Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice explains how BSW Psychiatry LLC uses and shares your protected health information when we care for you, in our Quincy office or by telehealth. Our Website Privacy Policy covers the website separately. Checking a box on an online form does not replace a written authorization when the law requires one.

To ask a question or make a privacy request, contact Al, Director, at BSW Psychiatry LLC, 1266 Furnace Brook Pkwy, Quincy, MA 02169. Phone: (617) 221-5133. Email: info@bswpsychiatry.com.

Your rights

See or get a copy of your records

You can ask to see or get a copy of the health and billing information we keep about you, on paper or electronically. Tell our office what you need. We usually respond within 30 days and will let you know in writing if we need more time. Any fee will be reasonable and based on our cost.

Psychotherapy notes kept separately from your medical record are not covered by this right. If we deny your request, we will explain why in writing and tell you about any review or complaint options.

Ask us to correct your record

If you think something in your record is wrong or missing, you can ask us to correct it. Correcting a record adds to it rather than erasing the original. We usually respond within 60 days. If we say no, we will explain why, and you can send us a written statement of disagreement to keep with your record.

Choose how we contact you

You can ask us to reach you in a particular way, such as only on your cell phone or at a different address. We will say yes to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we share

You can ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment or our operations, or with people involved in your care. We are not required to agree, and an agreed limit may not apply in an emergency.

If you, or someone other than your health plan, pays for a service in full, you can ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan. We will agree unless the law requires us to share it.

Get a list of who we’ve shared with

You can ask for a list of certain times we shared your information in the past six years, along with who received it and why. The list leaves out sharing for treatment, payment and operations, sharing you authorized, and certain other exceptions. One list a year is free. If you ask again within 12 months, we will tell you about any reasonable fee first. We usually respond within 60 days.

Get a paper copy of this notice

You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Someone acting for you

If someone has legal authority to act for you, such as a health care proxy or guardian, they can use your rights and make choices about your health information. We will confirm their authority first. Parents and guardians usually act for children, but Massachusetts law lets minors consent to some care on their own, which can affect who may see those records.

Family and friends

You can tell us whether we may share information with family, friends or others involved in your care or paying for it. If you are not able to tell us, for example in an emergency, we may share limited information when we believe it is in your best interest and the law allows it.

File a complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can contact Al, Director, using the information above. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint, without contacting us first. We will never retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

How we use and share your information

Treatment, payment and running our practice

• Treatment: we use your information to care for you and may share it with other professionals treating you. For example, your psychiatric clinician may talk with your primary care provider about a medication.
• Payment: we share information with your health plan so it can pay for your care. For example, a claim lists the service you received.
• Operations: we use information to run the practice and improve care. For example, staff may review records to check quality. Companies that help us with health information must protect it as the law requires.

Other uses the law allows or requires

The law allows or requires us to share information in some situations, always under the conditions the law sets. This list describes those situations. It does not mean we do these things routinely.

• Public health and safety, such as reporting suspected abuse or neglect, or preventing a serious and imminent threat to someone’s health or safety.
• Following the law, health oversight activities, and government investigations of our privacy practices.
• Responding to court orders, lawsuits and certain law enforcement requests, workers’ compensation claims, and special government functions, as the law permits.
• Research that meets legal privacy requirements, organ and tissue donation, and working with coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors.

When we need your written permission

We need your written permission for most uses of psychotherapy notes, for marketing, and to sell health information. We do not sell or rent your information, and we do not use it for fundraising.

For any use not described in this notice, we will ask for your written permission. You can take back that permission in writing at any time, except for actions we already took based on it.

Extra protections and our duties

Substance use disorder records

If we keep records protected by federal rules on substance use disorder treatment (42 CFR Part 2), extra protections apply. Those records cannot be used against you in civil, criminal, administrative or legislative proceedings without your written consent or a court order that meets the legal requirements, including notice and a chance to be heard.

Stronger Massachusetts protections

When Massachusetts law protects your information more strictly than federal law, we follow the stronger rule. Massachusetts law gives special protection to mental health information and to communications with your psychiatric clinician, including in legal proceedings, with limited exceptions. Some care that minors consent to on their own also has added protection. Ask our office if you have questions about your records.

Our responsibilities

• We are required by law to protect the privacy and security of your health information.
• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised your information, as the law requires.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will show its effective date and will be available at our office and on our website.

Contact

Al, Director, BSW Psychiatry LLC
1266 Furnace Brook Pkwy, Quincy, MA 02169
Phone: (617) 221-5133
Email: info@bswpsychiatry.com