Notice of Privacy Practices 

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL, DRUG, AND ALCOHOL RELATED INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU MAY OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. A COPY OF THIS NOTICE IS POSTED ON THE IDEAL OPTION WEBSITE. A PAPER COPY IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST AT ANY IDEAL OPTION CLINIC LOCATION.

This Notice is being provided to you as a requirement of two federal laws: the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 42 U.S.C. §1320d et seq., 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 & 164, and 42 U.S.C. § 290dd-2, 42 CFR Part 2 (“Part 2”) regarding Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Patient Records. This Notice takes into account amendments made in order to implement section 3221 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act set forth at 89 FR 12472, effective April 16, 2024, which amended Part 2, and in particular, 42 CFR section 2.22.

General Description

Under these laws, Ideal Option, PLLC (“Ideal Option”) may not disclose to any person or entity outside Ideal Option that you are a patient of Ideal Option, that you may be suffering from a Substance Use condition, nor may Ideal Option disclose to any outside person or entity any other Protected Health Information (“PHI”) about you except as permitted by federal law. Your PHI means any written or oral health information about you, including demographic data that may be used to identify you. This is health information that is created or received by your health care provider, and that relates to your past, present or future physical or mental health or condition. This Notice describes how Ideal Option may use and disclose your protected health information to carry out treatment, payment and health care operations and for other purposes that are permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights to access and control your PHI.

This Notice Describes

• How Health Information About You May Be Used and Disclosed
• Your Rights with Respect to Your Health Information
• How To File a Complaint Concerning a Violation of The Privacy or Security of Your Health Information, Or of Your Rights Concerning your Information

You Have A Right To A Copy Of This Notice, In Paper Or Electronic Form, And To Discuss It With Hannah Phenneger, Ideal Option Senior Director Of Compliance. Phone: 1-877-522-1275 Email: Hannahphenneger@Idealoption.net

I. Uses and Disclosures

Ideal Option must obtain your written consent before it may disclose information about you for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. For example, Ideal Option must obtain your written consent before it may disclose information to your health insurer in order to be paid for services. Generally, you must also sign a written consent before Ideal Option may share information outside of Ideal Option for treatment purposes or for health care operations purposes. However, the law permits Ideal Option to obtain your written consent for such purposes. In addition, if Ideal Option in its judgment is required to disclose such information for such purposes in order to effectively provide treatment, be paid, and do business, and you elect not to consent, which is your right, then Ideal Option may not be able to provide treatment to you as a patient.

In addition, federal law permits Ideal Option to disclose information without your written permission in the following instances:

• Pursuant to an agreement with a person, entity, or agency (i.e. a qualified service organization/business associate) that provides services to Ideal Option. For example, Ideal Option may disclose information without your consent to obtain data management or financial services as long as a compliant qualified service organization/business associate agreement is in place limiting redisclosure.
• For research, audit or program evaluation purposes.
• To report a crime committed on Ideal Option premises or against Ideal Option personnel. • To medical personnel in a medical emergency.
• To appropriate authorities to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
• As authorized by a court order.
• Within Ideal Option and any administrative entity having control over Ideal Option to the extent needed to provide patient care and conduct business.
• To a public health authority, as long as the information has been de-identified.
• To a parent, guardian, or other authorized representative if you are a minor and Ideal Option determines that you lack the capacity to make a rational choice as to consent.

Before Ideal Option may use or disclose any information about your health in a manner which is not described above, it must first obtain your specific written consent allowing it to make the disclosure. You may revoke any such written consent in writing, except to the extent that Ideal Option has already acted upon it. You are permitted to provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes.

Patient records, or testimony relaying the content of such records, may not be used or disclosed in any civil, administrative, criminal, or legislative proceedings against you as a patient unless based on specific written consent or a court order. Records will only be used or disclosed based on a court order after any appropriate notice and an opportunity to be heard is provided to you or the holder of the record, where required by law. Any court order authorizing use or disclosure must be accompanied by any applicable and required legal mandate before the record is used or disclosed.

Records that are disclosed to a part 2 program, covered entity, or other qualified service organization or business associate pursuant to your written consent for treatment, payment, and health care operations purposes may be further disclosed by that part 2 program, covered entity, or business associate, without your further consent, to the extent the permitted by law.

Ideal Option may not use or disclose records to fundraise unless you are first provided with a clear and conspicuous opportunity to elect not to receive fundraising communications.

II. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your health information:

A. The right to inspect and copy your protected health information.

You may inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI that is contained in a designated record set for as long as Ideal Option maintains the PHI. A “designated record set” contains medical and billing records and any other records that your practitioner and the facility uses for making decisions about you. If information in a “designated record set” is maintained electronically, you may request an electronic copy in a form and format of your choice that is readily producible or, if the form/format is not readily producible, you will be given a readable electronic copy.

Under federal law, however, you may not inspect or copy the following records: psychotherapy notes; information compiled in reasonable anticipation of, or for use in, a civil, criminal, or administrative action or proceeding; and PHI that is subject to a law that prohibits access to PHI. Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to have a decision to deny access reviewed.

