THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Effective Date: May 2023
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
KC Counseling Group LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is required by law to protect the privacy of your health information, to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect. We take this responsibility seriously.
Your health information, including notes from your therapy sessions, is personal and private. This notice explains how we may use and disclose that information, and the rights you have regarding it.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your health information for the following purposes without your written authorization:
Treatment. We may use your health information to provide and coordinate your counseling care. For example, your therapist may review your record to plan your sessions, or may consult with another provider involved in your care.
Payment. We may use and disclose your health information to bill and collect payment for the services we provide. For example, we may share information with your insurance company to obtain authorization or payment for a session.
Healthcare Operations. We may use and disclose your health information to run our practice and improve the quality of care. For example, we may use information for scheduling, training, quality review, or business management.
Appointment Reminders and Communications. We communicate with you about appointments and your care through SimplePractice, our secure electronic health record and HIPAA compliant software. This may include appointment reminders, messages, and documents sent through the SimplePractice client portal.
Special Protections for Mental Health and Psychotherapy Notes
Because we are a counseling practice, much of what you share with us receives heightened protection under both federal and state law.
Psychotherapy notes, which are the notes your therapist records during a private session and keeps separate from the rest of your record, are given special protection. In most cases, we will not use or disclose your psychotherapy notes without your written authorization. Limited exceptions exist, such as when we are required by law to disclose them or when they are needed to defend against a legal action you bring.
Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
In certain situations, we may use or disclose your health information without your authorization, as permitted or required by law. These situations include:
- When required by federal, state, or local law
- To public health authorities for activities such as preventing disease or reporting required information
- To report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, as required by law
- To health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits or investigations
- In response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful legal process
- To law enforcement officials under specific circumstances permitted by law
- To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you or others
- To coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors as permitted by law
- For workers compensation claims as authorized by law
- For specialized government functions, such as military or national security activities
Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Authorization
Other than the uses and disclosures described above, we will not use or disclose your health information without your written authorization. This includes:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes
- Uses and disclosures for marketing purposes
- Disclosures that constitute a sale of your health information
If you give us authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. The revocation will apply going forward and will not affect any disclosures we already made while your authorization was in effect.
Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding the health information we maintain about you:
Right to Access. You have the right to inspect and request a copy of your health information, with limited exceptions. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
Right to Request Amendment. If you believe information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend it. We may deny your request in certain circumstances, and we will explain our reasons in writing.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we made of your health information.
Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to request limits on how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or operations. We are not required to agree to every request, but we will consider each one. If you pay for a service in full and out of pocket, you may request that we not share information about that service with your health plan, and we will honor that request as required by law.
Right to Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to ask us to communicate with you in a specific way or at a specific location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only by mail or only at a certain phone number. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Right to a Paper Copy. You have the right to receive a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
Right to Be Notified of a Breach. You have the right to be notified if there is a breach of your unsecured health information.
Right to Revoke Authorization. Where you have given written authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time as described above.
Our Responsibilities
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your health information
- Provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices
- Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect
- Notify you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information
Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this notice and to make the revised notice effective for health information we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. The current notice will be posted in our office and on our website, with its effective date shown. You may request a copy of the most current notice at any time.
Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us using the contact information below. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Complaints to the Office for Civil Rights may be filed online at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints.
You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this notice, wish to exercise any of your rights, or want to file a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer:
Privacy Officer: Paige Weber, Executive Director
Phone: 816-200-1618
Email: paige@kccounselinggroup.com
KC Counseling Group LLC
905 NE Rice Rd, Suite 2
Lee’s Summit, MO 64063