Notice of Privacy Practices

RuLin Integrative Psychiatry is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information, and to notify you following a breach of your unsecured PHI. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice while it is in effect. We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time, provided the changes are permitted by applicable law. The current Notice will be posted on our website at www.rulinip.com and will be available to you upon request at any time.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Treatment. We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your psychiatric care. For example, we may disclose your information to other health care providers involved in your treatment, such as your primary care physician, pharmacist, or a specialist to whom we refer you.

Payment. We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for services rendered. As a cash-pay practice, this includes processing payments, maintaining billing records, and providing receipts or superbills that you may submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.

Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your PHI for administrative, quality improvement, and operational purposes necessary to run this practice, including clinical training, licensing compliance, and practice management activities.

Other Permitted Uses and Disclosures

We may also use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization as required by law, including to public health authorities for disease prevention or control; to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence to appropriate government authorities as required or permitted by Florida law; to health oversight agencies for audits, investigations, and licensure inspections; in response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful judicial or administrative process; to law enforcement officials for limited purposes as permitted by law; to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors; to facilitate organ, eye, or tissue donation; for research purposes when an appropriate waiver or authorization has been obtained; to avert a serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public; to military command authorities if you are a member of the armed forces; and to workers' compensation programs as required by law.

Psychotherapy Notes

Notes recorded by your provider that document the contents of private counseling sessions and that are kept separate from your general medical record constitute psychotherapy notes under HIPAA. These notes receive heightened protection and will not be used or disclosed without your specific written authorization, except in limited circumstances required by law, including to avert a serious and imminent threat to health or safety, for your provider's own training, or as required for oversight of your provider.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

For uses and disclosures of your PHI beyond those described above, we will request your written authorization. This includes most disclosures of psychotherapy notes, uses of your PHI for marketing purposes, and the sale of your PHI. You have the right to revoke an authorization at any time by submitting a written revocation to us. Your revocation will not affect any actions we took in reliance on the authorization prior to receiving your revocation.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

Right to Access Your Records. You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI that is maintained in a designated record set. Requests must be submitted in writing. We will respond within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for producing copies.

Right to Request Amendment. If you believe that your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend it. Your request must be in writing and must explain why the information should be amended. We may deny your request under certain circumstances and will notify you in writing of any denial.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures. You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made during the six years prior to the date of your request. This accounting does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations, or disclosures made pursuant to your authorization.

Right to Request Restrictions. You have the right to request that we restrict how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request, except that we must agree to restrict disclosure to a health plan if the disclosure is for payment or health care operations and the PHI pertains solely to a service for which you have paid out of pocket in full.

Right to Request Confidential Communications. You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health care in a specific way or at a specific location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice. You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. Contact us at the information below or visit www.rulinip.com.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach. We are required to notify you without unreasonable delay, and in no event later than 60 days following discovery, of any breach of your unsecured PHI.

Our Duties

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI, to provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify you following a breach of your unsecured PHI. We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice while it is in effect and to notify you if we change our privacy practices in a way that materially affects your rights.

How to Exercise Your Rights or File a Complaint

To exercise any of the rights described in this Notice, or if you have questions about our privacy practices, please contact:

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington DC 20201, toll-free 1-877-696-6775, at www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints. You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.

Acknowledgment of Receipt

By proceeding with services at RuLin Integrative Psychiatry, you acknowledge that you have been provided with or offered access to this Notice of Privacy Practices. A signed acknowledgment of receipt will be requested at your first appointment. If you are unable or unwilling to sign, the reason will be documented in your record in accordance with HIPAA requirements.

Effective Date: July 1, 2026. This Notice supersedes all prior versions.