HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: 02/16/2026

Publication Date: 02/16/2026

This notice outlines how your medical information may be utilized and shared, as well as how you can gain access to this data. Please review it carefully.

Advanced Family Dental

Our practice maintains your Protected Health Information (PHI) in physical and/or electronic formats documenting your healthcare visits and services with us. PHI encompasses your personal demographic data (such as name, address, phone number, etc.) that can identify you and relates to your past, present, or future physical or mental health condition and associated medical services.

We strictly adhere to required guidelines to safeguard the confidentiality of your PHI when using or sharing it with other healthcare providers involved in your treatment. This Notice explains your rights regarding your PHI and outlines how we use and disclose this information to deliver care, process payments, conduct healthcare operations, or fulfill other legal requirements.

Your Rights Under the Privacy Rule

Under federal privacy regulations, you hold specific rights concerning your PHI. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with our staff:

• Right to Receive This Notice: We are required to provide you with a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices and abide by its terms. We reserve the right to revise our policies at any time; updated copies can be mailed upon phone request or provided at your next appointment. The current notice will also be displayed in a visible location within our facility and on our website.

• Right to Authorize Other Uses and Disclosures: Written permission is required for any use or sharing of your PHI not detailed in this notice (e.g., marketing initiatives, selling your data, or releasing psychotherapy notes). You may revoke your consent in writing at any time, except for actions already carried out based on your prior authorization.

• Right to Request Alternative Confidential Communication: You may ask us to reach you regarding medical matters through specific channels (such as email or alternative phone numbers) or at designated locations. Please submit your request in writing using our official office form; we will accommodate all reasonable requests.

• Right to Inspect and Copy Your PHI: You have the right to review and obtain copies of your complete medical record. If maintained electronically, you may request digital copies. A reasonable fee allowed by regulation may apply for paper or digital processing.

• Right to Request Restrictions: You may request in writing that we limit how we use or disclose parts of your PHI for treatment, payment, or operational purposes. While we are not obligated to agree to all requests, if you pay for a treatment or service entirely out-of-pocket and request that we not share information with your health insurance plan, we are required to honor that specific restriction.

• Right to Request Amendments: You may request corrections to your PHI as long as we maintain the record. Requests may be declined under certain legally defined circumstances.

• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: You may request an itemized record of the instances where we shared your PHI with outside individuals or entities.

• Right to a Breach Notification: You will receive written notification if we identify a security incident compromising the privacy of your unencrypted PHI, following a required risk assessment.

How We May Use or Disclose Your PHI

The following categories outline permitted uses and disclosures of your health information:

Treatment, Payment, and Operations

• Healthcare Delivery: We use and share your PHI to administer, coordinate, or oversee your medical care. This includes coordinating services with third parties (such as pharmacies filling prescriptions) or collaborating with other healthcare specialists involved in your care.

• Payment Processing: Your PHI is utilized to bill and collect payment for services provided, including insurance verification, eligibility checks, and coverage determinations.

• Practice Operations: We process PHI to support internal operations such as quality reviews, compliance audits, legal services, administrative management, and patient safety protocols.

• Special Communications: We may reach out via phone or other channels to send appointment reminders, report test results, suggest treatment options, or share health benefit details. Instructions on how to opt out will be included with these communications.

Electronic Exchange and Third Parties

• Health Information Organizations (HIO): We may connect with health networks to securely exchange medical records electronically for treatment, billing, or operational purposes.

• Involvement in Your Care: Unless you object, we may disclose relevant health details to family members, relatives, or designated close friends directly involved in your care or payment. In emergency or incapacity situations, providers will exercise professional judgment to share necessary info in your best interest.

• Substance Use Disorder Records (42 CFR Part 2): Addiction treatment records carry elevated federal privacy protections and will not be disclosed without explicit written consent or a court order.

• Legal and Public Interest Disclosures: We are authorized to share PHI without explicit written consent for legal mandates, public health activities, oversight audits, abuse reporting, FDA compliance, law enforcement proceedings, organ donation, worker’s compensation claims, or inquiries by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Privacy Complaints and Contact Information

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Manager or directly with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We guarantee there will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

To contact our Privacy Manager, please use the following details:

Advanced Family Dental

Address: Kendall Pointe Plaza, 16650 SW 88th Street, Suite 106, Miami, FL 33196

Phone: 786.899.0889