Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how medical and substance use disorder treatment information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can access this information, and the rights you have regarding your health information. Please review this notice carefully.

LA Inpatient Recovery Center ("LA Inpatient," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your health information.

Depending on the information involved, your records may be protected by:

• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA")
• The Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulations under 42 CFR Part 2
• The California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act ("CMIA")
• Other applicable federal and California privacy laws

Because LA Inpatient provides substance use disorder treatment services, some of your records may receive additional protections under 42 CFR Part 2.

1. Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.

Get a Copy of Your Medical Records

You may ask to see or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical records and other health information we maintain about you.

We generally will provide a copy or summary within the time required by law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee where permitted by law.

Ask Us to Correct Your Records

If you believe health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend or correct it.

We may deny certain requests when permitted by law. If we deny your request, we will explain the reason in writing.

Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location. For example, you may request that:

• We contact only your mobile phone
• We avoid leaving detailed voicemail messages
• We send mail to an alternative address
• We use another reasonable method of communication

We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.

Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share

You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.

We are not always required to agree to these requests.

If you pay for a health care service or item completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health insurance plan for payment or health care operations purposes. We will honor such requests when required by law.

Additional protections apply to records protected by 42 CFR Part 2.

Get a List of Certain Disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the period allowed by law.

The accounting may not include every disclosure. For example, certain disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, or disclosures you specifically authorized may be excluded where permitted by law.

Additional rights may apply to electronic Part 2 records as federal requirements governing those rights become applicable.

Get a Copy of This Notice

You may ask for a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

We will provide a copy promptly.

Choose Someone to Act for You

If another person has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a legal guardian or a person holding an appropriate health care power of attorney, that person may exercise your privacy rights where permitted by law.

We may verify the person's authority before acting on a request.

File a Privacy Complaint

You have the right to complain if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may contact LA Inpatient using the information at the bottom of this notice. You may also file a complaint with the:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights

You may contact HHS by calling 1-877-696-6775 or through the Office for Civil Rights complaint process available on the HHS website.

LA Inpatient will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising your privacy rights.

2. Special Protections for Substance Use Disorder Records

Federal law provides additional confidentiality protections for certain substance use disorder ("SUD") treatment records under 42 CFR Part 2.

These protections may apply to information that identifies you as having:

• Applied for substance use disorder treatment
• Received substance use disorder treatment
• Been diagnosed with a substance use disorder
• Been referred for substance use disorder treatment
• Participated in a substance use disorder treatment program

For records protected by Part 2, we generally must obtain your consent before using or disclosing your information for most purposes unless a specific exception under the law applies.

Consent for Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations

You may provide a single written consent allowing future uses and disclosures of your Part 2 records for:

• Treatment
• Payment
• Health care operations

You may also choose to provide more limited consent.

Where permitted by law, you may revoke your consent in writing. A revocation generally will not affect uses or disclosures already made in reliance on a valid consent.

SUD Counseling Notes

Certain substance use disorder counseling notes may receive additional protection.

Where required by law, a separate written consent may be required before these notes are used or disclosed.

3. Protection From Use of SUD Records Against You

Your Part 2-protected records receive special protection in legal proceedings.

Except as specifically permitted by law, LA Inpatient will not use or disclose your Part 2 records, or provide testimony concerning those records, in a:

• Civil proceeding
• Criminal proceeding
• Administrative proceeding
• Legislative proceeding
• Investigation against you

unless the applicable Part 2 requirements are satisfied.

Generally, this requires your specific written consent or an appropriate Part 2 court order together with a subpoena or other legally sufficient requirement.

A subpoena by itself may not be sufficient to obtain Part 2-protected records.

4. Your Choices About Your Information

For certain uses and disclosures, you have the right to tell us what you want us to do.

Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may choose whether we:

• Share information with family members or friends involved in your care
• Share information with someone involved in payment for your care
• Participate in certain disaster-relief communications
• Use or disclose information for certain marketing purposes
• Contact you for fundraising purposes

Where your written permission is required, we will obtain it before making the use or disclosure.

Marketing

We will obtain any authorization required by law before using or disclosing protected health information for marketing purposes.

Sale of Health Information

We will not sell your protected health information except as specifically permitted by law and with any authorization required by law.

Fundraising

If LA Inpatient conducts fundraising using information protected by Part 2, you will receive clear notice and an opportunity to choose whether you wish to receive those communications.

You may tell us not to contact you again for fundraising purposes.

5. How We May Use or Share Your Health Information

Different rules may apply depending on whether information is protected by HIPAA, Part 2, California law, or a combination of these laws.

Treatment

We may use health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your treatment.

For example, health professionals involved in your care may need information about your medications, medical history, diagnosis, treatment plan, or progress.

For information protected by Part 2, we will obtain consent when required.

Payment

We may use or disclose information to obtain payment for services.

For example, we may provide appropriate information to your health insurance company to verify benefits, request authorization, submit claims, or obtain payment.

Part 2 consent requirements will be followed where applicable.

Health Care Operations

We may use health information to operate our treatment program and improve the quality of services.

Examples may include:

• Quality assessment
• Staff training
• Credentialing
• Compliance activities
• Case management
• Program administration
• Business planning
• Legal and auditing functions

Part 2 consent requirements will be followed where applicable.

6. Uses and Disclosures That May Be Permitted Without Your Authorization

Federal and state law permit or require certain uses and disclosures without your written authorization.

