1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy
Pennsylvania Recovery Center ("we," "us," "our") is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information ("PHI"). We are also required to give you this Notice explaining our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to the health information we collect and maintain about you, and to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.
Because we provide substance use disorder and mental health treatment, some of your records are also protected by federal regulations governing Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records (42 CFR Part 2) and Pennsylvania law. Where those laws are more restrictive than HIPAA, we follow the more restrictive law. This includes stricter limits on when information about your treatment can be shared with law enforcement, family members, or others without your specific written consent.
2. What Information We Protect
Protected health information includes information that identifies you and relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health care, the provision of care to you, or payment for that care. This may include:
- Your name, address, date of birth, and contact details
- Insurance and billing information
- Clinical notes, assessments, and treatment plans
- Medication records, including medication-assisted treatment
- Laboratory results, including drug and alcohol screens
- Attendance and discharge information
3. How We May Use and Disclose Your Information
We may use and disclose your PHI without your written authorization for the following purposes:
- Treatment. To provide, coordinate, and manage your care. For example, our clinical team, psychiatric providers, and — with your consent where required — outside providers involved in your care may share information to treat you.
- Payment. To bill and collect payment from you, your health plan, or another party responsible for payment. For example, we may contact your insurance carrier to verify benefits or obtain prior authorization.
- Health Care Operations. To run our practice, improve quality of care, train staff, conduct business planning, and comply with licensing and accreditation requirements.
- As Required by Law. When a federal, state, or local law requires it, including court orders, mandatory reporting obligations, and audits.
- Public Health and Safety. To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of others, and for legally mandated public health activities.
- Health Oversight. To authorized health oversight agencies for activities such as licensure, audits, and inspections.
- Business Associates. With vendors who perform services for us (such as billing, IT, or secure record storage) under written contracts that require them to protect your information.
- Minors and Guardianship. As permitted by Pennsylvania law regarding parents, guardians, or persons with legal custody of a minor.
Uses and disclosures of your substance use disorder treatment records beyond treatment, payment, and health care operations generally require your specific written consent, and you may revoke that consent in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.
4. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization
We will not use or disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes
- Uses and disclosures for marketing purposes
- Sale of your PHI
- Any other use not described in this Notice, except where permitted or required by law
If you give us written authorization, you may revoke it at any time by writing to our Privacy Officer at the address below.
5. Your Rights Regarding Your Information
You have the right to:
- Inspect and copy your health record. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
- Request an amendment to your record if you believe information is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request if, for example, the record is accurate and complete.
- Request restrictions on uses and disclosures. We are not required to agree, except that we must honor a request to restrict disclosure to a health plan for payment or operations purposes if you paid for the service in full out of pocket.
- Request confidential communications — for example, contacting you at a specific phone number or address.
- Receive an accounting of disclosures — a list of certain disclosures we made, for the six years prior to your request.
- Receive a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
- Choose someone to act for you — if you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person may exercise your rights.
- Be notified of a breach — if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs, we will notify you as required by law.
To exercise any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer in writing using the information in Section 8. We will respond within the timeframes required by HIPAA.
6. Website and Digital Communications
This website may collect basic information such as pages viewed and standard web logs. Forms on this website, including our insurance verification form, are not intended for transmitting detailed clinical information. Information you submit through the website will be handled in accordance with this Notice and applicable law. Please do not send detailed medical information through unsecured email. For anything clinical, the fastest and most confidential way to reach us is by phone.
7. Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us by contacting our Privacy Officer, or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
1-800-368-1019 · hhs.gov/ocr/complaints
We will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
8. Contact Our Privacy Officer
For questions about this Notice or to exercise your rights:
Privacy Officer
Pennsylvania Recovery Center
2215 Kimberton Road
Phoenixville, PA 19460
Phone: (610) 233-4342
9. Changes to This Notice
We may change the terms of this Notice at any time. The new Notice will be effective for all PHI we maintain, including information created or received before the change. The current Notice will always be posted at our HIPAA privacy page.