Notice of Privacy Practices | Pasadena Clinical Group

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 duties

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), provide you with this notice, abide by the terms currently in effect, and notify you of breaches of unsecured PHI as required by law.

Uses and disclosures permitted without your authorization

Treatment. To provide and coordinate your care.
Payment. To bill you, your insurer, or another payer.
Health care operations. Quality improvement, training, accreditation, and similar internal functions.
Required by law. Including child abuse and elder/dependent adult abuse reporting (Penal Code § 11164 et seq., the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act; Welf. & Inst. Code § 15630).
To prevent serious harm. Including the duty to protect identifiable third parties under California Civil Code § 43.92 (the Tarasoff duty).
Public health, judicial proceedings, law enforcement, coroners, organ donation, research, military and national security — only as specifically permitted by law.

Uses and disclosures requiring your written authorization

Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
Marketing communications.
Sale of PHI.
Other uses and disclosures not described in this notice.

Your rights under HIPAA and California law

Inspect and copy most of your records (Health & Safety Code § 123100 et seq.; 45 CFR 164.524).
Amend records you believe are incorrect or incomplete.
Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures.
Request confidential communications by alternative means or at alternative locations.
Receive an accounting of certain disclosures.
Receive notice of any breach of your unsecured PHI as required by HITECH (45 CFR 164.404).
Receive a paper copy of this notice.
Choose someone to act for you (personal representative, parent of minor, etc.) under applicable law.

California-specific protections

The California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act ("CMIA"; Cal. Civ. Code § 56 et seq.) provides protections that are, in several respects, stricter than HIPAA. These include:

Stronger limits on the use of medical information for marketing (Civ. Code § 56.10(d)).
Specific protections for mental-health records under Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 5328 (within the framework of the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 5000 et seq.).
Heightened protections for HIV-related information (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 120975 et seq.).
The California Patient Access to Health Records Act (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 123100 et seq.) — your right to inspect and copy your records.
42 CFR Part 2 applies to substance-use disorder treatment records and may apply to portions of your file in some circumstances.

Where CMIA, HIPAA, HITECH, 42 CFR Part 2, or any other applicable law provides greater protection, that greater protection applies (the "more protective standard" rule).

Mandatory exceptions to confidentiality (California)

Suspected child abuse or neglect (CANRA, Penal Code § 11164 et seq.).
Suspected elder or dependent-adult abuse (Welf. & Inst. Code § 15630).
Imminent risk of serious harm to self or others, including the duty to protect identifiable third parties (Tarasoff/Civ. Code § 43.92).
Court orders, subpoenas, and other legal process — though we will assert applicable privileges where appropriate.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the regulators listed below. We will not retaliate, nor will your care be affected, for filing a complaint.

With the practice — email office@pasadenaclinicalgroup.com, call (626) 354-6440, or write to Pasadena Clinical Group, Attn: Privacy Officer, 301 N. Lake Ave, STE 600, Pasadena, CA 91101.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights — file online at hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint, or by mail to: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F HHH Bldg, Washington, D.C. 20201. You generally must file within 180 days of the alleged violation.
California Attorney General — Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse / Privacy Enforcement — oag.ca.gov/privacy.
Licensing-board complaints against an individual clinician at this practice can also be filed with the California licensing board that issued the clinician's license — see "Licensing-board complaints" in the Treatment Consent for the relevant addresses.