Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED.
PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
HIPAA Information
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that requires medical records and other individually identifiable health information used or disclosed by healthcare providers to be kept confidential.
This law gives you, the patient, important rights to understand and control how your health information is used. HIPAA also establishes penalties for covered entities that misuse personal health information.
As required by HIPAA, we have prepared this notice to explain how we maintain the privacy of your health information and how we may use and disclose your protected health information.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your medical records only for the following purposes:
Treatment
Treatment includes providing, coordinating, or managing healthcare and related services by one or more healthcare providers.
Examples include dental cleanings, treatment referrals, extraction reports, periodontal referrals, and endodontic referrals.
Payment
Payment activities include obtaining reimbursement for services provided.
This may involve confirming insurance coverage, verifying benefits, determining deductibles or coverage limits, billing insurance providers, and performing collection activities.
Healthcare Operations
Healthcare operations include the business functions necessary to run our practice.
These activities may include quality assessments, performance improvement initiatives, auditing functions, cost management analysis, staff training, and customer service.
De-Identified Information
We may create and distribute de-identified health information by removing all information that could identify an individual patient.
This information may be used for research, practice management, or operational purposes.
Communications With You
We may contact you for purposes such as:
Appointment reminders
Information about treatment alternatives
Information about health-related benefits or services that may be relevant to your care
Any other uses or disclosures of your protected health information will be made only with your written authorization.
You may revoke this authorization at any time in writing. However, revocation will not apply to actions already taken based on your authorization.
Consumer information is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding your protected health information. These rights can be exercised by submitting a written request to the Privacy Officer.
Request Restrictions
You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information, including disclosures to family members, relatives, close personal friends, or other individuals identified by you.
We are not required to agree to all requested restrictions. However, if we do agree, we must comply with the restriction unless you request its removal in writing.
Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location in order to protect your privacy.
Access to Records
You have the right to inspect and obtain copies of your protected health information.
Request Amendments
You have the right to request corrections or amendments to your health information if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete.
Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your protected health information.
Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to request and receive a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time.
Acknowledgment of Receipt
You have the right to provide written acknowledgment that you have received a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information and provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
We are also required to follow the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this notice and make the updated terms applicable to all protected health information we maintain.
If changes are made, the revised notice will be posted in our office and made available upon request.
Filing a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with our office or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Contact Information
For questions or additional information regarding HIPAA or this Notice of Privacy Practices, please contact:
Dr. Byron Guffee
26 Holly Creek Drive
Anderson, SC 29621
Phone: 864-226-1752
You may also contact:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 202-619-0257
Effective Date: April 4, 2025