Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

About this notice

Comfort Laser Center protects information that identifies you and relates to your health, care, or payment for care. This protected health information includes medical and billing records, clinical photographs, and care-related communications in paper, electronic, or spoken form. This notice applies to the clinic and workforce members providing services on its behalf.

Our Website Privacy Policy covers website information practices. Our SMS Messaging Terms Policy covers text messaging. Those policies do not reduce your healthcare privacy rights. Accepting a policy, receiving this notice, or giving us a phone number does not supply a separate authorization required to use or disclose health information.

Our Website Privacy Policy prohibits sale of website personal information and cross-site targeted-advertising use or disclosure. Our policies prohibit sale or rental of mobile numbers and SMS consent records or their disclosure for independent third-party marketing. Necessary contracted services remain subject to applicable privacy protections.

Our responsibilities

We must protect the privacy of your health information, provide this notice, follow the notice currently in effect, and notify you after a breach of unsecured protected health information when required by law. We use reasonable safeguards and limit uses, disclosures, and requests to the minimum necessary when that standard applies.

How we use information for your care

Treatment. We may use and share information to evaluate, provide, and coordinate care. For example, a clinician may review your health history before laser treatment or discuss follow-up care with another treating professional.

Payment. We may use and share information to bill for care and collect payment. For example, we may prepare your statement or, when applicable, provide necessary information to an insurer. Your right to restrict certain disclosures for services paid in full is explained below.

Healthcare operations. We may use and share information to run the practice, assess quality and safety, train staff, and meet professional requirements. For example, clinicians may review treatment outcomes to improve care. Contractors handling protected information for us must have required privacy agreements and safeguards.

Your privacy rights

Contact the Practice Administrator at 406-863-6100 or use the contact details in this notice. Staff can help you submit a request. We may reasonably verify your identity or a representative’s authority without creating unnecessary barriers.

Review or obtain your records

Request in writing to inspect or receive copies of medical, billing, and other records used to make decisions about you. We provide the requested paper or electronic format when readily producible, or agree with you on an available format. Inspection is free. Any copy fee must be reasonable, cost-based, permitted by law, and explained in advance.

We act within 30 calendar days. If a permitted extension is necessary, we explain the reason and completion date in writing within that period; only one extension of up to 30 days is allowed. If we deny access, we explain the reason and any right to review or complain. We follow any applicable shorter deadline.

Request a correction

Send a written amendment request identifying inaccurate or incomplete information and explaining why a change is needed. We act within 60 days. One extension of up to 30 days is allowed if we explain the reason and completion date in writing within the initial 60 days. A written denial explains the reason and your right to submit a statement of disagreement. Amendment does not require deleting the original record.

Request limits on use or sharing

You may ask in writing for restrictions on information used or shared for treatment, payment, operations, or with people involved in your care. We generally do not have to agree. We will explain our decision; an agreed restriction remains subject to applicable legal exceptions, including necessary emergency treatment.

If you pay in full for an item or service, or someone other than your health plan pays in full on your behalf, you may ask us not to disclose information solely about that item or service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We must honor that request unless disclosure is required by law. Tell us before information is submitted to the plan.

Request confidential communications

Ask us to contact you by a particular method or at another address, or to limit voicemail details. We accommodate reasonable requests. You do not need to explain why. Tell us the safe contact method and, when relevant, how payment communications should be handled.

Receive a list of certain disclosures

Request in writing an accounting for up to six years before your request. It identifies certain disclosures, recipients, dates, and purposes. Most treatment, payment, operations, and authorized disclosures are excluded. The first accounting in any 12 months is free; we explain any permitted additional fee beforehand. We provide it within 60 days. One 30-day extension is allowed if we explain the reason and completion date in writing within the initial 60 days.

Obtain a notice or use a representative

Ask for a free paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you accepted electronic delivery. A legally authorized representative may exercise your rights, subject to verification and applicable law. Parents or guardians generally act for minors, except when the minor or another person controls consent or access under law.

Other permitted uses and disclosures

The following uses and disclosures occur only when permitted or required by law and after required safeguards are met. Additional protections for sensitive records may limit these purposes.

People involved in your care

With your agreement, or when you have an opportunity to object and do not, we may share information directly relevant to a family member, friend, or other person helping with your care or payment. If you cannot express a preference, we may use professional judgment to share limited information in your best interests. For example, we may explain aftercare to the person helping you after sedation. We may also share limited information for authorized disaster relief and family notification.

