HIPAA 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.

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Connection Point Psychology PLLC is required by federal law (HIPAA) and strict New York State healthcare regulations to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and to provide you with this comprehensive description of our legal duties and privacy practices.

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Uses and Disclosures of Health Information

 

We may legally use or disclose your PHI for the following core clinical reasons:

 

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Treatment: We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your psychological treatment and clinical care.

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Payment: We may use and disclose your health details so that services can be billed and collected from commercial insurance carrier panels or third-party payers.

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Healthcare Operations: We may use your PHI to support the internal administrative operations of our group practice, including clinical quality audits or compliance evaluations.

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Heightened Protections for Mental Health Data

 

Under federal rules and New York State mental health guidelines, specific categories of records receive an extra layer of strict protection. Psychotherapy Notes (separate, detailed notes analyzing the contents of a therapy session) are kept separated from standard billing or clinical charts and cannot be disclosed to external parties without your separate, explicit, signed authorization, except under explicit legal mandates or safety emergencies.

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Your Patient Rights Under New York Public Health Law § 18

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While federal HIPAA rules grant standard privacy rights, New York Public Health Law Section 18 establishes precise rules governing your access to mental health records:

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Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to formally inspect and receive copies of your clinical record charts and billing files. You must submit this request in writing to our designated Privacy Officer.

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Practice Processing Timeline: In accordance with New York state guidelines, we will process and respond to your formal written request to inspect or copy records within 10 days of receipt.

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Right to Appeal: If access to records is denied due to a clinical determination that access would cause substantial harm to the patient, you have a formal right under New York law to have that decision reviewed by an independent Access to Patient Information Committee appointed by the New York State Department of Health.

 

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Right to Request Restrictions and Amendments

 

You have the right to request that we restrict how we use or share your clinical details for treatment or billing. You also have the right to request an amendment to your file if you believe the historical administrative or billing details are incorrect. These requests must be submitted formally in writing.

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Privacy Complaints

 

If you believe your clinical privacy rights have been violated, you may file a formal complaint directly with the Privacy Officer at Connection Point Psychology PLLC or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. New York residents may also contact the New York State Department of Health Office of Record Access. You will face no retaliation for filing a complaint.