Privacy Policy (Website & HIPAA Privacy)

Website Privacy

Who we are

Our website address is: https://diligentmedicalmassage.com.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Who we share your data with

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site, or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where your data is sent

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

The terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) apply to Diligent Medical Massage, LLC, its
affiliates and its employees. Diligent Medical Massage will share protected health information of patients
as necessary to carry out treatment, payment, and health care operations as permitted by law.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of our patients’ protected health information and to provide
patients with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to protected health information.
We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice for as long as it remains in effect. We reserve the
right to change the terms of this Notice as necessary and to make a new notice of privacy practices
effective for all protected health information maintained by Diligent Medical Massage, LLC. We are
required to notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured protected health information. We are also
required to inform you that there may be a provision of state law that relates to the privacy of your health
information that may be more stringent than a standard or requirement under the Federal Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”). A copy of any revised Notice of Privacy Practices or
information pertaining to a specific State law may be obtained by mailing a request to the Owner or
Manager at the address shown at the top and bottom of this notice.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION:

Authorization and Consent: Except as outlined below, we will not use or disclose your protected health
information for any purpose other than treatment, payment or health care operations unless you have
signed a form authorizing such use or disclosure. You have the right to revoke such authorization in
writing, with such revocation being effective once we actually receive the writing; however, such
revocation shall not be effective to the extent that we have taken any action in reliance on the
authorization, or if the authorization was obtained as a condition of obtaining insurance coverage, other
law provides the insurer with the right to contest a claim under the policy or the policy itself.

Uses and Disclosures for Treatment: We will make uses and disclosures of your protected health
information as necessary for your treatment. The practitioner that ls involved in your care will use
information in your medical record and information that you provide about your symptoms and reactions
to your course of treatment that may include, assessment information, treatment modalities used,
medical history, etc.

Uses and Disclosures for Payment: We will make uses and disclosures of your protected health
information as necessary for payment purposes. During the normal course of business operations, we
may forward information regarding your medical procedures and treatment to your attorney in auto
accident, or worker’s compensation claims for the services provided to you. We may also use your
information to prepare a bill to send to you or to the person responsible for your payment. We may also
forward certain protected health information limited by federal and state law to a debt collector for all
unpaid debts owed to Diligent Medical Massage necessary to collect the debt.

Uses and Disclosures for Health Care Operations: We will make uses and disclosures of your protected
health information as necessary, and as permitted by law, for our health care operations, which may
include clinical improvement, professional peer review, business management, accreditation and licensing, etc. For instance, we may use and disclose your protected health information for purposes of
improving clinical treatment and patient care.

Individuals Involved In Your Care: We may from time to time disclose your protected health information to designated family, friends and others who are involved in your care or in payment of your care in order to facilitate that person’s involvement in caring for you or paying for your care. If you are unavailable,
incapacitated, or facing an emergency medical situation and we determine that a limited disclosure may
be in your best interest, we may share limited protected health information with such individuals without
your approval. We may also disclose limited protected health information to a public or private entity that
is authorized to assist in disaster relief efforts in order for that entity to locate a family member or other
persons that may be involved in some aspect of caring for you.

Business Associates: Certain aspects and components of our services are performed through contracts
with outside persons or organizations, such as auditing, accreditation, outcomes data collection, legal
services, etc. At times it may be necessary for us to provide your protected health information to one or
more of these outside persons or organizations who assist us with our health care operations. In all
cases, we require these associates to appropriately safeguard the privacy of your information.

Appointments and Services: We may contact you to provide appointment updates or information about
your treatment or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you. You have the
right to request and we will accommodate reasonable requests by you to receive communications
regarding your protected health information from us by alternative means or at alternative locations. For
instance, if you wish appointment reminders to not be left on voice mail or sent to a particular address, we will accommodate reasonable requests. With such request, you must provide an appropriate alternative address or method of contact. You also have the right to request that we not send you any future marketing materials and we will use our best efforts to honor such request. You must make such
requests in writing, including your name and address, and send such writing to the Privacy Officer at the
address below.

Research: In limited circumstances, we may use and disclose your protected health information for
research purposes. In all cases where your specific authorization is not obtained, your privacy will be
protected by strict confidentiality requirements applied by an Institutional Review Board which oversees
the research or by representations of the researchers that limit their use and disclosure of your
information.

Other Uses and Disclosures: We are permitted and/or required by law to make certain other uses and
disclosures of your protected health information without your consent or authorization for the following:

• Any purpose required by law;
• Public health activities such as required reporting of immunizations, disease, injury, birth and death,
• or in connection with public health investigations;
• If we suspect child abuse or neglect; if we believe you to be a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic
• violence;
• To the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse events, product defects, or to participate in
• product recalls;
• To your employer when we have provided health care to you at the request of your employer;
• To a government oversight agency conducting audits, investigations, civil or criminal proceedings;
• Court or administrative ordered subpoena or discovery request;
• To law enforcement officials as required by law if we believe you have been the victim of abuse,
• neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or
• authorized by law;
• To coroners and/or funeral directors consistent with law;
• If you are a member of the military, we may also release your protected health information for
• national security or intelligence activities; and
• To workers’ compensation agencies for workers’ compensation benefit determination.

