How we protect your health information

Your rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. To use any of them, contact our Privacy Officer using the details at the end of this notice.

• Get a copy of your health and billing records. Ask us in writing. We’ll provide a copy or a summary, usually within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Ask us to correct your records. Ask us in writing if you think information is incorrect or incomplete. We may say no, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.
• Request confidential communications. You can ask us to contact you in a specific way, such as a different phone number or address. We’ll say yes to all reasonable requests.
• Ask us to limit what we use or share. You can ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We aren’t required to agree, and we may say no if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you can ask us not to share that information with your health plan for payment or operations, and we’ll say yes unless a law requires us to share it.
• Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information. You can ask for a list of the times we’ve shared your information in the six years before your request, who we shared it with, and why. It won’t include disclosures for treatment, payment, and operations, or ones you asked us to make. We’ll provide one list a year for free.
• Get a copy of this notice. You can ask for a paper copy at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
• Choose someone to act for you. If you’ve given someone medical power of attorney, or someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.
• File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated. You can complain to our Privacy Officer, or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by mail at 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201, by phone at 1-877-696-6775, or at hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints (opens in a new tab). We won’t retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your choices

For some health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share.

• You can tell us whether to share information with family, close friends, or others involved in your care, and with whom.
• If you can’t tell us your preference, for example in an emergency, we may share information if we believe it’s in your best interest. We may also share information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
• We never share your information for marketing, and we never sell your information, unless you give us written permission.
• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes require your written permission.

How we typically use and share your information

Federal law allows us to use and share health information in the following ways. Colorado law and the federal rules for substance use records can be stricter than these rules. When they are, we follow the stricter rule, which often means we ask for your written consent first.

• To treat you. For example, with your consent, Caroline may talk with your physician or a treatment program you’re stepping down from, so your care fits together.
• To run our practice. For example, we may use your information to manage scheduling, improve the quality of care, and meet our professional and licensing requirements, including clinical supervision.
• To bill for your services. For example, we may share information with your health plan to get paid, or use it to prepare a superbill you can submit to your plan.
• Between therapy and coaching. Coaching with Dane is a separate service from therapy and isn’t health care. Caroline and Dane share information about you only with your written permission.

Other ways we may use or share your information

We’re allowed or required to share information in other ways, usually for the public good, such as public health and research. We have to meet many conditions in the law before we can share it for these purposes.

• To help with public health and safety. For example, to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child or an at-risk adult, as Colorado law requires, or to prevent or reduce a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
• To comply with the law. We’ll share information when state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
• To respond to lawsuits and legal actions. We may share information in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena when the law allows it.
• To work with a medical examiner or funeral director. We may share information when an individual dies.
• To address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests. For example, for workers’ compensation claims, for law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official when the law allows, with health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, and for special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services.
• Information we share may be shared again. Information disclosed under this notice may be redisclosed by the person who receives it and may no longer be protected by federal privacy rules.

Substance use disorder records

Some records of substance use disorder treatment have extra protection under federal rules (42 CFR Part 2). If we keep records that these rules protect, we won’t use or share them in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you without your written consent or a court order. A court order requires notice to you and an opportunity to be heard, and must be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure. We don’t use your records for fundraising.

Our responsibilities

• We’re required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We’ll let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.
• We won’t use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind. This won’t undo anything we already did with your permission.

Changes to this notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available on request, on this website, and in your client portal.

Questions or requests

Contact Caroline Stevens, Privacy Officer:

Grava Health LLC
19590 Mainstreet, Suite 202
Parker, CO 80138
Phone: (720) 580-4958
Email: hello@gravahealth.com

A copy of this notice is also provided during intake and stays available in your client portal.