Privacy Policy

NOTICE OF HEALTH INFORMATION PRIVACY PRACTICES
 

 

Effective Date Of This Notice: April 1 2026

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED OR DISCLOSED BY PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER OHIO AND HOW TO ACCESS THIS INFORMATION

 

PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY
 

If you have any questions about this notice, please contact Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s HIPAA Privacy Officer at (216) 304-2053.

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OUR PLEDGE REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
 

We understand that health information about you and your health care is personal. We are committed to protecting health information about you. We will create a record of the care and services you receive from us. We do so to provide you with quality care and to comply with any legal or regulatory requirements.

This Notice applies to all of the records generated or received by Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, whether we documented the health information, or another doctor forwarded it to us. This Notice will tell you the ways in which we may use or disclose health information about you. This Notice also describes your rights to the health information we keep about you, and describes certain obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of your health information.

Our pledge regarding your health information is backed-up by Federal law. The privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) require us to:

• Make sure that health information that identifies you is kept private;
• Make available this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to health information about you; and
• Follow the terms of the notice that is currently in effect.

 

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU

 

The following categories describe different ways that we may use or disclose health information about you. Unless otherwise noted each of these uses and disclosures may be made without your permission. For each category of use or disclosure, we will explain what we mean and give some examples. Not every use or disclosure in a category will be listed. However, unless we ask for a separate authorization, all of the ways we are permitted to use and disclose information will fall within one of the categories.

• For Treatment & Follow-up Care: We may use health information about you to provide you with health care treatment and services. We may disclose health information about you to doctors, nurses, technicians, health students, volunteers or other personnel who are involved in taking care of you. They may work at our offices, at a hospital if you are hospitalized under our supervision, or at another doctor’s office, lab, pharmacy, or other health care provider to whom we may refer you for consultation, to take x-rays, to perform lab tests, to have prescriptions filled, or for other treatment purposes. For example, a doctor treating you may need to know if you have diabetes because diabetes may slow the healing process. We may provide that information to a physician treating you at another institution.  We will require separate consent from you before disclosing any psychotherapy or substance use disorder counseling notes in our possession. Additionally, we reserve the right to allow our clinical staff to directly contact you after treatment to ensure your continuity of care and to provide you with additional resources or information to optimize your treatment outcome. These communications may be instructions, health advice, follow-up reminders necessary to ensure proper recovery or well-being, education related to your condition or general wellness, or even health advisories relevant to you and your well-being. We may reach out to you by telephone calls, text messages, email, or secure patient portals, but will only use the contact information you have provided to us during your care. You may update or change the preferred method of communication at any time by contacting our office. In the course of these communications, and with your consent, these staff may furnish you with contact information or, with your consent, directly connect you to staff or programs that may be able to provide additional relevant help to your circumstances. You have the right to opt out of receiving these aftercare communications at any time. However, doing so may affect the quality and continuity to care. To opt out, please contact our office in writing or by phone.
• For Evaluation of Treatment: Evaluating the effectiveness of treatments is vital for improving health outcomes and a key to delivering exceptional care. We may request a post-care evaluation, in the form of a patient satisfaction survey, from you in order to better understand your user experience. Participating in this evaluation is optional and you may choose not to participate in this evaluation process. We ensure that any health information used in these assessments is de-identified unless we have obtained explicit patient authorization. In cases where using health information is necessary, you will be notified, and we will disclose only the minimum necessary information to authorized personnel.
• For Payment: We may use and disclose health information about you so that the treatment and services you receive from us may be billed to and payment collected from you, an insurance company, a state Medicaid agency or a third party. For example, we may need to give your health insurance plan information about your office visit so your health plan will pay us or reimburse you for the visit. Alternatively, we may need to give your health information to the state Medicaid agency so that we may be reimbursed for providing services to you. In some instances, we may need to tell your health plan about a treatment you are going to receive to obtain prior approval or to determine whether your plan will cover the treatment.
• For Health Care Operations: We may use and disclose health information about you for operations of our health care practice. These uses and disclosures are necessary to run our practice and make sure that all of our patients receive quality care. For example, we may use health information to review our treatment and services and to evaluate the performance of our staff in caring for you. We may also combine health information about many patients to decide what additional services we should offer, what services are not needed, whether certain new treatments are effective, or to compare how we are doing with others and to see where we can make improvements. We may remove information that identifies you from this set of health information so others may use it to study healthcare delivery without learning who our specific patients are.

• Appointment Reminders: We may use and disclose health information to contact you as a reminder that you have an appointment.  Please let us know if you do not wish to have us contact you concerning your appointment, or if you wish to have us use a different telephone number or address to contact you for this purpose.

