PRIVACY POLICY
This Privacy Policy applies to the www.ErasePTSDNow.org website owned by Erase PTSD Now www.eraseptsdnow.org and governs data collection and usage. By using the Website, you consent to the data practices described in this Policy.
COLLECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Website may collect personally identifiable information, such as your email address, name, home or work address or telephone number. Website may also collect anonymous demographic information, which is not unique to you, such as your ZIP code, age, gender, preferences, interests and favorites.
There is also information about your computer hardware and software that may be automatically collected by website. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information may be used by Website for the operation of the website, to maintain and improve quality of the website, improve service, send periodic emails and to provide general statistics regarding use of the Website.
Please keep in mind that if you voluntarily disclose personally identifiable information or personally sensitive data through Website public message boards, this information may be collected and used by others.
LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES
This Website may contain links to other websites. Website is not responsible or liable for the privacy practices or content of websites outside of the www.ErasePTSDNow.org Website. Website encourages you to review the Privacy Policies of websites you choose to link to from Website to understand how those websites collect, use and share your information.
USE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Website may collect and use your personal information to operate the www.ErasePTSDNow.org website and deliver the services you have requested. Website may also use your personally identifiable information to inform you of other content or services available from Website.
Website does not sell, rent or lease its information or lists to third parties. Website may share data with trusted partners to help us perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, or provide support. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to website, and are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.
Website will disclose your personal information, without notice, only if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on www.ErasePTSDNow.org or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Website; and, (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of Website, or the public.
USE OF COOKIES
The Website uses “cookies” to improve and personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard drive by some web pages that you visit. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies by themselves, cannot be used to reveal or discover the identity of the individual user. The actual cookies contain “hashed” data. A hash is the result of a specific mathematical formula applied to some input data, e.g., user name and password, making it very difficult to find the original input data.
You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can control cookies through your browser preference setting. If you choose to reject cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the features of the Website.
GENERAL LEGAL NOTICE & DISCLAIMER
References herein to any linked site or other third party do not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation by Website. While Website makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information on this website, Website does not approve or certify such information nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness or correct sequencing of such information.
Use of such information is voluntary. Website, including its employees and agents, is not responsible for and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on the information available through this website. No approvals, recommendations, endorsements, guarantees or warranties, including, but not limited to, any express or implied warranties of merchantability, or fitness for any particular use or purpose of products or services named on this website are made by www.ErasePTSDNow.org.
SECURITY OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION***
Website secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Website secures the personally identifiable information you provide on computer servers in a controlled, secure environment, protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure.
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
Website will occasionally update this Privacy Policy. Website reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at our sole discretion, at any time. Website encourages you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to be informed of how Website is protecting your information.
This Policy was last modified in December 2022.
HIPAA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective Date: December 2022
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
The terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) apply to Erase PTSD Now, its affiliates and its employees. Erase PTSD Now will share protected health information of patients as necessary to carry out treatment, payment, and health care operations as permitted by law.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of our patients' protected health information and to provide patients with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice for as long as it remains in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice as necessary and to make a new notice of privacy practices effective for all protected health information maintained by Erase PTSD Now. We are required to notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured protected health information. We are also required to inform you that there may be a provision of state law that relates to the privacy of your health information that may be more stringent than a standard or requirement under the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”). A copy of any revised Notice of Privacy Practices or information pertaining to a specific State law may be obtained by mailing a request to the Privacy Officer at the address below.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION:
Except as outlined below, we will not use or disclose your protected health information for any purpose other than health care operations, business associates, research and fundraising unless you have signed a form authorizing additional use or disclosure.
Uses and Disclosures for Health Care Operations: We will make uses and disclosures of your protected health information as necessary, and as permitted by law, for our health care operations, which may include clinical improvement, professional peer review, business management, accreditation and licensing, etc. For instance, we may use and disclose your protected health information for purposes of improving clinical treatment and patient care.
Business Associates: Certain aspects and components of our services are performed through contracts with outside persons or organizations, such as auditing, accreditation, outcomes data collection, legal services, etc. At times it may be necessary for us to provide your protected health information to one or more of these outside persons or organizations who assist us with our health care operations. In all cases, we require these associates to appropriately safeguard the privacy of your information.
Research: In limited circumstances, we may use and disclose your protected health information for research purposes. In all cases where your specific authorization is not obtained, your privacy will be protected by strict confidentiality requirements applied by an Institutional Review Board which oversees the research or by representations of the researchers that limit their use and disclosure of your information.
Fundraising: We may use your information to contact you for fundraising purposes. We may disclose this contact information to a related foundation so that the foundation may contact you for similar purposes. If you do not want us or the foundation to contact you for fundraising efforts, you must send such request in writing to the Privacy Officer at the address below.
