NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
AS REQUIRED BY THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996 (HIPAA)
Effective July 30, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, AND YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
1. WHY WE KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Decatur Dermatology & Aesthetics (“DD&A”) is committed to maintaining the privacy and security of your protected health information.
We create and maintain medical information about you to provide your care and because we are required to do so by law. Federal and state law also require us to provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices concerning your protected health information.
This Notice explains:
How we may use and disclose your health information;
Your rights regarding your health information; and
Our responsibilities concerning the privacy and security of your health information.
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information, provide you with this Notice, and follow the duties and privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect.
We will notify you as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your protected health information.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices. Changes may apply to all information we maintain about you, including information created or received before the change.
When we make a material change, the revised Notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our website.
2. HOW WE MAY USE AND SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
FOR TREATMENT
We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare.
For example, we may share information with another physician, pharmacy, laboratory, pathology provider, hospital, or other healthcare professional involved in your care.
FOR BILLING AND PAYMENT
We may use and disclose your health information to bill and collect payment for services provided to you.
For example, we may provide information to your health insurance plan so that it can process a claim, determine eligibility or coverage, review medical necessity, or make payment.
FOR HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
We may use and disclose your health information as necessary to operate our practice and improve the care and services we provide.
For example, we may use information for quality assessment, staff training, business management, compliance activities, patient-service activities, and other healthcare operations.
We may also work with business associates that perform services on our behalf. When a business associate creates, receives, maintains, or transmits protected health information for DD&A, it is required to safeguard that information in accordance with applicable law and its agreement with us.
TO CONTACT YOU ABOUT APPOINTMENTS AND YOUR CARE
We may contact you by telephone, voicemail, text message, email, postal mail, patient portal, or other communication methods regarding matters related to your healthcare or our operations.
These communications may include:
Appointment scheduling, confirmations, and reminders;
Registration or preparation for visits and procedures;
Test, laboratory, and pathology results;
Prescriptions and medication-related matters;
Referrals and care coordination;
Follow-up recommendations;
Insurance, prior authorization, billing, and payment; and
Other healthcare or administrative matters.
We may leave a voicemail at a telephone number you provide unless you ask us not to do so. Message and data charges may apply to text messages.
You may request that we communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular location.
SIGN-IN AND OFFICE COMMUNICATIONS
We may use limited information as reasonably necessary for ordinary office operations. For example, we may ask you to sign in when you arrive and may call your name when we are ready to see you.
TREATMENT OPTIONS AND HEALTH-RELATED SERVICES
We may use or disclose your health information to tell you about treatment options, alternatives, or health-related services that may be relevant to your care.
FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS, AND OTHERS INVOLVED IN YOUR CARE
When appropriate and permitted by law, we may share health information relevant to your care or payment for your care with a family member, friend, caregiver, or other person involved in your care or payment.
When possible, we will provide you with an opportunity to agree or object to such a disclosure. In other circumstances, we may use our professional judgment to determine whether sharing limited information is in your best interest.
We may also share information when necessary for disaster-relief or notification purposes as permitted by law.
MARKETING
Some communications about treatment alternatives and health-related products or services may be permitted without your written authorization.
For marketing activities that require authorization under applicable law, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information.
SALE OF HEALTH INFORMATION
We will not sell your protected health information when written authorization is required by law without first obtaining that authorization.
RESEARCH
We may use or disclose health information for research when permitted by law, including when appropriate authorization has been obtained or when an institutional review board or privacy board has approved a waiver of authorization.
Participation in research that requires your consent is voluntary.
AS REQUIRED OR PERMITTED BY LAW
We may use or disclose your health information when federal, state, or local law requires or permits us to do so.
BREACH NOTIFICATION
If a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs, we will notify affected individuals as required by law.
LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS
We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when the requirements and safeguards of applicable law have been satisfied.
3. USE AND DISCLOSURE OF HEALTH INFORMATION IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Certain laws permit or require us to disclose health information in specific circumstances.
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
We may disclose your health information to authorized public-health or other government authorities for activities permitted or required by law.
These activities may include:
Preventing or controlling disease;
Reporting certain communicable diseases;
Reporting adverse events or product problems;
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence when authorized or required by law;
Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety; and
Other legally authorized public-health activities.
HEALTH OVERSIGHT
We may disclose health information to authorized health-oversight agencies for activities such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensing, and other activities authorized by law.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
We may disclose health information to law-enforcement officials only under circumstances permitted or required by applicable law.
