Notice of Privacy Practices

PHI MEANS PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION.

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED BY SOMATUS, INC. AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. 

Your rights:

  • Get a copy of your paper or electronic medical record
  • Correct your paper or electronic medical record
  • Request confidential communications
  • Ask us to limit what we use or share
  • Get a list of those with whom we have shared information
  • Get a copy of this privacy notice
  • Choose someone to act for you
  • Opt out of communications
  • Write a letter of complaint if you feel your privacy rights are violated 

 

We may use and give out your information to:

  • Treat you
  • Get paid
  • Run the company
  • Comply with the law
  • Health & safety reasons
  • Do research
  • Organ & tissue donation requests
  • Worker’s compensation requests
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
  • Law enforcement requests or national security reasons
  • Coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director use

 

Special Note

  • Somatus does not create or maintain psychotherapy notes.
  • Somatus does not market or sell your health information.

 

Your Rights:

This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

  • Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record.
    • You can ask to see or get a copy of your electronic or paper medical record and any other health information we may have. Ask us how to do this.
    • We will provide you with a copy or summary of your health information within 30 days of your request. There may be a reasonable charge.
  • Correct your medical record.
    • You can ask us to correct any information in your medical record that you believe is wrong or inaccurate. Ask us to help you.
    • We may say “no” to this request, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days.
  • Request confidential communications.
    • You can ask us to contact you in a special way (for example, home phone number or cell phone) or to send mail to a different address
    • We will say yes to all reasonable requests.
  • Ask us to limit what we use or share.
    • You can ask that we not share certain treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to your request if us saying “no” would impact your care.
    • If you pay for your care in full out of pocket, you can ask us not to share that information with your health insurer. Unless the law requires us to say “yes,” we will not share that information.
  • Get a list of those with whom we have shared information
    • You can ask for a list (also called accounting) of the times that we have shared your health information and who we shared it with. This will only be for the past six years prior to the date you ask.
    • We will not include any disclosures of information shared for your treatment, payment, or our operations or any other information you authorized us to release. We will provide one accounting free of charge but may charge for any additional requests within a 12-month period.
  • Get a copy of this privacy notice
    • You can ask for a paper copy of this privacy notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will work to get you a paper copy promptly.
  • Choose someone to act for you
    • If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
    • We will make sure the person has the authority and can act for you before we take action.
  • Opt out of communications
    • You can ask not to receive communications from us. We will only contact you for important or required communications.
  • Write a letter of complaint if you feel your rights are violated 
    • You can file a complaint if you feel your rights were violated. You may contact:
      • Somatus Privacy Officer and/or
      • 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/privacy/hipaa/complaints/.
      • No action will be taken against you for filing a complaint.

 

Your Choices: If you have specific requests on how we share information, let us know and we will work with you to follow your instructions.

 

Our Uses and Disclosures:

This section will help you understand how we share your information.

  • Treat you
    • We can share information with other health care professionals who are treating you.
    • Example: Your primary care physician would like a copy of your assessment to help them treat you.
  • Bill for services
    • We can share your health information with your health insurer or other entity, to bill or get payment for your services.
    • Example: We can share your information with your health insurer, so they pay for your service.

 

  • Run the company
    • We can use or share your health information to run our organization, improve our ability to provide care, and contact you when necessary.
    • Example: We can use your information to manage your treatment and services.
  • Comply with the law
    • We will share your information if state or federal law require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
  • Health & safety reasons
    • We can share information about you for certain public health situations such as:
      • Preventing disease
      • Helping with product recalls
      • Reporting adverse reactions to medications
      • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect or domestic violence
      • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety
  • Research
    • We can use or share your information for health research.
  • Organ & tissue donation requests
    • We can share your health information with organ procurement organizations.
  • Worker’s compensation requests
    • We can share your health information for worker’s compensation claims.
  • Respond to lawsuits and legal actions
    • We can share your health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.
  • Law enforcement requests or other government requests
    • We can share your information with a law enforcement official or for law enforcement purposes
    • With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law
    • We can also share your information with military, national security, and presidential protective services
  • Coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director use
    • We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.
  • We may share your health information electronically with other groups through a Health Information Exchange network.
    • These other groups may include hospitals, laboratories, doctors, public health departments, health plans, and other participants. Sharing data electronically is a faster way to get your health data to the providers treating you. 
    • For example, if you travel and need treatment, it allows other doctors that participate to electronically access your information to help care for you.

 

Our Responsibilities

  • Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
  • Let you know if a breach occurs that compromised the privacy or security of your information.
  • We must follow the duties and privacy practices in this notice and give you a copy of it.
  • Except as described above, we will not use or share your PHI unless you tell us we can in writing. You may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
  • We may contact you for appointment reminders or other health-related benefits or services.

 

For more information

see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

 

Changes to the Terms of this Notice

We can change the terms of this notice. The changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request and on our web site. https://somatus.com/

 

Contact Information

If you have any questions or complaints about this notice or our privacy practices, please contact the Somatus Privacy Office.

You may call, email or write us at:  

Privacy Officer
Somatus, Inc.
1861 International Drive, Suite 600 
McLean, VA 22102

Somatus Privacy Officer: Salome Nengean

Phone number: (800) 662-3689

Email: [email protected]

 

Effective Date of this Notice: April 27, 2023