Privacy Policy

Madison Optometry
Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: 11/15/2024

This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can access this information. Please review it carefully.

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

At Madison Optometry, we are committed to protecting your health information. We understand that your personal health information (PHI) is private, and we are committed to maintaining the confidentiality of that information in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. This Notice explains how we may use and disclose your PHI, your rights with respect to that information, and our legal duties concerning your PHI.

2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes:

• Treatment: We may use your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your eye care treatment and services. For example, we may share your information with other healthcare providers such as specialists or pharmacies involved in your care.

• Payment: We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for services provided to you. For example, we may need to provide your information to your health insurance company to receive payment for a visit or procedure.

• Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your PHI to conduct business activities related to our healthcare practice, such as quality assessment, training, and other administrative purposes.

• Appointment Reminders: We may contact you with appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

• Public Health Activities: We may disclose your PHI to public health authorities for the purpose of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability, or to report certain vital statistics.

• Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose your PHI to a health oversight agency for activities such as audits, investigations, or inspections related to healthcare operations or compliance.

• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your PHI if required by law, such as in response to a court order, subpoena, or other legal process.

• Business Associates: We may disclose your PHI to third-party vendors that perform services on our behalf, such as billing services or IT support, provided that they agree to protect the confidentiality of your information.

3. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the following rights regarding your PHI:

• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information in a designated record set, subject to certain limitations.

• Right to Amend: If you believe your health information is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request an amendment to the information.

• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list of the disclosures we have made of your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.

• Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your health information. We are not required to agree to your request, but we will comply with any restrictions we agree to.

• Right to Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location to ensure your privacy, such as by phone or email.

• Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

4. How We Protect Your Health Information

We use a variety of physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your PHI. These include:

• Secure storage of your medical records

• Encryption of electronic health information

• Training of staff on privacy and confidentiality practices

• Restricting access to your information to authorized personnel only

​​​​​​​5. Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new Notice provisions effective for all PHI we maintain. If we make a significant change to our privacy practices, we will post the revised Notice in our office and on our website. You may also request a copy of the revised Notice.

6. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Notice or wish to exercise any of your rights, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Daniel Cecil, OD (938) 218-2928

Madison Optometry drcecil@madisonoptometry.com