HIPAA Privacy Policy

Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: February 1, 2026

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

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Austin Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic is committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. We are required by law to:

  • Maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI)
  • Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
  • Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
  • Notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction
  • Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations

What is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

Protected Health Information includes any individually identifiable health information we create, receive, maintain, or transmit in any form (electronic, paper, or oral) that relates to:

  • Your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition
  • The provision of healthcare to you
  • Your past, present, or future payment for healthcare services

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Uses and Disclosures for Treatment, Payment, and Healthcare Operations

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

For Treatment: We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare treatment and related services. This includes consultation with other healthcare providers regarding your treatment and referrals to other providers.

Example: Dr. Justin Swanson may share your X-rays and treatment notes with a physical therapist to coordinate your care.

For Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to bill and collect payment for services provided. This includes submitting claims to your insurance company, verifying coverage, and obtaining pre-authorization.

Example: We may send your diagnosis, treatment codes, and dates of service to your insurance company to receive payment for chiropractic adjustments.

For Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information for our healthcare operations, including quality assessment, staff training, licensing, and business planning.

Example: We may use your health information to evaluate the quality of care provided or for staff training purposes with information that does not identify you.

Uses and Disclosures That May Be Made Without Your Authorization

We may use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization in the following situations:

  • As Required by Law: When required by federal, state, or local law
  • Public Health Activities: To report communicable diseases, product defects, or vital statistics
  • Health Oversight Activities: To health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law (audits, investigations, inspections)
  • Abuse or Neglect: To appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe a patient is a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
  • Legal Proceedings: In response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful process
  • Law Enforcement: For law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to valid legal process
  • Coroners and Medical Examiners: To coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors as necessary
  • Serious Threat: To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety
  • Workers’ Compensation: For workers’ compensation claims or similar programs
  • Military and Veterans: To military command authorities or the Department of Veterans Affairs as required
  • National Security: To authorized federal officials for intelligence and national security activities
  • Correctional Institutions: To correctional institutions if you are an inmate

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

Other uses and disclosures of your PHI will be made only with your written authorization, including:

  • Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if applicable)
  • Uses and disclosures for marketing purposes
  • Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI
  • Any other uses not described in this Notice

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

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the following rights with respect to your protected health information:

Right to Access and Inspect

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information that may be used to make decisions about your care, including medical and billing records. To access your records:

  • Submit a written request to our Privacy Officer
  • We will respond within 30 days of your request
  • We may charge a reasonable fee for copying and mailing costs
  • In certain limited circumstances, we may deny your request

Right to Amend

If you believe your health information is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment. To request an amendment:

  • Submit a written request with the reason for the amendment
  • We will respond within 60 days
  • We may deny your request if the information was not created by us, is not part of our records, is not available for inspection, or is already accurate and complete
  • If denied, you have the right to submit a statement of disagreement

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to receive a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information. To request an accounting:

  • Submit a written request specifying the time period (up to 6 years)
  • The first accounting within a 12-month period is free
  • We may charge a reasonable fee for additional accountings
  • We will respond within 60 days

The accounting will not include disclosures for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, or disclosures made directly to you.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request restrictions on how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. You also have the right to request restrictions on disclosures to family members or others involved in your care.

We are not required to agree to your request, except in one situation: if you pay for a service or healthcare item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer for the purpose of payment or healthcare operations, and we will agree unless disclosure is required by law.

To request a restriction, submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer.

Right to Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information in a specific way or at a specific location. For example:

  • Requesting calls to a cell phone instead of home phone
  • Requesting mail to a different address
  • Requesting communication through a patient portal

We will accommodate reasonable requests. Submit your request in writing to our Privacy Officer.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Notice, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. You may request a copy at any time by contacting our office.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified if we or one of our business associates discovers a breach of your unsecured protected health information.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights described in this Notice, please contact our Privacy Officer:

Privacy Officer
Austin Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic
5750 Balcones Dr Suite 108
Austin, TX 78731
Phone: +15124522525

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with:

Austin Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic
Privacy Officer
5750 Balcones Dr Suite 108
Austin, TX 78731
Phone: +15124522525

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
Website: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy

You will not be penalized, retaliated against, or denied treatment for filing a complaint.

Our Responsibilities

Austin Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic is required to:

  • Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information
  • Provide you with this Notice of our privacy practices
  • Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect
  • Notify you if we are unable to accommodate a requested restriction or request for confidential communications

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future.

If we make important changes to this Notice, we will:

Security Safeguards

We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your health information, including:

  • Secure storage of paper records
  • Encrypted electronic health records
  • Limited access to health information on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular staff training on privacy and security
  • Business associate agreements with vendors who handle PHI
  • Secure disposal of health information when no longer needed

Contact Information

For questions about this Notice or our privacy practices, please contact:

Austin Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic
Privacy Officer
5750 Balcones Dr Suite 108
Austin, TX 78731
Phone: +15124522525
Website: https://www.austintxchiro.com/

Effective Date

This Notice is effective as of February 1, 2026.

Acknowledgment: By signing our Notice of Privacy Practices Acknowledgment form, you acknowledge that you have been provided with a copy of this Notice and have had the opportunity to review it.

This Notice complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule and applicable state privacy laws.