• Email: We may include certain health information in emails that we send to you if you have signed an email permission form.  However, please do not send any emails to us, even in response to those we have sent you.  Instead, we encourage you to communicate with our health centers by phone or in-person, or via MyChart.]

• Fundraising Activities: We may use health information about you to contact you in an effort to raise money for our not-for-profit operations. You have the right to opt out of receiving these communications. Please let us know if you do not want us to contact you for such fundraising efforts.

• User Experience Testing: There may be situations where we need user experience and preference feedback on how your interactions with products and services went, and how to improve them based on that information. To opt into those communications, please contact: [email protected].

 

• Research:  There are three situations where your health information may be used for research purposes.

 

1.  You may be eligible to participate in research being done by an outside company or researcher.  We may review your health information to determine if you are eligible to participate in the research.  If you are eligible, we will contact you to give you information about the research so that you can find out more.  We will not provide your contact information to the outside company or researcher.  You have the right to opt out of the use of your health information for this purpose.  In order to opt out, please contact our research coordinator at [email protected].

 

2.  We may use and disclose health information about you for research performed by Planned Parenthood. For example, a research project may involve comparing the effectiveness of one medication over another. For any research project performed by Planned Parenthood that uses your health information, we will either obtain an authorization from you or ask an Institutional Review or Privacy Board to waive the requirement to obtain your authorization. A waiver of authorization will be based upon assurances to the Institutional Review or Privacy Board that the researchers will adequately protect your health information.

 

3.  Your health information may be provided to outside companies or researchers for research purposes, but only where (i) your direct identifiers (such as your name and address) have been removed as required by Federal law, and (ii) we have a contract in place with the outside company or researcher that requires them to use the health information only in accordance with legal requirements.

4. SMS opt-in or phone numbers for the purpose of SMS are not being shared with any third party or affiliate company for marketing purposes.

 

• As Required By Law: We will disclose health information about you when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.
• To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety: We may use and disclose health information about you when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person. Any disclosure, however, would only be to someone able to help prevent the threat.
• Military and Veterans: If you are a member of the armed forces or are separated/discharged from military services, we may release health information about you as required by military command authorities or the Department of Veterans Affairs as may be applicable. We may also release health information about foreign military personnel to the appropriate foreign military authorities.
• Workers' Compensation: We may release health information about you for workers' compensation or similar programs. These programs provide benefits for work-related injuries or illness.
• Public Health Risks: We may disclose health information about you for public health activities. These activities generally include the following:

• To prevent or control disease, injury or disability;
• To report child abuse or neglect;
• To report reactions to medications or problems with products;
• To notify people of recalls of products they may be using;
• To notify a person who may have been exposed to a disease or may be at risk for contracting or spreading a disease or condition;
• To notify the appropriate government authority if we believe a patient has been the victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law.
• Health Oversight Activities: We may disclose health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law. These oversight activities include, for example, audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government programs, and compliance with civil rights laws.

• Lawsuits and Disputes: If you are involved in a lawsuit or a dispute, we may disclose health information about you in response to an order issued by a court or administrative tribunal. We may also disclose health information about you in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process by someone else involved in the dispute. We may tell you about the request to allow you an opportunity to obtain an order protecting the information requested.
• Law Enforcement: We may release health information if asked to do so by a law enforcement official:

• In response to a facially valid court order, subpoena, warrant, summons or similar process;
• In regards to any records in our possession that may relate to treatment for substance use disorders, to respond to requests related to civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings when patient separately consents or through facially valid court order;
• To identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person in compliance to an ongoing investigation;
• If you are the victim of a crime and we are unable to obtain your consent;
• About a death we believe may be the result of criminal conduct;
• In an instance of criminal conduct at our facility; and
• In emergency circumstances to report a crime; the location of the crime or victims; or the identity, description, or location of the person who committed the crime.

We may tell you about the request to allow you an opportunity to obtain an order protecting the information requested..

• Coroners, Health Examiners and Funeral Directors: We may release health information to a coroner or health examiner. This may be necessary, for example, to identify a deceased person or determine the cause of death. We may also release health information about patients to funeral directors as necessary to carry out their duties.

• Inmates: If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may release health information about you to the correctional institution or law enforcement official. This release would be necessary: (1) for the institution to provide you with health care; (2) to protect your health and safety or the health and safety of others; or (3) for the safety and security of the correctional institution.
   

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
 

You have the following rights regarding health information we maintain about you:

• Right to Inspect and Copy: You have certain rights to inspect and copy health information that may be used to make decisions about your care. Usually, this includes health and billing records. This does not include psychotherapy notes.

To inspect and copy health information that may be used to make decisions about you, you must submit your request in writing on a form provided by us to [email protected]. If you request a copy of your health information, we may charge a fee for the costs of locating, copying, mailing or other supplies and services associated with your request.

