Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us, and maintaining your trust and confidence is one of our highest priorities. We respect your right to keep your personal information confidential and understand your desire to avoid unwanted solicitations, therefore, we never sell your information to any third parties. Additionally, we have an aggressive removal and archival process of any electronic material you send to our office. Please note that it is the responsibility of the client to encrypt any email contents sent to our offices.

We hope that by taking a few minutes to read our policy, you will have a better understanding of what we do with the information you provide us and how we keep it private and secure.

A. Types of Information We Collect

We collect certain personal information about you – but only when that information is provided by you or is obtained by us with your authorization. We use that information to access your holistic medical needs, process orders when requested by you and to contact you as needed.

Examples of sources from which we collect information include:

  • consultation notes with you whether in person, phone or other electronic means,
  • letters or e-mails from you,
  • client history forms, disclaimers and disclosures

B. Parties to Whom We Disclose Information

As a general rule, we do not disclose personal information about our clients or former clients to anyone. However, to the extent permitted by law and any applicable state Code of Professional Conduct, certain nonpublic information about you may be disclosed in the following situations:

  • Should you decide to request us to bill your insurance, details for claims will be provided to our insurance biller and your insurance company.
  • To comply with a validly issued and enforceable subpoena or summons.
  • In the course of a review of our company’s practices under the authorization of a licensing board, or as necessary to properly respond to an inquiry or complaint from such a licensing board or organization. Dr. Skip, O.M.D., is licensed by the West Virginia Board of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine since 2003.
  • As a part of any actual or threatened legal proceedings or alternative dispute resolution proceedings either initiated by or against us, provided we disclose only the information necessary to file, pursue, or defend against the lawsuit and take reasonable precautions to ensure that the information disclosed does not become a matter of public record.
  • To provide information to affiliates of the company and non-affiliated third parties who perform services or functions for us in conjunction with our services to you, but only if we have a contractual agreement with the other party which prohibits them from disclosing or using the information other than for the purposes for which it was disclosed. (Examples: information required by vendors for services or products our offices order on your behalf and only by your explicit permission)

C. Confidentiality and Security of Nonpublic Personal Information

Except as otherwise described in this notice, we restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to employees of our company and other parties who must use that information to provide services to you. Their right to further disclose and use the information is limited by the policies of our company, applicable law, our Code of Professional Conduct, and nondisclosure agreements where appropriate.  We also maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in compliance with applicable laws and regulations to guard your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, or premature destruction.

  • Credit Card Information: The offices of Dr. Skip does store credit card information for billing purposes. Should you choose to store your credit card information with Squareup.com, FullScript.com, or any other invoicing system utilized by our offices, you are claiming responsibility.
  • Electronic Communications: By providing us your email address and phone number you imply your authorization to communicate in this matter. As such, you assume liability for any lack of encryption, privacy, and/or data risk that is related to those methods of communication.

D. Website Security

The ASKDRSKIP.COM, PLLC, website employs a RapidSSL Certificate. RapidSSL offers the most cost-effective range of secure server certificates. Each certificate has over 99+% browser recognition and the highest level of encryption.

Thank you for allowing us to serve your holistic health needs. We value your business and are committed to protecting you privacy. We hope you view us as your most trusted adviser and we will work to continue earning your trust. Full transparency is a critical value of ASKDRSKIP.COM, PLLC, so should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us electronically or via our office line at (304) 634-9700.

HIPPA NOTIFICATION

Effective Date: December 15, 2018

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.  

Your Health Information Rights: Although your health record is the physical property of the healthcare organization that compiled it, the information belongs to you.

You have the right to:
• request a restriction on certain uses and disclosures of your information, obtain a paper copy of the notice of information practices upon request, inspect and obtain a copy of your health record. • amend your health record. • obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information. • request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations. • revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken.

Our Responsibilities:

This organization is required to: • maintain the privacy of your health information. • provide you with this notice as to our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information we collect and maintain about you. • abide by the terms of this notice; notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction. • accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.

