Notice of Privacy Practices

Who this notice covers

This notice applies to Mirkin Vision’s handling of your protected health information. For questions, records requests, or privacy concerns, contact the practice’s privacy contact by calling 718-634-0005 or writing to:

Please ask for assistance with a privacy request. For information about cookies and online services, see our separate website privacy notice.

Your rights

See or receive your records

You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of the medical and billing information we keep about you. We generally provide access within 30 days, or sooner when applicable law requires. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply where permitted. If access is denied, we will explain the reason and any available review rights.

Ask for a correction

You may ask us to amend information you believe is incorrect or incomplete. If we deny the request, we will explain why in writing within 60 days and explain how to submit a statement of disagreement.

Choose how we contact you

You may request a specific contact method or mailing address. We will agree to reasonable requests for confidential communications.

Request limits on sharing

You may ask us to limit information used or shared for treatment, payment, or practice operations. We are not required to agree to every request. If we agree, an emergency-treatment exception may apply. If you pay in full out of pocket for an item or service, you may require us not to disclose that information to your health plan for payment or operations, unless disclosure is required by law.

Receive a list of disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures made during the previous six years. It generally excludes treatment, payment, operations, disclosures you authorized, and other legal exceptions. One accounting in a 12-month period is free; a reasonable cost-based fee may apply to additional requests.

Get this notice and choose a representative

You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to an electronic copy. A person with legal authority, such as a health care agent or guardian, may exercise your rights for you. We verify that authority before acting.

Your choices & permission

You may tell us whether to share information with family, friends, or others involved in your care or payment, or for disaster relief. If you cannot communicate a choice, we may share information in your best interests as the law allows. We may also share information to address a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

Uses or disclosures for marketing, sale of your health information, and most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes require your written authorization, except where the law specifically permits otherwise. Other uses not described in this notice also require authorization.

You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time. Revocation does not undo actions already taken in reliance on it.

If we contact you for fundraising, you may opt out of further fundraising communications. If we hold substance use disorder records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, we will give you clear advance notice and a choice before using those records for fundraising.

Treatment, payment & operations

• Treatment: we may use information to care for you and share it with other professionals involved in your care—for example, a clinician coordinating treatment.
• Payment: we may use and share information to bill and obtain payment—for example, sending necessary claim information to your health plan.
• Practice operations: we may use and share information to run the practice, coordinate services, improve care, and contact you about care.

Service providers handling protected health information for us must safeguard it as required by law and applicable agreements.

Other permitted disclosures

Only when the applicable legal conditions are met, we may use or disclose information for:

• Public health, disease prevention, product recalls, adverse-event reporting, or reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety.
• Research permitted by law.
• Compliance with state or federal law, including oversight by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Organ or tissue donation, or a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director’s authorized duties.
• Workers’ compensation, lawful law-enforcement requests, health oversight, and authorized military, national-security, or other government functions.
• Court or administrative orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes that meet applicable privacy requirements.

The additional protections below continue to apply to these uses and disclosures.

Additional protections

Substance use disorder records

If we hold substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, we will not use or share those records in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigation or proceeding against you without your written consent or a court order and a subpoena, as required by Part 2.

New York and other protective laws

We follow laws that give your information greater protection than HIPAA. New York places additional limits on disclosure of HIV-related information and genetic-test information; certain mental-health records and other sensitive records may also have special protections. Where these laws apply, we obtain the required written consent unless a specific legal exception permits or requires disclosure. You may contact us to discuss the protections that apply to your records.

Our responsibilities

We are required by law to protect the privacy and security of your protected health information, follow the privacy practices in this notice, and give you a copy. We will notify you as required by law if a breach compromises the privacy or security of your information.

We may revise this notice. A revised notice may apply to information we already hold as well as information received later. The current notice will be available in the office, on this website, and on request.

Questions or complaints

Contact Mirkin Vision at 718-634-0005 or the address above if you believe your privacy rights have been violated. You may also complain to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights using its complaint instructions, by calling 1-877-696-6775, or by writing to 200 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20201.

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.