Other Uses and Disclosures: We are permitted and/or required by law to make certain other uses and disclosures of your protected health information without your consent or authorization for the following:
• Any purpose required by law;
• Public health activities such as required reporting of immunizations, disease, injury, birth and death, or in connection with public health investigations;
• If we suspect child abuse or neglect; if we believe you to be a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence;
• To the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse events, product defects, or to participate in product recalls;
• To your employer when we have provided health care to you at the request of your employer;
• To a government oversight agency conducting audits, investigations, civil or criminal proceedings;
• Court or administrative ordered subpoena or discovery request;
• To law enforcement officials as required by law if we believe you have been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law;
• To coroners and/or funeral directors consistent with law;
• If necessary to arrange an organ or tissue donation from you or a transplant for you;
• If you are a member of the military, we may also release your protected health information for national security or intelligence activities; and
• To workers' compensation agencies for workers' compensation benefit determination.
DISCLOSURES REQUIRING AUTHORIZATION:
Psychotherapy Notes: We must obtain your specific written authorization prior to disclosing any psychotherapy notes unless otherwise permitted by law. However, there are certain purposes for which we may disclose psychotherapy notes, without obtaining your written authorization, including the following: (1) to carry out certain treatment, payment or healthcare operations (e.g., use for the purposes of your treatment, for our own training, and to defend ourselves in a legal action or other proceeding brought by you), (2) to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to determine our compliance with the law, (3) as required by law, (4) for health oversight activities authorized by law, (5) to medical examiners or coroners as permitted by state law, or (6) for the purposes of preventing or lessening a serious or imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public.
Genetic Information: We must obtain your specific written authorization prior to using or disclosing your genetic information for treatment, payment or health care operations purposes. We may use or disclose your genetic information, or the genetic information of your child, without your written authorization only where it would be permitted by law.
Marketing: We must obtain your authorization for any use or disclosure of your protected health information for marketing, except if the communication is in the form of (1) a face-to-face communication with you, or (2) a promotional gift of nominal value.
RIGHTS THAT YOU HAVE REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION:
Access to Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to copy and/or inspect much of the protected health information that we retain on your behalf. For protected health information that we maintain in any electronic designated record set, you may request a copy of such health information in a reasonable electronic format, if readily producible. Requests for access must be made in writing and signed by you or your legal representative. You may obtain a "Patient Access to Health Information Form" from the front office person. You will be charged a reasonable copying fee and actual postage and supply costs for your protected health information. If you request additional copies you will be charged a fee for copying and postage.
Amendments to Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to request in writing that protected health information that we maintain about you be amended or corrected. We are not obligated to make requested amendments, but we will give each request careful consideration. All amendment requests, must be in writing, signed by you or legal representative, and must state the reasons for the amendment/correction request. If an amendment or correction request is made, we may notify others who work with us if we believe that such notification is necessary. You may obtain an "Amendment Request Form" from the front office person or individual responsible for medical records.
Accounting for Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures made by us of your protected health information after April 14, 2003. Requests must be made in writing and signed by you or your legal representative. "Accounting Request Forms" are available from the front office person or individual responsible for medical records. The first accounting in any 12-month period is free; you will be charged a fee for each subsequent accounting you request within the same 12-month period. You will be notified of the fee at the time of your request.
Restrictions on Use and Disclosure of Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to request restrictions on uses and disclosures of your protected health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to most restriction requests, but will attempt to accommodate reasonable requests when appropriate. You do, however, have the right to restrict disclosure of your protected health information to a health plan if the disclosure is for the purpose of carrying out payment or health care operations and is not otherwise required by law, and the protected health information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which you, or someone other than the health plan on your behalf, has paid [Practice Name] in full. If we agree to any discretionary restrictions, we reserve the right to remove such restrictions as we appropriate. We will notify you if we remove a restriction imposed in accordance with this paragraph. You also have the right to withdraw, in writing or orally, any restriction by communicating your desire to do so to the individual responsible for medical records.
Right to Notice of Breach: We take very seriously the confidentiality of our patients’ information, and we are required by law to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information through appropriate safeguards. We will notify you in the event a breach occurs involving or potentially involving your unsecured health information and inform you of what steps you may need to take to protect yourself.
Paper Copy of this Notice: You have a right, even if you have agreed to receive notices electronically, to obtain a paper copy of this Notice. To do so, please submit a request to the Privacy Officer at the address below.
Complaints: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint in writing with the Privacy Officer. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the below address. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.
Office for Civil Rights
Department of HHS
Jacob Javits Federal Building
26 Federal Plaza - Suite 3312
New York, NY 10278
Voice Phone (212) 264-3313
FAX (212) 264-3039
TDD (212) 264-2355
For Further Information: If you have questions, need further assistance regarding or would like to submit a request pursuant to this Notice, you may contact the Erase PTSD Now Privacy Officer by phone at (773) 683-1211 or by letter at the following address: 940 W Glenlake Ave, Unit 36C, Chicago, IL 60660
This Notice of Privacy Practices is also available on our Erase PTSD Now web page at www.ErasePTSDNow.org/hippa