We reserve the right to change our practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain. Should our information practices change, the system IntakeQ will e-mail a revised notice to the address you’ve supplied us. We will not use or disclose your health information without your authorization, except as described in this notice.

Examples of Disclosures for Treatment, Payment and Health Operations: We will use your health information for treatment purposes.

For example: Information obtained by an, acupuncturist, massage therapist, or other member of your healthcare team will be recorded in your record and used to determine the course of treatment that should work best for you. The acupuncturist will document in your record his or her expectations of the members of your healthcare team. Members of your healthcare team will then record the actions they took and their observations. In that way, the acupuncturist will know how you are responding to treatment. We will use your health information for payment purposes.

For example: A bill may be sent to you or a third-party payer such as an insurance company, the Medicare program or any other organization, person or program that may be responsible for paying for services. The information on or accompanying the bill may include information that identifies you, as well as your diagnosis, procedures, and supplies used. We will use your health information for regular health operations.

For example: Health care providers within the organization, the risk or quality improvement manager, or members of the quality improvement team may use information in your health record to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others. This Information will then be used, in an effort to continually improve the quality and effectiveness of the healthcare and service we provide.

Business associates: There are some services provided in our organization through contracts with business associates. An example is insurance billing done through a separate billing company who is an independent contractor. There may be additional independent contractors. When these services are contracted, we may disclose your health information to our business associate so that they can perform the job we’ve asked them to do and bill you or your third-party payer for services rendered. To protect your health information, however, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard your information.

Notification: We may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, your location, and general condition.

Communication with family: Health professionals, using their best judgment, may disclose to a family member, other relative, close- personal friend or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.

Workers’ compensation: We may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.

Research: We may disclose information to researchers when their research has been approved by an institutional review board that has reviewed the research proposal and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.

Public health: As required by law, we may disclose your health information to public health or legal authorities charged with preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

Marketing: We may contact you to provide appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you or otherwise provide information about additional services or health care products you may find useful.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): We may disclose to the FDA health information relative to adverse events with respect to food, supplements, product and product defects, or post marketing surveillance to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacement.

Organ procurement organizations: Consistent with applicable law, we may disclose health information to organ procurement organizations or other entities engaged in the procurement, banking, or transplantation of organs for the purpose of tissue donation and transplant.

Funeral directors: We may disclose health information to funeral directors consistent with applicable law to carry out their duties.

Legal Matters: In the event of a claim, litigation or other legal proceeding or contemplated legal matter, we may disclose health information to our attorneys and individuals or organizations working for them as required by law, with your consent, or as directed by a proper court order.

Law enforcement: We may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena. Federal law makes provision for your health information to be released to an appropriate health oversight agency, public health authority or attorney, provided that a work force member or business associate believes in good faith that we have engaged in unlawful conduct or have otherwise violated professional or clinical standards and are potentially endangering one or more patients, workers or the public.

Abuse & Neglect: We may disclose your protected health information to public authorities as allowed by law to report abuse or neglect.

Correctional Institutions: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution, we may disclose to the institution, or its agents, your protected health information necessary for your health and the health and safety of other individuals. Website: This notice will be provided on our website.

For More Information or to Report a Problem: If you have questions, believe your privacy rights have been violated or would like additional information, you may contact J. Forsyth the HIPAA Privacy Official, for ASKDRSKIP.COM, PLLC Acupuncture Clinic at 1000 Fifth Avenue, Suite 110, Chase Bank Building, Huntington, West Virginia 25701 or call us at 304.634.9700.

You may also file a complaint by mailing it or e-mailing it to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. We cannot, and will not, require you to waive the right to file a complaint with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a condition of receiving treatment from the practice. We cannot, and will not, retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Other Uses of Protected Health Information Other uses and disclosures of protected health information not covered by this notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written permission. If you provide us permission to use or disclose medical information about you, you may revoke that permission, in writing, at any time. If you revoke your permission, we will no longer use or disclose protected health information about you for the reasons covered by your written authorization. You understand that we are unable to take back any disclosures we have already made with your permission, and that we are required to retain our records of the care that we provided to you.