Examples may include responding to certain court orders or legal processes, reporting information required by law, locating certain persons, or addressing particular crimes or threats to safety.
MILITARY, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES
When applicable and authorized by law, we may disclose health information for certain military, national-security, intelligence, or protective-service activities.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
We may disclose health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws and similar programs relating to work-related injuries or illnesses.
CORONERS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS, AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS
We may disclose health information to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors when permitted or required by law.
ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION
We may disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation when permitted by law.
CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND LAW-ENFORCEMENT CUSTODY
If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or are in law-enforcement custody, we may disclose health information to the institution or law-enforcement official when permitted by law and necessary for purposes such as providing healthcare, protecting your health and safety or that of others, or maintaining the safety and security of the institution.
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RECORDS
Certain records relating to substance use disorder treatment may be subject to additional federal confidentiality protections under 42 CFR Part 2.
When DD&A receives or maintains records protected by these additional requirements, we will use and disclose those records only as permitted by applicable law. Certain uses and disclosures of such records may require your written consent, and additional restrictions may apply to their use in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings.
4. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
You have important rights concerning the health information we maintain about you.
ACCESS YOUR MEDICAL RECORD
You may ask to inspect or obtain a copy of health information we maintain about you, including an electronic copy when applicable.
We will provide access within the time required by law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.
In limited circumstances, we may deny access to certain information. If we do, we will explain the reason and any rights you may have to request review of that decision.
REQUEST AN AMENDMENT
If you believe health information we maintain about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it.
We may deny your request in certain circumstances, but if we do, we will provide you with a written explanation as required by law.
REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
You may ask us to communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular location.
For example, you may ask us to contact you only at a particular telephone number or send mail to a different address.
We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
REQUEST RESTRICTIONS
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
We generally are not required to agree to your request. If we agree to a restriction, however, we will comply with it except as otherwise permitted or required by law.
If you pay for a healthcare service or item entirely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service or item to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We will honor that request when required by law unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.
REQUEST AN ACCOUNTING OF DISCLOSURES
You may request a list, or accounting, of certain disclosures we have made of your health information.
The accounting generally does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations and certain other disclosures excluded by law.
We will provide one accounting within a 12-month period without charge. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional accountings within the same 12-month period when permitted by law.
CHOOSE SOMEONE TO ACT FOR YOU
If you have given someone medical power of attorney or another person has legal authority to act as your personal representative, that person may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information to the extent permitted by law.
We may verify that the person has appropriate authority before acting on a request.
RECEIVE A COPY OF THIS NOTICE
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
We will provide a paper copy promptly.
FILE A PRIVACY COMPLAINT
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with DD&A by contacting our Privacy Officer using the information at the end of this Notice.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
5. YOUR CHOICES AND AUTHORIZATIONS
For certain health information, you may tell us your choices about what we share.
For example, when appropriate, you may tell us your preferences regarding sharing information with family members, friends, caregivers, or others involved in your care.
For uses and disclosures not described in this Notice or otherwise permitted by law, DD&A will obtain your written authorization when required.
Your written authorization is generally required for uses or disclosures of protected health information for purposes such as:
Certain marketing activities;
The sale of protected health information; and
Other uses and disclosures for which authorization is required by law.
If you provide written authorization, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance on it or as otherwise provided by law.
Revoking an authorization does not require DD&A to remove information already properly included in your medical record, and we remain subject to applicable medical-record retention requirements.
6. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
DD&A is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;
Provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices;
Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect;
Notify you as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your protected health information; and
Respect the privacy rights described in this Notice.
We will not use or disclose your health information other than as described in this Notice or otherwise permitted or required by law unless you provide written authorization.
If you provide authorization, you may revoke it as described above.
7. CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We may change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices.
Changes may apply to all health information we maintain about you, including information created or received before the change.
When this Notice is revised, the current version will be:
Available upon request;
Available in our office; and
Posted on our website.
8. QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS NOTICE
If you have questions about this Notice, would like to exercise one of your privacy rights, or want to discuss a concern without filing a formal complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with DD&A or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.
DECATUR DERMATOLOGY & AESTHETICS
Attention: Privacy Officer
150 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Suite 150
Decatur, GA 30030
Email: max@decderm.com
Phone: (404) 566-5056 ext. 02
Fax: (404) 566-5046
You may also submit a complaint to:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775