Ideal Option may deny your request to inspect or copy your PHI if, in its professional judgment, Ideal Option determines that the access requested is likely to endanger your life or safety or that of another person, or that it is likely to cause substantial harm to another person referenced within the information. You have the right to request a review of this decision.

To inspect or copy your medical information, you must submit a written request to the Privacy Officer whose contact information is listed on the last page of this Notice. If you request a copy of your information, Ideal Option may charge you a fee for the costs of copying, mailing or other costs incurred by Ideal Option in complying with your request.

Please contact Ideal Option’s Privacy Officer if you have questions about access to your medical record.

B. The right to request a restriction on uses and disclosures of your protected health information.

Under law, you may ask Ideal Option not to use or disclose certain parts of your PHI for the purposes of treatment, payment or health care operations, including in instances where you have already consented to such use. Your request must state the specific restriction requested and to whom you want the restriction to apply.

Except in the limited instance where your request pertains solely to notification to a health plan and involves a health care item or service for which you have already paid in full, Ideal Option is not required to agree to a restriction that you may request, and Ideal Option will notify you if Ideal Option denies your request to a restriction. If Ideal Option does agree to the requested restriction, it may not use or disclose your PHI in violation of that restriction unless it is needed to provide emergency treatment. Under certain circumstances, Ideal Option may terminate its agreement to a restriction. You may request a restriction by contacting the Privacy Officer.

C. The right to request to receive confidential communications from Ideal Option by alternative means or at an alternative location.

You have the right to request that Ideal Option communicate with you in certain ways. Ideal Option will accommodate reasonable requests. Ideal Option may condition this accommodation by asking you for information as to how payment will be handled or specification of an alternative address or other method of contact. Ideal Option will not require you to provide an explanation for your request. Requests must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer.

D. The right to request amendments to your protected health information.

You may request an amendment of PHI about you in a designated record set for as long as Ideal Option maintains this information. In certain cases, Ideal Option may deny your request for an amendment. If Ideal Option denies your request for amendment, you have the right to file a statement of disagreement with Ideal Option and Ideal Option may prepare a rebuttal to your statement and will provide you with a copy of any such rebuttal. Requests for amendment must be in writing and must be directed to Ideal Option’s Privacy Officer. In this written request, you must also provide a reason to support the requested amendments.

E. The right to receive an accounting.

You have the right to request an accounting of all disclosures made by Ideal Option to which you have consented within the preceding 3-year period, to include disclosures for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPH), so long as such TPH records are contained in electronic form.

Ideal Option is not required to account for disclosures that Ideal Option is permitted to make without your authorization.

The request for an accounting must be made in writing to the Privacy Officer. The request should specify the time period sought for the accounting. Ideal Option will provide the first accounting you request during any 12-month period without charge. Subsequent accounting requests may be subject to a reasonable cost-based fee.

You have the further right to request an accounting of any disclosures made by an intermediary, which means any person, other than part of a Part 2 program, covered entity, or business associate, who has received such records pursuant to consent and a general description in order to be disclosed to one or more member participants who have a treating provider relationship with the patient, for any such disclosures within the past 3 years.

F. The right to obtain a paper copy of this notice.

Upon request, Ideal Option will provide a paper or electronic copy of this notice even if you have already received a copy of the notice or have agreed to accept this notice electronically.

III. Our Duties

Ideal Option is required by law to maintain the privacy of your health information and report to you any breach of unsecured PHI. This obligation continues even after you are no longer a patient of Ideal Option. Ideal Option is also required to provide you with this Notice of Ideal Option’s duties and privacy practices and shall abide by terms of this Notice as may be amended from time to time. Ideal Option reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all future PHI that Ideal Option maintains. In such event, Ideal Option will timely notify the patient, and have the patient signify their understanding in writing.

IV. Complaints

You have the right to express complaints to Ideal Option and to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services if you believe that your privacy rights have been violated. You may complain to Ideal Option by contacting the facility’s Privacy Officer verbally or in writing, using the contact information below. Ideal Option encourages you to express any concerns you may have regarding the privacy of your information. You will not be retaliated or discriminated against in any way for filing a complaint. Violation of Part 2 by a program such as Ideal Option ay be a crime. Suspected violations may be reported to appropriate authorities in accordance with Federal regulations.

V. Contact Person

Ideal Option’s contact person for all issues regarding patient privacy and your rights under the federal privacy standards is the Privacy Officer. Information regarding matters covered by this Notice may be requested by contacting the Privacy Officer. If you feel that your privacy rights have been violated by Ideal Option, you may submit a complaint to the Privacy Officer by sending it to:

Hannah Phenneger, Senior Director of Compliance.

5615 Dunbarton Ave. Pasco, WA 99301

Phone: 1-877-522-1275

Email: Hannahphenneger@Idealoption.net

VI. Effective Date

This Notice is effective July 22, 2024.