Anna Hunter, MA

Phone: 913-204-0112

Email: anna@annahunterpsychotherapy.com

4501 College Boulevard Suite 260 Leawood, KS 66211

NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE: This notice went into effect on January 1st, 2025

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

I. MY PLEDGE REGARDING PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION:

I take your privacy very seriously. I understand that protected health information (PHI) about you and your health care is personal, and I am committed to protecting your PHI. I create a record of the care and services you receive from me. I need this record to provide you with quality care and to comply with certain legal requirements. This notice applies to all of the records of your care generated by this mental health care practice. This notice will tell you about the ways in which I may use and disclose PHI about you. It also describes your rights to the PHI I keep about you and certain obligations I have regarding the use and disclosure of your PHI. I am required by law to:

1. Make sure that PHI about you is kept private.
2. Give you this notice of my legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI.
3. Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

Please note, I can change the terms of this notice. Such changes will apply to all PHI I have about you when the new notice is made available upon request, in my office, and on my website.

II. HOW I MAY USE AND DISCLOSE PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU:

The following categories describe different ways that I use and disclose health information. For each category of uses or disclosures I will explain what I mean and try to give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, all of the ways I am permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

For Treatment Payment, or Health Care Operations: Federal privacy rules (regulations) allow health care providers who have direct treatment relationship with the patient/client to use or disclose the patient/client’s personal health information without the patient’s written authorization, to carry out the health care provider’s own treatment, payment or health care operations. I may also disclose your protected health information for the treatment activities of any health care provider. This too can be done without your written authorization. For example, if a clinician were to consult with another licensed health care provider about your condition, we would be permitted to use and disclose your personal health information, which is otherwise confidential, in order to assist the clinician in diagnosis and treatment of your mental health condition.

Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit, I may disclose PHI about you or your child in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone involved in the dispute, but only if efforts have been made to tell you about the request or to obtain an order protecting the PHI requested. I may use or disclose your PHI to defend myself in legal proceedings instituted by you.

III. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION.

Subject to certain limitations in the law, I can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons:

1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.
5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on my premises.
6. To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.
7. For research purposes, I may disclose your PHI to researchers when their research has been approved by an Institutional Review Board or privacy board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your information.
8. Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counterintelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.
9. For workers’ compensation purposes. Although my preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, I may provide your PHI in order to comply with workers’ compensation laws.
10. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. I may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with me. I may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that I offer.

IV. CERTAIN USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT.

1. Disclosures to family, friends, or others: I may provide PHI about you to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.

V. OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES:

I will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes other than those provided for above (or as otherwise permitted or required by law). You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time. Upon receipt of the written revocation, I will stop using or disclosing your PHI, except to the extent that I have already done so.

VI. YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO YOUR PHI:

1. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI: You have the right to ask me not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. I am not required to agree to your request, and I may say “no” if I believe it would affect your health care.
2. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full: You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
3. The Right to Choose How I Send PHI to You: You have the right to ask me to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location (for example, mail to you home or call your office phone only). I will agree to all reasonable requests.
4. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI: You have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information I have about you. I will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request. I may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for doing so.
5. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures I Have Made: You have the right to request a list of instances in which I have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided me with an Authorization. I will respond to your written request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receipt. The list I will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. I will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, I will charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for each additional request.
6. The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI: If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI or that a piece of important information is missing, you have the right to request a correction. Your request must be made in writing. I may say “no” to your request, but I will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
7. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. And, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it.

VII. YOU MAY FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT PRIVACY PRACTICES

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with me or file a written complaint with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. A complaint to the Secretary should be filed within 180 days of the occurrence or action that is the subject of the complaint. If you file a complaint, I will not take any action against you or change my treatment of you in any way.

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Privacy Notice

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information.