NOTICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION PRIVACY PRACTICES

Healthier Life Medicine PLLC, Healthier Life Medicine PC (CA), and Healthier Life Medicine NJ PC (“Healthier Life”) is required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended (“HIPAA”), to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI) and to provide you with a notice of Healthier Life’s legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information (PHI) that Healthier Life may collect and maintain about you. This protection extends to any PHI whether in oral, written, or electronic format. This Notice of Health Information Privacy Practices (“Notice”) describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) to carry out treatment, payment or health care operations and for other specified purposes that are permitted or required by law. The Notice also describes your rights with respect to your protected health information (“PHI”) when in the hands of Healthier Life and its business associates, which are vendors that may assist us in providing services to you. PHI is any information that identifies you or may be used to identify you (e.g., basic demographic information); that is created or received by a health care provider, health plan, employer or health care clearinghouse; and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition and related health care services, or provision of or payment for health care.

We are required by law to abide by the terms of this Notice. We will not use or disclose your PHI without your prior written authorization, except as permitted or required by law and described in this Notice. Please note that if other federal, state, or local laws, rules or regulations restrict or limit the use and disclosure of your PHI in ways that are permitted under this Notice, Healthier Life will only use or disclose your PHI in compliance with the stricter law, rule or regulation. We strongly urge you to read this Notice carefully and thoroughly so that you will understand both our commitment to protecting the privacy of your PHI and how you can participate in the protection of this information.

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What PHI We Collect

We attempt to collect the minimal amount of information necessary for Healthier Life to provide our services to you and to obtain payment for those services. This may include your name, address, telephone number, social security number, date of birth, medical history, diagnosis, treatment, provider identification, financial responsibility, health insurance coverage (including group numbers and member identification numbers), and payment information.

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How We May Use and Disclose Protected Health Information About You WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT

With the exception of information that may qualify for special protection under state and/or federal law, the following categories describe different ways that we use and disclose your PHI. Not every possible use or disclosure in a category is listed below. However, all of the ways in which we are permitted to use and disclose PHI will fall within one of the categories below. Also, Healthier Life must limit its uses, disclosures, or requests for your PHI to the “minimum necessary” to accomplish the intended purpose of such use, disclosure, or request, except as permitted by law. Please note that, for purposes of this Notice, any references to “we” or “Healthier Life” include all business associates we may engage.

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Data Sharing Restrictions: Healthier Life Medicine PLLC does not share Health Connect data with advertising platforms, data brokers, or information resellers. Health data collected through Health Connect is exclusively used to provide or improve the application’s health and fitness-related use cases and features, in strict compliance with Google Play Store's policy for APIs accessing sensitive data.

Integration with Health Connect by Google: Healthier Life Medicine PLLC has expanded its services to include integration with Health Connect by Google, facilitating a comprehensive management of health and fitness data. In alignment with this integration, we are committed to adhering to Google's Health Connect policy requirements, ensuring the privacy and security of your health data as it is collected, used, and shared within the Health Connect ecosystem.

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Google's Health Connect Compliance:

• Data Collection and Use: We collect and use health and fitness data through Health Connect strictly for the purpose of enhancing our services in accordance with approved use cases. Such data includes, but is not limited to, physical activity, sleep patterns, nutrition, and health measurements, which are critical to delivering personalized health and wellness insights.

• Third-Party Data Sharing: Sharing of data with third parties through Health Connect is conducted solely with the aim of providing or improving the application’s functionalities, always with explicit user consent. We do not share health data for advertising, marketing, or any other purposes not directly related to the enhancement of health and fitness services provided by Healthier Life.

• User Consent and Transparency: Clear, understandable consent forms are presented to all users, ensuring informed consent is obtained before any data collection or sharing occurs. Our practices around data collection, sharing, and use are transparent, made available to users both within our app and through this updated privacy notice.

• User Data Management and Deletion: Users have the right to manage and delete their health data collected via Health Connect at any time. Healthier Life provides clear instructions within the app on how users can delete their data. This feature is designed to empower users, ensuring they have full control over their health information.

 

Security of your PHI

Access to PHI is restricted to only those employees, agents, or contractors of Healthier Life who require it to provide services to you or your healthcare provider(s) or obtain payment from those financially responsible for payment. Healthier Life maintains physical, technical, and procedural safeguards protecting PHI against unauthorized use and disclosure. Healthier Life’ Privacy Office is responsible for overseeing the proper and effective implementation of all required rules and regulations, as well as policies and procedures concerning the use and disclosure or PHI, including ensuring proper educating/training, investigating all issues, complaints and concerns, audit and monitoring compliance by Healthier Life and its employees, agents and contractors. Please note that any e-mail or text message communication you initiate with Healthier Life regarding your PHI is not secured in accordance with the HIPAA security standards. As a general rule, Healthier Life will not communicate with you through e-mail or text message unless the e-mail or text message can be properly encrypted or with your permission/consent.

 

Complaints/Objections

To file a complaint with Healthier Life, you must submit a written complaint to Healthier Life’s Privacy Office at the address listed below. Any submission must be marked “Confidential,” and should include your name, address, and telephone number where we can contact you (unless you chose to remain anonymous) and a brief description of your concern, issue, or complaint. Filing a complaint will not affect your rights to your personal data or services provided by Healthier Life.

 

How to Contact Us

If you would like to exercise your rights or would like additional information about Healthier Life’s privacy practices, you may contact:

By Mail: Healthier Life Medicine PLLC 109 Taft Cres, Centerport, NY 11721

By Email: aj@healthier.clinic

By Telephone: (888) 370-0848

 

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may also file a complaint with Healthier Life’s Privacy Office or with the applicable agency listed below:

 

By Mail: Office for Civil Rights The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20201

By Telephone: 1-877-696-6775

Or Visiting: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.

 

Changes to this Notice

Healthier Life reserves the right to change its practices and the terms of this Notice as, and to the extent permitted by law, to make the new Notice effective for all PHI and personal data we maintain without prior notice to you. The new Notice will be available upon request and on our website.

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Updates and Changes: Any future updates or changes to our privacy practices, especially those affecting our use of health data through Health Connect, will be communicated through updates to this Notice. We ensure that all modifications adhere to legal requirements and Google's policies, maintaining our commitment to the privacy and security of your health information.

 

Obtaining a Copy of this Notice

You are permitted to print or make a copy of this Notice for your records. If you do not have the ability to print or make a copy, you may request one by contacting the Healthier Life’s Privacy Office at the address listed above.

 

Effective Date

This Notice was revised and became effective as of 2/9/2024.