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.

Our Commitment to Your Privacy#

Vita Veda (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”), to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, to abide by the terms of this Notice, and to notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.

PHI is information that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health, the health care we provide to you, or payment for that care. This Notice applies to all records of your care created or maintained by our practice, whether in electronic, paper, or oral form, including care delivered through telemedicine.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information#

The following categories describe the ways we may use and disclose PHI without your written authorization:

For Treatment. We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, and manage your health care. For example, we share your information with laboratory partners (such as Quest Diagnostics) to order blood work, with imaging facilities to coordinate diagnostics, with pharmacies to fill prescriptions, and with other physicians or specialists involved in your care.

For Payment. We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for services. For example, we may share information with your health plan to obtain prior authorization for a medication, or to help you use insurance benefits for laboratory testing or imaging. Because we operate on a membership model, most payment activities occur directly between you and our practice through our payment processor.

For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your PHI to run our practice, including quality improvement, training, scheduling, business planning, and administrative activities. For example, we may review treatment records to evaluate and improve the care we provide.

Appointment Reminders and Care Communications. We may use your PHI to contact you with appointment reminders, follow-ups on test results, and information about treatment options or health-related services we offer. See our Privacy Policy for details on email and SMS communications and how to opt out.

Business Associates. We may share your PHI with third-party “business associates” that perform services on our behalf — such as our electronic health record system, telehealth platform, scheduling software, and billing processor. Each business associate is required by contract and by law to safeguard your PHI.

Individuals Involved in Your Care. With your verbal agreement (or, in an emergency, when in your best interest), we may share relevant PHI with a family member, friend, or other person you identify as involved in your care or payment for your care.

Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law#

We may also use or disclose your PHI without your authorization in these circumstances:

• As required by law, including in response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful process
• For public health activities, such as reporting communicable diseases or adverse drug events
• To report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence as required or permitted by law
• For health oversight activities, such as audits, investigations, and licensure actions
• To law enforcement in limited circumstances permitted by law
• To coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties
• For organ and tissue donation purposes
• For research approved through a privacy review process, or using de-identified information
• To avert a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of others
• For specialized government functions, including military, national security, and correctional purposes
• For workers’ compensation as authorized by law

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization#

The following uses and disclosures will be made only with your written authorization:

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if any)
• Uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes
• Any sale of your PHI

You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information#

You have the following rights with respect to your PHI. To exercise any of these rights, contact us in writing at support@vitaveda.health.

• Right to Inspect and Copy. You may request to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical record, including an electronic copy. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Right to Amend. If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment. We may deny the request in certain circumstances, and we will explain the denial in writing.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI made in the six years prior to your request, other than those for treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other excluded categories.
• Right to Request Restrictions. You may request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI. We are not required to agree to all requests; however, we must agree to your request not to disclose information to your health plan about a service you have paid for in full out of pocket, unless the disclosure is required by law.
• Right to Confidential Communications. You may request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location (for example, only by email or only at a specific phone number). We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Right to Breach Notification. We will notify you if a breach occurs that compromises the privacy or security of your unsecured PHI.

Changes to This Notice#

We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the revised Notice effective for PHI we already maintain as well as information we receive in the future. The current Notice, with its effective date, will be posted on our website at all times. Material changes will be reflected in an updated effective date.

Complaints#

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (www.hhs.gov/ocr). You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.

To file a complaint with us, contact:

Privacy Officer
Vita Veda
110 W Vine Street Ste 511
Lexington, KY 40507
Email: support@vitaveda.health

Contact#

For questions about this Notice or our privacy practices, contact our Privacy Officer at support@vitaveda.health.