HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Our Pledge to You

Thrive Psychological Services (“Thrive,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”). PHI is information about you, including basic demographic information, that may identify you and that relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health and related healthcare services.

This Notice describes how we may use and disclose your PHI, your rights regarding PHI we hold about you, and certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of PHI. We are required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI, to give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

How We Use & Disclose Your PHI

We may use and disclose PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:

Treatment

We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare, including consultations between providers and referrals to other providers involved in your care.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment from you, your insurance carrier, or another responsible party. For example, we may share information with your insurer to determine eligibility, obtain authorization, or process claims.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI to support the business activities of our practice, including quality assessment, credentialing, training, business planning, and administrative services.

Appointment Reminders & Health-Related Communications

We may contact you to remind you of upcoming appointments, communicate test or scheduling information, or share other health-related communications relevant to your care.

Business Associates

We may share PHI with third-party “business associates” that perform services on our behalf, such as electronic health record platforms, billing services, and secure communication tools. These business associates are required by contract and by law to protect your PHI.

Other Permitted & Required Uses

We may use or disclose PHI without your authorization in limited additional circumstances, including:

• When required by law, court order, subpoena, or administrative request.
• For public health activities, such as reporting communicable diseases or adverse events.
• To report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence consistent with state and federal law.
• For health oversight activities such as audits, investigations, and licensure actions.
• For coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors as authorized by law.
• For research purposes when approved by an Institutional Review Board and subject to applicable privacy protections.
• To avert a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you or another person, consistent with professional and ethical standards.
• For specialized government functions, such as national security, military, and protective services.
• For workers’ compensation purposes as required by law.

Uses That Require Your Authorization

Other uses and disclosures of PHI not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization. The following uses and disclosures of PHI specifically require your written authorization:

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
• Uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes.
• Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI.

You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on it.

Your Rights Regarding Your PHI

Right to Inspect & Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of the PHI we maintain about you, with certain exceptions. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. Requests must be submitted in writing.

Right to Request Amendment

If you believe PHI we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend the information. We may deny your request under certain circumstances, in which case we will provide you with a written explanation.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI, other than those made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and certain other disclosures.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to most requested restrictions, but if we do, we will honor the restriction except in emergencies. We are required to honor requests to restrict disclosure to a health plan when you have paid for the service in full out of pocket.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your PHI in a certain way or at a certain location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified following a breach of unsecured PHI as required by applicable law.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice upon request, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy of PHI.
• We are required to provide individuals with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to PHI.
• We are required to abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
• We are required to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured PHI.

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new provisions effective for all PHI we maintain. A current copy of the Notice will be available in our offices and on our website.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights. To file a complaint with us, contact our Privacy Officer using the information below. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Related Policies

Information practices for our website — including forms, scheduling, and analytics — are described in our Privacy Policy. In the event of any conflict between this Notice and the Privacy Policy regarding PHI, this Notice controls.

Contact Our Privacy Officer

For questions about this Notice, to exercise any of your rights, or to file a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer: