Effective Date: Jan 1, 2024
Dentistry 4 Kids (“we,” “us,” “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our patients’ health information in compliance with federal and California state laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA), and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your Protected Health Information (PHI) and personal information.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information about you to provide dental care services, including:
- Personal Identifiable Information (PII): Name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, and insurance information.
- Protected Health Information (PHI): Medical and dental records, treatment history, test results, diagnoses, and other health-related information.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your PHI and personal information for:
- Treatment: To provide and coordinate dental care services.
- Payment: To process payments from your insurance provider, or you, for services rendered.
- Healthcare Operations: For internal operations such as quality improvement, staff training, and customer service.
- Legal and Compliance: To comply with applicable federal, state, or local laws.
3. Disclosure of Information
We may disclose your PHI and personal information under the following circumstances:
- Healthcare Providers: To other healthcare professionals involved in your care.
- Insurance Providers: For billing and payment purposes.
- Business Associates: To third-party service providers performing functions on our behalf (e.g., billing services), provided they comply with HIPAA.
- Legal Requirements: When required by federal or California state law, such as for public health reporting, responding to subpoenas, or in cases of abuse or neglect.
- With Your Authorization: For any other purpose, we will only share your information with your express written consent.
We will not sell your personal information or use your PHI for marketing purposes without your explicit consent, as required under HIPAA and the CCPA.
4. Patient Rights (HIPAA and California Law)
You have the following rights regarding your health information under HIPAA, CMIA, and CCPA:
- Right to Access: You can request to view or obtain copies of your medical and dental records.
- Right to Amend: You can request corrections to your medical records if they are inaccurate or incomplete.
- Right to Restrict: You can request limitations on how we use or share your information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
- Right to Confidential Communication: You may request that we communicate with you in a certain way (e.g., through a different address or email).
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You can ask for a list of certain disclosures of your PHI.
- Right to Opt-Out of Data Sharing (under CCPA): If applicable, you can request to opt-out of certain data-sharing practices related to personal information, subject to CCPA rules.
- Right to Deletion: Under the CCPA, you can request that we delete your personal information, except where HIPAA and other laws require us to retain the data for medical and legal reasons.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [Insert Contact Information].
5. Security of Your Information
We take the security of your PHI and personal information seriously and have implemented safeguards including:
- Encryption of electronic health records.
- Access Control: Limiting access to PHI to authorized personnel only.
- Secure Data Storage: Physical and electronic protection of all records.
- HIPAA-Compliant Practices: Ongoing staff training and audits to ensure compliance with all HIPAA regulations.
6. CCPA Notice for California Residents
Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), California residents have additional rights regarding their personal information:
- Right to Know: You can request to know the categories of personal information we collect, the purpose for which it is collected, and with whom it is shared.
- Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information.
- Right to Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain legal and business requirements.
We do not sell your personal information as defined by the CCPA. For more information about your CCPA rights, or to exercise your CCPA rights, please contact us at [Insert Contact Information].
7. Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make changes, we will post the updated policy on this page and update the effective date. Significant changes will be communicated to you through direct means, such as by email or physical notice.
8. Contact Information
For questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, your rights, or how we handle your information, please contact us at:
infor@dentistry4kids.com or (833) 866-8433