You may also request to view your electronic patient record and take mobile device pictures of your information on the computer screen. We may deny your request to inspect and copy in certain very limited circumstances. If you are denied access to health information, you may in certain instances request that the denial be reviewed. Another licensed health care professional chosen by our practice will review your request and the denial.  The person conducting the review will not be the person who denied your initial request. We will comply with the outcome of the review.

You may also review your data online via Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio’s patient portal, which is a way for patients to remotely view their data, communicate with providers and staff, schedule patient appointments, and request prescription refills. Contact our staff to learn how to sign up for the patient portal.

• Right to Amend: If you feel that the health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend the information. You have the right to request an amendment for as long as we keep the information. To request an amendment, your request must be made in writing on a form provided by us and submitted to: [email protected]. 

We may deny your request for an amendment if it is not the form provided by us and does not include a reason to support the request. In addition, we may deny your request if you ask us to amend information that:

• Was not created by us, unless the person or entity that created the information is no longer available to make the amendment;
• Is not part of the health information kept by or for our practice;
• Is not part of the information which you would be permitted to inspect and copy; or
• Is accurate and complete.

Any amendment we make to your health information will be disclosed to those with whom we disclose information as previously specified.

• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to request a list (accounting) of any disclosures of your health information we have made, except for uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations, as previously described.

To request this list of disclosures, you must submit your request on a form that we will provide to you. Your request must state a time period that may not be longer than six years from the date of the request. The first list of disclosures you request within a 12-month period will be free. For additional lists, we may charge you for the costs of providing the list. We will notify you of the cost involved and you may choose to withdraw or modify your request at that time before any costs are incurred. We will mail you a list of disclosures in paper form within 30 days of your request, or notify you if we are unable to supply the list within that time period and by what date we can supply the list; but this date should not exceed a total of 60 days from the date you made the request.

• Right to Request Restrictions: You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information we use or disclose about you for treatment, payment, or health care operations.  You also have the right to request a limit on the health information we disclose about you to someone who is involved in your care or the payment for your care. For example, you could ask that access to your health information be denied to a particular member of our workforce who is known to you personally.

While we will try to accommodate your request for restrictions, we are not required to do so if it is not feasible for us to ensure our compliance with law or we believe it will negatively impact the care we may provide you. If we do agree, we will comply with your request unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment. To request a restriction, you must make your request on a form that we will provide you. In your request, you must tell us what information you want to limit and to whom you want the limits to apply. However, we are required to agree to any request by you to restrict disclosures of protected health information to health insurers if you have fully paid for your health services pertaining to such disclosures using your own money.

• Right to Request Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about health matters in a certain manner or at a certain location. For example, you can ask that we only contact you at work or by mail to a post office box. During our intake process, we will ask you how you wish to receive communications about your health care or for any other instructions on notifying you about your health information. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.
• Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice: You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice at any time upon request.  You may also obtain a copy of this Notice at our website https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-greater-ohio/our-patients/patient-forms.
• Right to an Electronic Copy of Your Data: You have the right to request that Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio transmit your electronic patient record data to a third party application. However, you should be aware that third party applications may not adequately safeguard your patient data.
• Right to Receive Notice of a Breach: We are required to notify you following a breach of  unsecured protected health information.

 

MINORS AND PERSONS WITH GUARDIANS
 

Minors have all the rights outlined in this Notice with respect to health information relating to reproductive health care, except for abortion and in emergency situations or when the law requires reporting of abuse and neglect. In the case of abortion, if a parent provides consent to your abortion, the parent has all the rights outlined in this Notice, including the right to access the health information relating to abortion. However, if you obtain a judicial bypass of the consent requirement, you have the same rights as an adult with respect to health information relating to your abortion. If you are a minor or a person with a guardian obtaining health care that is not related to reproductive health, your parent or legal guardian may have the right to access your medical record and make certain decisions regarding the uses and disclosures of your health information.
 

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

 

We reserve the right to change this Notice. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post a copy of the current Notice in our facility and on our website. The Notice contains the effective date on the first page.

 

 

COMPLAINTS
 

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with us, contact our HIPAA Privacy Officer at (216) 304-2053. All complaints must be submitted in writing. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.
 

USES OF HEALTH INFORMATION REQUIRING AN AUTHORIZATION
 

The following uses and disclosures of health information will be made only with your written permission:

• Uses and disclosures of protected health information for marketing and advocacy purposes
• Use and disclosures that constitute the sale of your protected health information
• Other uses and disclosures of health information not covered by this Notice or the laws that apply to us.

If you provide us permission to use or disclose health 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 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 the records of the care that we provided to you.