DISCLOSURES REQUIRING AUTHORIZATION:

Marketing: We must obtain your authorization for any use or disclosure of your protected health
information for marketing, except if the communication is in the form of (1) a face-to-face communication
with you, or (2) a promotional gift of nominal value. Sale of Protected Information: We must obtain your
authorization prior to receiving direct or indirect remuneration in exchange for your health information;
however, such authorization is not required where the
purpose of the exchange is for:

• Public health activities;
• Research purposes, provided that we receive only a reasonable, cost-based fee to cover the cost to
• prepare and transmit the information for research purposes;
• Treatment and payment purposes;
• Health care operations involving the sale, transfer, merger or consolidation of all or part of our
• business and for related due diligence;
• Payment we provide to a business associate for activities involving the exchange of protected
• health information that the business associate undertakes on our behalf (or the subcontractor
• undertakes on behalf of a business associate) and the only remuneration provided is for the
• performance of such activities;
• Providing you with a copy of your health information or an accounting of disclosures;
• Disclosures required by law;
• Disclosures of your health information for any other purpose permitted by and in accordance with
• the Privacy Rule of HIPAA, as long as the only remuneration we receive is a reasonable, cost-based
• fee to cover the cost to prepare and transmit your health information for such purpose or is a fee
• otherwise expressly permitted by other law; or
• Any other exceptions allowed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

RIGHTS THAT YOU HAVE REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION:

Access to Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to copy and/or inspect much of the
protected health information that we retain on your behalf. For protected health information that we
maintain in any electronic designated record set, you may request a copy of such health information in a
reasonable electronic format, if readily producible. Requests for access must be made in writing and
signed by you or your legal representative. You may obtain a “Patient Access to Health Information Form”
by calling the Owner or Manager at (252)514-1616. You will be charged a reasonable copying fee and
actual postage and supply costs for your protected health information. If you request additional copies
you will be charged a fee for copying and postage.

Amendments to Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to request in writing that protected health information that we maintain about you be amended or corrected. We are not obligated to make requested amendments, but we will give each request careful consideration. All amendment requests, must be in writing, signed by you or legal representative, and must state the reasons for the
amendment/correction request. If an amendment or correction request is made, we may notify others
who work with us if we believe that such notification is necessary. You may obtain an “Amendment
Request Form” by calling the Owner or Manager at (252)514-1616.

Accounting for Disclosures of Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to receive an
accounting of certain disclosures made by us of your protected health information after April 14, 2003.
Requests must be made in writing and signed by you or your legal representative. “Accounting Request
Forms” are available from the individual responsible for medical records. The first accounting in any 12-
month period is free; you will be charged a fee for each subsequent accounting you request within the
same 12-month period. You will be notified of the fee at the time of your request.

Restrictions on Use and Disclosure of Your Protected Health Information: You have the right to request
restrictions on uses and disclosures of your protected health information for treatment, payment, or
health care operations. We are not required to agree to most restriction requests, but will attempt to
accommodate reasonable requests when appropriate. You do, however, have the right to restrict
disclosure of your protected health information to a health plan if the disclosure is for the purpose of
carrying out payment or health care operations and is not otherwise required by law, and the protected
health information pertains solely to a health care item or service for which you, or someone other than
the health plan on your behalf, has paid Diligent Medical Massage, LLC in full. If we agree to any discretionary restrictions, we reserve the right to remove such restrictions as we appropriate. We will notify you if we remove a restriction imposed in accordance with this paragraph. You also have the right to withdraw, in writing or orally, any restriction by communicating your desire to do so to the individual responsible for medical records.

Right to Notice of Breach: We take very seriously the confidentiality of our patients’ information, and we
are required by law to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information through
appropriate safeguards. We will notify you in the event a breach occurs involving or potentially involving
your unsecured health information and inform you of what steps you may need to take to protect yourself.

Paper Copy of this Notice: You have a right, even if you have agreed to receive notices electronically, to
obtain a paper copy of this Notice. To do so, please submit a request to the Owner or Manager at the
address shown at the top and bottom of this notice.

Complaints: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint in writing with
the Owner or Manager. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services at the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by
sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775 or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

For Further Information: If you have questions, need further assistance regarding or would like to submit a request pursuant to this Notice, you may contact Diligent Medical Massage, LLC by phone at (252)514-
1616 or at the following address: Diligent Medical Massage, LLC, 105 N. Castle Dr. New Bern, NC 28562