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.

Natural Medical Solutions Wellness Center ("Natural Medical Solutions," "NMS," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of health information entrusted to us.

This Notice of Privacy Practices explains how protected health information may be used or disclosed, the rights you may have concerning that information, and our responsibilities concerning your privacy.

Your Rights

Subject to applicable law and certain limitations, you may exercise the following rights concerning your protected health information.

1. Get a Copy of Your Health Information

You may ask to inspect or receive a copy of health information that we maintain about you in a designated record set. This may include medical and billing records and other records used to make decisions about your care.

We will respond to requests within the time required by applicable law. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply when permitted by law.

2. Ask Us to Correct Your Health Information

You may ask us to amend health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny a request in certain circumstances permitted by law, but if we do, we will explain the reason in writing and describe any additional rights you may have.

3. Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to communicate with you about health matters in a particular way or at a particular location, such as by contacting a specific telephone number or mailing address.

We will accommodate reasonable requests when required by law.

4. Ask Us to Limit Certain Uses or Disclosures

You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are generally not required to agree to every requested restriction.

If you pay a health care item or service in full out of pocket and ask us not to disclose information about that item or service to a health plan for payment or health care operations, we will honor that request when required by applicable law.

5. Get an Accounting of Certain Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures of your protected health information made during the period allowed by law.

An accounting does not include every type of disclosure. For example, disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations are generally excluded unless otherwise required by law.

6. Get a Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, including if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

7. Choose Someone to Act for You

If another person is legally authorized to act as your personal representative, that person may exercise applicable privacy rights on your behalf after we verify the representative's authority as required by law.

8. File a Privacy Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may submit a complaint to Natural Medical Solutions using the Privacy Contact information at the end of this Notice.

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. Information about filing a complaint is available at HHS Office for Civil Rights.

Natural Medical Solutions will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising a right available to you under applicable privacy law.

Your Choices

9. Family, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care

In appropriate circumstances, you may tell us whether we may share relevant health information with family members, friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.

If you are unable to communicate your preference, we may use professional judgment and applicable law to determine whether a limited disclosure is in your best interest.

10. Disaster Relief

We may disclose limited information to an authorized disaster relief organization when permitted by law and appropriate to help notify others about your condition, location, or safety.

11. Marketing, Sale of Information, and Other Uses

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing protected health information for purposes that require authorization under applicable law.

This may include certain marketing activities or the sale of protected health information. Where written authorization is required, you may revoke that authorization in writing, subject to actions already taken in reliance on it.

12. Psychotherapy Notes

If we maintain psychotherapy notes as that term is defined by HIPAA, most uses or disclosures of those notes require your written authorization except where another use or disclosure is specifically permitted by law.

How We May Use and Disclose Health Information

13. Treatment

We may use and disclose your protected health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services.

This may include sharing relevant information with health care professionals, laboratories, pharmacies, or others involved in your treatment when permitted by law.

14. Payment

We may use and disclose protected health information as permitted by law to bill for services, collect payment, determine coverage, coordinate benefits, or perform related payment activities.

15. Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose protected health information for appropriate health care operations, such as quality assessment, staff training, licensing, auditing, compliance, credentialing, business management, security, and improving patient services.

16. Business Associates

We may provide protected health information to vendors and service providers that perform functions involving health information on our behalf when permitted by law.

When HIPAA requires it, those organizations are subject to written obligations designed to protect the privacy and security of protected health information.

17. Appointment and Care Communications

We may contact you about appointments, scheduling, administrative matters, treatment alternatives, follow-up care, or health-related services when permitted by law.

18. Public Health and Safety

We may disclose protected health information for certain public health or safety purposes authorized by law, such as:

• Preventing or controlling disease.
• Reporting certain injuries or health conditions.
• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety.
• Reporting adverse events or product-related concerns when authorized by law.

19. Health Oversight

We may disclose protected health information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, inspections, investigations, licensure matters, or regulatory proceedings.

20. Legal and Administrative Proceedings

We may disclose protected health information in response to certain court orders, administrative orders, subpoenas, discovery requests, or other lawful processes when the requirements for disclosure are satisfied.

21. Law Enforcement

We may disclose protected health information to law enforcement officials when permitted or required by law, including in response to qualifying legal process or certain health and safety circumstances.

22. Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors

We may disclose protected health information when permitted by law to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors for purposes related to their legal duties.

23. Organ and Tissue Donation

We may disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue procurement, transplantation, or donation when applicable and permitted by law.

24. Research

Protected health information may be used or disclosed for research only when the requirements of applicable privacy law have been satisfied, such as through authorization or an approved waiver when legally permitted.

25. Workers' Compensation

We may disclose protected health information as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws or similar programs.

26. Government and Specialized Functions

We may make disclosures for certain specialized governmental functions when authorized by law, including qualifying military, national security, protective-service, correctional, or similar functions.

Substance Use Disorder Records

27. Records Subject to 42 CFR Part 2

Certain records relating to substance use disorder treatment may receive additional federal confidentiality protections under 42 CFR Part 2.

To the extent Natural Medical Solutions receives, maintains, uses, or discloses records that are subject to Part 2, we will handle those records according to the additional consent, use, disclosure, redisclosure, complaint, and other requirements that apply to those records.

The rules governing Part 2 records may differ from the rules governing other protected health information. Nothing in this Notice is intended to reduce protections that apply under Part 2 or another law that provides greater confidentiality protection.

Our Responsibilities

28. Protecting Your Information

When applicable, we are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect health information from impermissible access, use, alteration, loss, or disclosure.

29. Breach Notification

We will provide notifications required by applicable law if a breach occurs that compromises the privacy or security of protected health information.

30. Following This Notice

We are required to follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice that is currently in effect.

Except where a use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law, we will obtain appropriate authorization before using or disclosing protected health information for a purpose not described in this Notice.

31. More Protective Laws

Some federal or state laws may provide greater privacy protections for particular categories of information. When a more protective law applies to information we maintain, we will follow the additional requirements applicable to that information.

32. Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this Notice as permitted by law. A revised Notice may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information created or received after the revision.

The current Notice will be available at our office and on our website. You may also request a paper copy.

Privacy Contact

For questions about this Notice, requests involving your privacy rights, or privacy complaints, contact:

Privacy Contact
Natural Medical Solutions Wellness Center
1130 Upper Hembree Rd
Roswell, GA 30076
Phone: (770) 674-6311
Email: contact@natmedsol.org

This Notice is intended to describe Natural Medical Solutions' privacy practices in a clear and accessible format. It should be read together with any additional patient-specific privacy, consent, authorization, or confidentiality notices that apply to particular services or records.