriction applies. If you, or someone other than your health plan, pays in full for a particular item or service, you may ask us not to disclose information relating solely to that item or service to your health plan for payment or operations. We must agree unless disclosure is required by law. Tell us before the information is sent. An agreed restriction may not apply to emergency treatment when that information is needed.

Receive an accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures we made during the previous six years, subject to legal exceptions. The accounting generally does not include treatment, payment, operations, disclosures to you or with your authorization, and other excluded disclosures. The first accounting in a 12-month period is free. For additional requests within that period, we may charge a reasonable fee after telling you the cost and allowing you to withdraw or modify your request.

Obtain a paper copy of this notice. You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Act through an authorized representative. A person legally authorized to make health care or privacy decisions for you may exercise applicable rights on your behalf. We will verify that authority and apply any legal exceptions.

File a complaint without retaliation. You may complain to us or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services if you believe your privacy rights were violated. The contact and complaint instructions appear below.

Your Choices & Authorizations

People involved in your care. When permitted by law, we may share information relevant to care or payment with family, caregivers, or other people you identify if you agree, do not object when given the opportunity, or circumstances reasonably indicate your agreement. If you cannot express a preference, we may use professional judgment to share information in your best interest. Similar rules may allow limited information for disaster relief or to notify someone of your location or condition. Tell us your preferences; stricter laws may require specific permission.

Written authorization. Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, marketing uses or disclosures that require authorization, and any sale of protected health information require your written authorization. We do not sell patient information. Uses or disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. An authorization to disclose health information is separate from agreeing to treatment.

Changing your mind. You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. Revocation applies going forward; it does not undo actions already taken in reliance on your authorization or other legal exceptions to revocation.

Fundraising choices. If we contact you for fundraising using information permitted by law, you may opt out of future fundraising communications. Your choice will not affect treatment or payment. If protected substance use disorder records would be used for fundraising, you must first receive a clear, conspicuous opportunity to choose not to receive those communications.

How We May Use or Disclose Information

The following permissions are subject to applicable legal conditions, any required consent or authorization, and the additional protections described below. This notice is not itself your authorization to disclose records.

Treatment. We may use health information to evaluate you, plan treatment, and coordinate care with other treating professionals. For example, our neurology clinician may review hospital records and communicate a medication plan to the primary provider or facility team involved in your care.

Payment. As permitted by applicable law and any required consent or authorization, we may use or disclose information to bill for services, submit claims, verify coverage, and obtain payment. For example, we may provide permitted claim information to your health plan so it can process payment.

Health care operations. We may use or disclose information, as legally permitted, to manage the practice, review quality and safety, train personnel, coordinate services, and meet compliance requirements. For example, a clinician may review a care plan to assess medication safety and quality. Vendors performing covered services on our behalf must satisfy applicable privacy and contractual requirements; they do not have unrestricted permission to use your information.

Public health and safety. When legal requirements are met, we may disclose information for disease reporting, product recalls, medication adverse-event reporting, reporting suspected abuse or neglect, or preventing a serious and imminent threat to health or safety. Some situations require additional consent or notice.

Health oversight and legal requirements. We may disclose information for lawful audits, inspections, licensure, investigations, and other authorized oversight activities, or when a law requires disclosure. This includes access by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine compliance with federal privacy rules.

Research. We may use information abstracted so that your identity is protected, or disclose identifiable information with your written authorization, for research when applicable legal requirements and safeguards are satisfied. This describes a legal permission and does not mean you are enrolled in research.

Organ donation and deceased individuals. Legally permitted disclosures may be made to organ procurement organizations and, when relevant, to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors performing their authorized duties.

Workers’ compensation and special government functions. We may make disclosures permitted by applicable workers’ compensation law or for authorized military, national security, protective-service, or correctional functions, subject to legal limits.

Law enforcement and legal proceedings. Information may be disclosed for legally authorized law enforcement purposes or in response to valid legal process only when applicable requirements are satisfied. A subpoena does not automatically authorize every disclosure; required patient notice, orders, authorizations, and additional protections must be observed. Special protections for substance use disorder records apply to proceedings against you.

Additional Privacy Protections

Substance use disorder records. If we receive or maintain substance use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, those additional protections apply to the uses and disclosures described in this notice. We will obtain consent when Part 2 requires it. Such records, or testimony describing their contents, cannot be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without the required specific written consent or a qualifying court order. The court-order process requires notice and an opportunity to be heard as provided by Part 2. A court order authorizing disclosure must also be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure. An ordinary subpoena or general treatment/payment consent alone is insufficient for this purpose.

Florida and other stricter laws. Where another applicable law provides greater protection, we follow it. Florida law generally requires written authorization to release physician medical records, except disclosures to you, your legal representative, providers involved in your care, or another specific legal exception. Where specific permission is required to disclose HIV-test results, a general medical-records release alone is insufficient. Florida generally requires express consent to disclose covered DNA-analysis results unless a statutory exception applies, including certain diagnosis, treatment, and quality activities. If we receive mental health clinical records protected under Florida’s Baker Act, we maintain their confidentiality and disclose them only as that law permits. These requirements limit the general permissions described in this notice.

Our Responsibilities

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information, provide this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information as required by law. We must follow the privacy practices in the notice currently in effect. Uses or disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization.

We must comply with applicable security safeguards and with legal limits on access, use, and disclosure. Privacy protections apply to records regardless of whether they are paper, electronic, or communicated in another form.

Changes & Copies of This Notice

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this notice as permitted by law. A revised notice may apply to health information we already maintain and information we receive in the future. We will post the current notice, with its effective date, at www.coastalneurocare.com/notice-of-privacy-practices and make it available upon request. You may call our Privacy Officer for a paper or electronic copy. When required, we will also make the notice available at service delivery locations.

Questions & Complaints

To complain to our practice, call and ask for the Privacy Officer or email a request for a private follow-up without including health details. Explain that your concern relates to privacy; we will arrange an appropriate way to provide details or a written complaint. You may also file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights using its HIPAA complaint instructions and complaint portal. You do not have to complain to us first. We will not retaliate against you for exercising your rights or filing a complaint.