Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

This Notice of Privacy Practices ("Notice") applies to ObyMe and the affiliated medical practices, clinicians and staff that provide care under the ObyMe name, which together form an organized health care arrangement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA"). It covers your "protected health information" (PHI): information that identifies you and relates to your health, your care or payment for your care. Information you give on our public website before you become a patient is covered by our Privacy Policy, and we protect it the same way.

Our duties

We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI, to give you this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, to follow the Notice currently in effect, and to notify you promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information. We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time by letting us know in writing.

How we may use and share your information for care, payment and operations

• Treatment. We use and share your information with clinicians and others who are treating you. For example, your OB-GYN may send orders and results to a lab or imaging center near you, consult a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, or send your records ahead to the hospital where you plan to deliver.
• Payment. We use and share your information to bill and get paid by you, health plans or other payers. For example, we may give your health plan information needed to cover a lab test.
• Health care operations. We use and share your information to run our practice, improve care and contact you when needed. For example, we review care for quality and safety, train clinicians, and use service providers ("business associates") that sign contracts requiring them to protect your information.
• Appointment reminders and care-related messages, including by text or email if you've agreed to receive them.

Other ways we may use or share your information

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways, usually to contribute to the public good, and only when we meet the conditions in the law:

• Public health and safety, such as preventing disease, reporting adverse reactions to medications or devices, reporting suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence, and preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone's health or safety;
• Health research, when approved through a process that protects your privacy, or with your authorization;
• Complying with the law, including sharing with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to confirm we are complying with federal privacy law;
• Organ and tissue donation requests;
• Medical examiners, coroners and funeral directors;
• Workers' compensation, law enforcement and other government requests, such as for health oversight activities, special government functions such as military or national security, or as required by law;
• Lawsuits and legal actions, in response to a court or administrative order, or a subpoena when the law's conditions are met.

Reproductive health information

We recognize that information about pregnancy, fertility and reproductive care is especially sensitive. We share it only as this Notice describes and only as the law requires or permits. We will not voluntarily use or share it to investigate or impose liability on anyone for seeking, obtaining, providing or facilitating lawful reproductive health care. When we receive a request for this information for health oversight, legal proceedings, law enforcement or to a coroner or medical examiner, we require the requester to confirm in writing the purpose of the request when the law permits us to, and we disclose only the minimum necessary.

Your choices

For certain information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. You have both the right and the choice to tell us to share information with your family, close friends or others involved in your care, or to share information in a disaster relief situation. If you are not able to tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may share your information if we believe it is in your best interest.

We never share your information unless you give us written permission for: marketing purposes; the sale of your information; and most sharing of psychotherapy notes. Some kinds of information, such as substance use disorder treatment records, HIV status, genetic test results and mental health records, receive extra protection under federal or state law, and we follow those stricter rules. If we ever want to use your information for fundraising, you have the right to tell us not to contact you again.

Your rights

• Get a copy of your medical record, electronic or paper. Ask us how. We will provide it, usually within 30 days of your request, and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Ask us to correct your record if you think it is incorrect or incomplete. We may say no, but we'll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
• Request confidential communications. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, a different phone or email) or at a different address. We will say yes to all reasonable requests.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share for treatment, payment or operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say no if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service or health care item out of pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer for payment or operations, and we will say yes unless a law requires us to share it.
• Get a list of those with whom we've shared your information, for up to six years before the date you ask, who we shared it with and why. It will include all disclosures except those for treatment, payment and health care operations and certain others (such as any you asked us to make). We provide one list a year for free and may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for more.
• Get a copy of this Notice at any time, including a paper copy, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Choose someone to act for you. If you have given someone medical power of attorney or someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information. We'll make sure they have this authority before we act.
• Be notified of a breach of your unsecured health information.

Complaints

If you feel we have violated your rights, you can complain to our Privacy Officer at privacy@obyme.com. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/ocr/complaints. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

State law

Where a state law gives you more protection or more rights over your health information than HIPAA, for example for minors' information, mental health records, HIV or genetic testing, we follow the state law.

Changes to this Notice

We can change the terms of this Notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new Notice will be available on request and on our website, and we will give you a copy when you enroll.

Privacy Officer

ObyMe Privacy Officer · privacy@obyme.com