HIPAA and Washington State Notice of Privacy Policy and Practices

Effective Date: June 1, 2024

1. Introduction:

Love Meets Therapy is committed to maintaining the privacy and security of your protected health information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the state laws of Washington. This Notice of Privacy Policy and Practices explains how we collect, use, and disclose your PHI.

2. Information We Collect:

  1. Personal Information: We may collect personal information such as your name, contact details, and demographic information when you voluntarily provide it through our contact forms or during the registration process.

  2. Health Information: As a therapy website, we may collect and process health information (protected health information or PHI) as allowed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This information is treated with the utmost confidentiality and is only accessible to authorized individuals. This information will only be collected through HIPAA-secure formats like Google Forms.

3. Use of PHI:

  1. HIPAA-Protected Google Accounts: To ensure the security and confidentiality of your health information, we utilize HIPAA-protected Google accounts. These accounts adhere to the highest standards of data protection and are managed in compliance with HIPAA regulations.

  2. Communication: We may use your contact information to send emails, newsletters, or other important information.

  3. Exclusion: We do NOT use this website to deliver therapy services, schedule appointments, or communicate with you regarding your treatment.

4. Disclosure of PHI:

We may disclose your PHI to healthcare professionals involved in your treatment, insurance providers for payment purposes, and as required by law. We will obtain your written authorization for any uses and disclosures. We employ industry-standard encryption protocols to protect transmission of sensitive information.

5. Individual Rights:

You have the right to:

  • Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures of your PHI.

  • Access, inspect, and obtain a copy of your PHI.

  • Request amendments to your PHI.

  • Receive an accounting of disclosures.

  • Request confidential communications.

6. Security Measures:

We implement physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your PHI. Access to your PHI is restricted to authorized individuals who need the information for legitimate purposes.

7. Third-Party Disclosure:

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personally identifiable information to third parties unless we provide you with advance notice and obtain your consent.

8. HIPAA-Protected Google Accounts:

To enhance the security of your health information, Love Meets Therapy uses HIPAA-protected Google accounts, ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations regarding the storage and transmission of PHI.

9. State Law Compliance:

In addition to HIPAA, we adhere to the privacy provisions of Washington State law, which may afford you additional rights and protections.

10. Changes to Privacy Practices:

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice. Any changes will be effective for all PHI we maintain. You will receive a revised Notice if there are material changes to our privacy practices.

11. Contact Information:

If you have questions or concerns about this Notice or our privacy practices, please contact us.