Different restrictions apply to Part 2-protected records, and we will follow the most protective applicable law.

Examples may include the following.

Medical Emergencies

Part 2 information may be disclosed to appropriate medical personnel during a bona fide medical emergency when legally permitted.

Public Health and Safety

We may disclose information when authorized or required for certain public health purposes, such as:

• Preventing or controlling disease
• Reporting certain adverse events
• Responding to serious threats to health or safety
• Other legally authorized public health activities

For Part 2 information, additional restrictions apply and identifying information will only be disclosed when permitted by law.

Reporting Abuse or Neglect

We may disclose information when required by laws governing suspected child abuse, neglect, elder abuse, dependent-adult abuse, or other mandatory reporting requirements.

For Part 2 records, disclosure will be limited to information legally permitted or required to be reported.

Crimes on Program Premises or Against Program Personnel

Part 2 permits certain limited disclosures to law enforcement regarding crimes committed or threatened on program premises or against program personnel.

Any disclosure will be limited as required by law.

Research

Health information may be used or disclosed for research when all applicable legal requirements have been satisfied.

Special protections apply to patient-identifying Part 2 information.

Audits and Evaluations

Information may be disclosed for legally permitted audits, evaluations, licensing, accreditation, compliance, and oversight activities.

Persons receiving Part 2 information for these purposes are subject to restrictions on further use and disclosure.

Cause of Death

Information may be disclosed to coroners, medical examiners, or other authorized persons when permitted or required by applicable law.

Required by Law

We may disclose health information when federal or state law requires us to do so.

Part 2 protections continue to apply where applicable.

7. Redisclosure of Part 2 Information

If you provide consent permitting disclosure of your Part 2 information for treatment, payment, or health care operations, information may be disclosed to health care providers, health plans, business associates, or other recipients as permitted by that consent.

When a recipient is subject to HIPAA, that recipient may be permitted to use and disclose the information again in accordance with HIPAA after receiving it through a valid Part 2 consent.

However, Part 2 information remains specially protected from being used in legal proceedings against you unless the requirements of Part 2 are satisfied.

8. California Privacy Protections

California law may provide additional protections beyond federal HIPAA requirements.

The California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act generally restricts health care providers from disclosing medical information without patient authorization except where disclosure is specifically permitted or required by law.

California law may also impose additional restrictions on certain mental health and psychotherapy information.

When California law provides greater privacy protection than federal law, LA Inpatient will follow the more protective requirement where applicable.

These protections are in addition to the special confidentiality protections applicable to substance use disorder records under 42 CFR Part 2.

9. Family Members and Others Involved in Your Care

For ordinary HIPAA-protected information, we may sometimes share information relevant to your care with family members, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for care when permitted by law.

However, Part 2-protected information generally has stricter disclosure requirements.

We will obtain consent when required before confirming or disclosing information identifying you as receiving substance use disorder treatment.

10. Our Responsibilities

LA Inpatient is required by law to protect your health information.

We are responsible for:

• Maintaining the privacy and security of protected health information
• Protecting Part 2 substance use disorder records
• Following the privacy practices described in this notice
• Providing you with a copy of this notice
• Using and disclosing only the information permitted by applicable law
• Obtaining consent or authorization when required
• Safeguarding health information from unauthorized access or disclosure
• Informing affected individuals when a reportable breach occurs as required by law

We will not use or disclose your information in a way that is inconsistent with this notice unless permitted or required by law or you provide the appropriate written permission.

If you provide written permission, you may revoke that permission as allowed by law.

11. Business Associates, Contractors, and Service Providers

LA Inpatient may use outside individuals or companies to perform services on our behalf.

These may include organizations that provide:

• Billing services
• Technology services
• Electronic health record systems
• Secure communications
• Data storage
• Insurance verification
• Legal services
• Compliance services
• Administrative support

When these parties receive protected health information, we require appropriate privacy and security protections, including Business Associate Agreements where required by HIPAA.

Part 2 contractors and lawful recipients of Part 2 information are also subject to applicable confidentiality requirements.

12. Breach Notification

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect health information.

If a breach of unsecured protected health information or Part 2 records occurs, we will investigate the incident and provide notifications as required by applicable law.

Depending on the circumstances, notification requirements may include notifying affected patients, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other parties required by law.

13. Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices.

Changes may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information we receive or create in the future, to the extent permitted by law.

When this notice is materially revised, the updated notice will be:

• Available upon request
• Available at our facility
• Posted on our website
• Provided as otherwise required by law

The current version will display its effective or updated date at the top of the page.

14. Questions About This Notice

You have the right to discuss this notice and our privacy practices with LA Inpatient.

For questions, copies of this notice, privacy requests, or complaints, contact:

Privacy Officer / Privacy Contact
LA Inpatient Recovery Center
4138 Sepulveda Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, California 91403
Phone: +1 (844) 498-1830
Email: info@lainpatient.com

15. Complaints to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

If you believe your HIPAA or 42 CFR Part 2 privacy rights have been violated, you may also submit a complaint to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775

Additional information regarding privacy complaints is available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

LA Inpatient will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint, requesting information, or exercising any privacy right.

Notice Regarding Website Privacy

This Notice of Privacy Practices addresses protected patient health information and substance use disorder treatment records.

Information collected through general use of lainpatient.com, including certain cookies, website analytics, and other online information, may also be governed by our separate Privacy Policy.

Please review both documents for additional information about our privacy practices.