HIPAA PRIVACY POLICY

Introduction

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal regulation that mandates the protection of medical records and other personally identifiable health information, regardless of whether it is recorded electronically, shared via video or telecommunication, or conveyed verbally. HIPAA grants individuals the right to understand and have control over how their personal health data is utilized. Noncompliance with HIPAA regulations can result in penalties for entities that improperly manage or disclose protected health information.

To maintain transparency and trust, we have developed this Notice of Privacy Practices to explain how your personal health information is handled and safeguarded. While we are classified as a Business Associate under HIPAA and are not legally required to issue this notice, we provide it as a courtesy to outline our privacy practices and how we coordinate with clinicians and healthcare professionals. In the event of a data breach involving your unsecured health information, we will notify you promptly. We reserve the right to revise this notice to reflect changes in privacy policies, and any updates will be made available on our website and in the HelpfulPets.com, LLC online portal.

How We Use and Share Your Information

As a business associate to independent licensed therapists and healthcare professionals (“Clinicians”), we may process and disclose medical information for the following purposes:

1. Treatment

Facilitating, managing, or coordinating healthcare services with Clinicians.

2. Payment

Handling administrative tasks related to billing, reimbursements, and collections.

3. Health Care Operations

Supporting service quality evaluations, platform functionality, and customer support initiatives.

Additionally, in compliance with legal obligations, we may share health information for purposes such as:

• Public Health and Safety – Assisting in disease prevention, product recalls, medication safety, abuse reporting, and mitigating serious public health risks.
• Legal Compliance – Sharing data when required by federal or state law, including audits by the Department of Health and Human Services.
• Authorized Disclosures – Providing information to designated third parties when explicit written consent has been given. This includes the use of psychotherapy notes for legal matters, marketing, or data transactions.
• De-Identified Data – We may generate and distribute de-identified health data by removing all personally identifiable information.
• Service Communications – Contacting you about relevant healthcare-related services or updates.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have several rights regarding your medical records, which can be exercised by submitting a written request to your Clinician:

• Requesting Restrictions – You may ask that certain uses or disclosures of your information be limited, including restricting access to individuals involved in your care. However, approval of such requests is at our discretion.
• Confidential Communication Preferences – You may specify how you prefer to receive communications regarding your protected health information (e.g., via mail instead of phone calls).
• Access to Records – You have the right to review and obtain copies of your medical, billing, or other records, subject to applicable fees for processing and delivery.
• Requesting Amendments – If you believe your records contain errors or missing information, you may request corrections. While we will consider all requests, amendments may be denied if the existing records are deemed complete and accurate.
• Accounting of Disclosures – You may request a report detailing when and to whom your health information has been disclosed, subject to limitations. Additional requests beyond one per year may incur administrative fees.
• Paper Copy of This Notice – A physical copy of this notice is available upon request.

Filing a Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact us at:

Additionally, complaints can be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:

We assure you that no retaliation will occur as a result of filing a complaint.

Contact Information