Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date: January 1, 2023 · Last updated: —

Bedside Physicians, LLC ("Bedside Physicians," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of our patients and ensuring the confidentiality of their personal health information. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (“PHI”), to give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

1. Who Follows This Notice

This Notice applies to Bedside Physicians, LLC and to all of our employees, contractors, clinicians, staff, and business associates who may access your PHI in the course of providing or supporting your care. It applies to care delivered in person, in facilities we serve, in your home, and through telehealth.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

• Personal information: your name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and insurance information.
• Health information: medical history, symptoms, examination findings, diagnoses, treatment plans, medications, allergies, lab and diagnostic results, and other information necessary for your care.
• Payment information: billing details and payment records. Card payments are processed by our payment processor (Stripe); we do not store full card numbers on our systems.
• Website usage data: information about your interactions with our website, including IP address, browser type, and access times.

3. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

The following categories describe the ways we may use and disclose your PHI without a separate authorization. Not every use or disclosure will be listed, but all permitted uses fall within one of these categories.

Treatment

We may use your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your health care and related services. We may disclose PHI to physicians, nurses, technicians, or other clinicians and personnel involved in your care, including providers outside our practice to whom we refer you.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for the services we provide — for example, to bill and collect from you, an insurer, or another third party. This may include verifying coverage, obtaining prior authorization, and providing information about services rendered.

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI for operations necessary to run our practice and ensure quality care — for example, quality assessment and improvement, staff review and training, licensing, care coordination, and business management.

Business Associates

We may share your PHI with third-party "business associates" who perform services on our behalf (such as billing, scheduling, hosting, analytics, or IT support). We require each business associate, by written contract, to appropriately safeguard your information.

Appointment Reminders, Treatment Alternatives, and Health-Related Benefits

We may contact you to remind you of appointments, to tell you about or recommend treatment options, or to inform you of health-related benefits or services that may interest you, using the contact information you provide (including phone, email, and text where you have consented).

As Required or Permitted by Law

We may use or disclose your PHI when required or permitted by federal, state, or local law, including for public health activities, reporting of abuse or neglect, health oversight activities, judicial and administrative proceedings, law enforcement purposes, to avert a serious threat to health or safety, for specialized government functions, and for workers' compensation as authorized by law.

4. Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization

Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (where applicable), uses and disclosures for marketing purposes, and disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI require your written authorization. Other uses and disclosures not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already relied on it.

5. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:

• Right to access: You may inspect and obtain a copy of your health and billing records, in the form and format you request when readily producible, subject to limited exceptions. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Right to amend: You may request that we correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request under certain circumstances and will explain any denial in writing.
• Right to an accounting of disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures we made of your PHI.
• Right to request restrictions: You may ask us to limit how we use or disclose your PHI. We are not required to agree except where the disclosure is to a health plan for payment or operations and you have paid for the service in full out of pocket.
• Right to confidential communications: You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location.
• Right to a paper copy of this Notice: You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Right to be notified of a breach: You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured PHI.
• Right to choose someone to act for you: A person with legal authority (such as a medical power of attorney) may exercise your rights and make choices about your PHI.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer using the information below. Some requests must be made in writing.

6. Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time in writing.
• We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards designed to protect it from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

7. Telehealth and Electronic Communications

When you receive care by telehealth, the same privacy protections described in this Notice apply. Telehealth visits are conducted over technology intended to protect your information, but no electronic transmission is ever completely secure. Standard email and text messages are not encrypted end-to-end; where you choose to communicate with us by email or text, you accept the associated risk. Do not use email or text for medical emergencies.

8. Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us by contacting our Privacy Officer, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints.

9. Changes to This Notice

We may change this Notice from time to time and make the revised Notice effective for all PHI we maintain. We will post the current Notice on our website with a new effective date, and a copy will be available at our office upon request.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Notice or our privacy practices, or to exercise any of your rights, please contact our Privacy Officer:

See also our Terms of Service, Medical Disclaimer, and Telehealth & Licensing pages.