Public health and safety

We may report disease, suspected abuse or neglect, and medication or device problems to authorized recipients; assist with recalls; and disclose information needed to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat, as law permits. For example, we may report an adverse reaction to a medication or medical device.

Oversight and legal obligations

We may disclose information required by law, including to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to review compliance. Authorized oversight agencies may receive information for audits, licensing, inspections, or investigations. Disclosures for lawsuits, law enforcement, or other legal proceedings require the conditions and protections applicable to the request. A subpoena does not automatically authorize disclosure.

Montana law limits when medical information may be obtained through compulsory legal process and requires certifications and, in specified circumstances, advance notice to the patient unless a court changes or waives that requirement. We apply those protections when they govern the request.

Other legally authorized purposes

We may disclose information for workers’ compensation; to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors; for organ or tissue donation; and for authorized military, national-security, protective-service, or correctional purposes. Each disclosure must meet the applicable legal conditions. Research requires your authorization or another lawful privacy basis, such as an approved waiver.

Special protections for substance use disorder records

If we receive or maintain substance use disorder treatment records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2, we follow the additional restrictions on their use and disclosure, including required consent. The general permissions above do not override those protections.

We will not use or disclose these records, or testimony about their contents, in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your specific written consent or a qualifying court order. The court-order process must provide notice and an opportunity to be heard to you or the record holder as required by Part 2. An authorizing order must also be accompanied by a subpoena or other legal requirement compelling disclosure. A consent for proceedings must be separate from consent for other purposes.

Additional protections under Montana law

We follow applicable Montana protections for sensitive information, including protected HIV information, qualifying mental-health records, and records controlled by a minor. We obtain additional permission or meet other legal conditions when required. These safeguards may limit a disclosure otherwise permitted under HIPAA.

Your choices and privacy questions

Uses that require your written authorization

We obtain written authorization for marketing uses or disclosures when HIPAA requires it and for most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes. HIPAA also requires authorization for a sale of protected health information; our policy prohibits selling your protected health information. Other uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization.

You may revoke an authorization in writing through our privacy contact. Revocation stops future authorized use or disclosure but does not undo action already taken in reliance on the authorization.

Clinical photographs and public promotions

Photographs used to evaluate, document, or monitor care are protected health information. Before using identifiable patient photographs, before-and-after images, videos, or testimonials on our website, social media, or in advertising, we obtain a separate written authorization. Declining promotional use does not affect care. Treatment consent, this notice, and SMS enrollment do not grant that permission.

Website and text messaging choices

Text messaging is optional. Our SMS Messaging Terms Policy requires documented agreement for service messages and a separate written or electronic opt-in for promotional texts. Neither is a condition of treatment or purchase. SMS consent does not replace a required HIPAA authorization. Reply STOP or contact us to withdraw text consent; an unqualified stop request applies to all recurring automated clinic texts. Stopping texts does not cancel an appointment. Reply HELP or call for assistance.

Ordinary texts and email may be seen by others with access to your device or account and are not guaranteed private. We limit sensitive content and use reasonable safeguards. Ask for another reasonable communication method. Do not send detailed medical information or sensitive photographs through general website forms, ordinary email, or SMS; call to arrange an appropriate method. These channels are not monitored continuously. Call 911 for an emergency.

Questions or complaints

Contact our Practice Administrator, Attention Privacy Requests, at Comfort Laser Center, 150 Timberwolf Parkway, Suite B, Kalispell, MT 59901; call 406-863-6100; or email info@ComfortLaserCenter.com. Describe your concern and how we may safely contact you. Call first to arrange a suitable way to send sensitive information.

You may also complain directly to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, without first complaining to us. Visit hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint or write to Centralized Case Management Operations, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Room 509F HHH Building, Washington, DC 20201. Complaints generally must be filed within 180 days of learning of the issue; extensions may be allowed for good cause. We will not retaliate or withhold care because you file a complaint or exercise privacy rights.

Changes and availability

We may change this notice as law permits and apply changes to information we already maintain and information received later. The revised notice will show its effective date and be available at the clinic, upon request, and at ComfortLaserCenter.com. Changes do not themselves expand SMS, photographic, or marketing permissions. An acknowledgment confirms receipt only and is not an authorization or waiver of rights.