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.
The Affiliated Provider Network — the medical group your Provider practices through — is the HIPAA Covered Entity that holds your medical record. This Notice explains how that record may be used and shared and lists your rights. Leader Health is the Affiliated Provider Network's Business Associate and follows the same rules. We do not sell your protected health information, and we do not use it to advertise to you. Questions: privacy@myleaderhealth.com.
This Notice is issued by the Affiliated Provider Network — the independent licensed clinicians and the professional medical entity through which they practice and who deliver clinical services through the Leader Health Platform. The Affiliated Provider Network acts as the HIPAA Covered Entity for clinical services. The current Affiliated Provider Network and the identity and licensure of the clinician treating you are disclosed to you at registration and in your patient dashboard.
Leader Health (the trade name used by LH Ventures LLC) acts as a HIPAA Business Associate of the Affiliated Provider Network under a written Business Associate Agreement and handles Protected Health Information ("PHI") only as permitted by that agreement and by HIPAA.
Ratcliff Health PLLC, the physician entity that provides medical-oversight services to Leader Health under a Physician Services Agreement, is not a treating-provider network and is not the Covered Entity for your record. To the extent Ratcliff Health PLLC accesses PHI in performing program-level oversight (for example, protocol review or quality assurance), it does so under the appropriate HIPAA arrangement with the Affiliated Provider Network and Leader Health.
This Notice is required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") and applies to PHI created or received by the Affiliated Provider Network in connection with your care.
The Affiliated Provider Network is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy of your PHI;
Provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI;
Abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect;
Notify you of a breach of your unsecured PHI as required by law.
How we may use and disclose your PHI without your authorization
The following uses and disclosures may occur without your written authorization.
a. Treatment. To provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services — including consultations with Providers, lab orders, pharmacy fulfillment, and coordination with other providers you authorize.
b. Payment. To bill for services and obtain payment — for example, processing your payment method, providing receipts for HSA/FSA reimbursement, and verifying eligibility.
c. Healthcare operations. Activities necessary to run the Affiliated Provider Network's practice, including quality assessment, clinician training and review, compliance, legal services, and general administrative activities.
d. Business Associates. We share PHI with Business Associates that perform services for us — including Leader Health (platform and administrative services), the Pharmacies, Labs, and technology vendors — under contracts requiring HIPAA-compliant safeguards.
e. Required by law. When required by federal, state, or local law.
f. Public health and safety. For public-health activities, reporting of abuse or neglect, health-oversight activities, and to prevent a serious threat to health or safety.
g. Health-oversight activities. For audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure or disciplinary actions.
h. Judicial and administrative proceedings. In response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful process.
i. Law enforcement. When required by law or court order.
j. Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors. As permitted by law.
k. Organ and tissue donation. As permitted by law.
l. Research. Only if authorized by an Institutional Review Board or Privacy Board and consistent with HIPAA.
m. Workers' compensation. As authorized by workers' compensation laws.
n. Military and veterans, national security, and protective services. As authorized by law for military personnel, national-security activities, and protective services for the President or others.
o. Inmates. Limited disclosures permitted when you are an inmate.
Other uses and disclosures of PHI not described above will be made only with your written authorization. Categories that require authorization include:
Marketing communications (other than face-to-face communications and certain limited promotions).
Sale of PHI (we do not sell PHI).
Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.
Substance-use-disorder treatment records subject to 42 CFR Part 2.
You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already taken action in reliance on it.
You have the right to:
a. Inspect and copy your PHI. Request a copy of your medical and billing records. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee. We may deny access in limited circumstances; if denied, you have a right to have the denial reviewed.
b. Request an amendment. Request that we amend PHI we maintain about you if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request in certain circumstances; if denied, you may submit a statement of disagreement that we will include in your record.
c. Request an accounting of disclosures. Receive a list of certain disclosures we made of your PHI in the six years before your request (excluding disclosures for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and a few others). The first request in a 12-month period is free; additional requests may be subject to a reasonable, cost-based fee.
d. Request restrictions. Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures. We are not required to agree, except that we will agree to restrict disclosure to a health plan for payment or healthcare operations if you have paid out-of-pocket in full for the item or service and the disclosure is not otherwise required by law.
e. Request confidential communications. Request that we communicate with you in a certain way or at a certain location (for example, by email only, or at a specific address).
f. Receive a paper copy of this Notice. On request, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
g. Notification of breach. Receive notification of a breach of your unsecured PHI as required by law.
To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@myleaderhealth.com or submit a request through the dashboard. We will respond within the time required by law.
You may file a complaint with us at privacy@myleaderhealth.com or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at:
Online: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html
Mail: 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and to make the new Notice effective for all PHI we maintain. Any change will be posted on the Site with a new Effective Date and made available on request.
Contact
Privacy team: privacy@myleaderhealth.com Mailing address: Leader Health, c/o LH Ventures LLC, 321 S Persimmon St, Tomball, TX 77375
