Effective Date: 04/06/26

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.

Specialty Eye Consultants (“we,” “our,” or “us”) is committed to protecting the privacy of your medical information in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and applicable Massachusetts law.

Our Responsibilities

We are required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (“PHI”)

• Provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices

• Notify you following a breach of unsecured PHI

• Follow the terms of this Notice currently in effect

How We May Use and Disclose Your Information

We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes:

1. Treatment
We may use and share your medical information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare and related services.

2. Payment
We may use and disclose your information to bill and receive payment from health plans or other entities. This may include sharing information about your diagnosis, procedures, or vision services.

3. Healthcare Operations
We may use your information for practice operations such as:

• Quality assessment and improvement

• Staff training and credentialing

• Licensing and accreditation

• Administrative and business management activities

Other Permitted and Required Uses and Disclosures

We may also use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization in certain situations, including:

• Public health and safety activities

• Reporting abuse, neglect, or domestic violence

• Health oversight and regulatory compliance

• Judicial and administrative proceedings

• Law enforcement purposes

• To avert a serious threat to health or safety

• Workers’ compensation claims

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization

We will obtain your written authorization before:

• Using or disclosing psychotherapy notes (if applicable)

• Using your information for marketing purposes (where required by law)

• Selling your PHI

You may revoke your authorization at any time in writing.

Special Considerations for Ophthalmology Care

As part of your care, we may collect and maintain:

• Diagnostic imaging (e.g., retinal scans, OCT imaging, visual field tests)

• Photographs of the eye for diagnosis and treatment

• Vision prescriptions and corrective lens information

These records are considered part of your PHI and are protected under this Notice.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the right to:

• Access Your Records
  Request to inspect or obtain a copy of your medical records.

• Request an Amendment
  Ask us to correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

• Request Confidential Communications
  Ask us to contact you in a specific way (e.g., home vs. work phone).

• Request Restrictions
  Ask us to limit what we use or share; we are not always required to agree.

• Request an Accounting of Disclosures
  Receive a list of certain disclosures we have made.

• Receive a Copy of This Notice
  You may request a paper copy at any time.

Massachusetts Privacy Protections

Massachusetts law provides additional protections for certain types of sensitive health information, including but not limited to:

• Mental health records

• HIV/AIDS-related information

• Substance use disorder treatment records

In some cases, we will obtain your specific written consent before disclosing such information, as required by state law.

Website and Squarespace Hosting

Our website is hosted on the Squarespace platform. While we take reasonable steps to protect your privacy, any information submitted through our website (such as contact forms or appointment requests) may not be fully secure or HIPAA-compliant unless explicitly stated.

Please do not submit sensitive medical information through the website unless directed to a secure, designated system.

Squarespace and other third-party service providers may process limited personal information (such as IP address or usage data) in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Breach Notification

We will notify you as required by law if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your PHI.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. Any revised Notice will apply to all PHI we maintain and will be made available on our website and at our office.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

Contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
Office for Civil Rights
https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Notice or your rights, please contact us here.