NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

Effective Date: August 20, 2025

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

The privacy of your health information is important to us.

Our Legal Duty

Your dental practice, Altoona Dentistry Implants Dentures, Inc. (“we,” “our,” “us”), is required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy and security of your health information. Certain state and federal laws may be more stringent than the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). In such cases, we will continue to abide by the more stringent laws.

We are required to promptly notify you in the event that a breach of your healthcare information occurs and may have compromised the privacy or security of your information. We must also provide you with this notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information.

We are required to follow the privacy practices that are described in this notice while it is in effect. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, as permitted by law. Any changes will apply to all health information that we maintain, including information created or received before the changes.

You may request a copy of our current notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this notice, please contact us:

Altoona Dentistry Implants Dentures, Inc.
178 Falon Lane
Altoona, PA 16602
Phone: (814) 300-0333
Email: manager@altoonadentists.com

Your Rights

Access: You have the right to see or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. We will provide your records within 30 days of your request, in the format you request when reasonably possible. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as allowed by law.
Amendment: You may request corrections to health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. Requests must be in writing and must state the reason for the amendment. We may deny your request under certain circumstances, but we will respond within 60 days.
Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information through alternative means or at alternative locations (for example, sending mail to a work address instead of a home address). We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Restrictions: You may request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree to these restrictions, but if we do, we will comply (except in emergencies). If you pay in full for services out-of-pocket, you may request that we not disclose this information to your health plan, unless required by law.
Accounting of Disclosures: You may request a list of certain disclosures of your health information we have made in the past six years, excluding those for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations. If you request more than one list in a 12-month period, we may charge a reasonable fee.
Copy of Notice: You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us at the address above or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences about how we share it:

With family members, friends, or others involved in your care.
In a disaster relief situation.
If you are unable to communicate your preference (e.g., unconscious), we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest.

We will never share your information for the following purposes without your written authorization:

Marketing purposes.
Sale of your information.

We may contact you for fundraising efforts, but you may opt out of future contacts.

Our Uses and Disclosures of Health Information

We may use and disclose your health information for:

Treatment: To share information with healthcare professionals involved in your care.
Payment: To bill and obtain payment for services provided.
Healthcare Operations: For quality assessment, professional training, licensing, accreditation, and administrative purposes.
Your Authorization: We may use or disclose your information for other purposes only with your written authorization, which you may revoke in writing at any time.

Other Uses Permitted or Required by Law

Public Health and Safety: Preventing disease, reporting adverse reactions, recalls, abuse, neglect, or threats to health and safety.
Research: For health-related research purposes under strict conditions.
Medical Examiners & Funeral Directors: When necessary, following a death.
Worker’s Compensation, Law Enforcement, and Government Requests: For claims, law enforcement, oversight activities, and national security.
Legal Actions: In response to a court order, subpoena, or legal proceeding.
Required by Law: When disclosure is legally mandated.
Appointment Reminders: To remind you of appointments.
Marketing Health-Related Services: To inform you about services that may benefit your care.

We may use third-party service providers to send emails, texts, or surveys on our behalf. These providers are prohibited from using your information for any other purpose. You may opt out of promotional communications at any time.

Questions and Concerns

If you have any questions about this notice or our privacy practices, please contact:

Privacy Officer
Altoona Dentistry Implants Dentures, Inc.
178 Falon Lane
Altoona, PA 16602
Phone: (814) 300-0333
Email: manager@altoonadentists.com

We respect your right to privacy and will not retaliate in any way if you file a complaint.