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THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED BY NEIGHBORCARE HEALTH. IT ALSO EXPLAINS HOW YOU COULD GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

  • This notice also describes the privacy practices of Neighborcare Health’s Part 2 Substance Use Disorder Program, including:
    • How health information may be used and disclosed by Neighborcare Health’s Part 2 Substance Use Disorder Program
    • Your rights with respect to your health information from Neighborcare Health’s Part 2 Program
    • How to file a complaint concerning a violation of the privacy or security of your health information, or of your rights concerning your information

You have a right to a copy of this notice (in paper or electronic form) and to discuss it with Neighborcare Health’s Privacy Officer if you have any questions, at 206-548-3043 or privacy@neighborcare.org. Neighborcare Health is committed to providing you with the highest quality of care in an environment that protects your privacy and the confidentiality of your health information. To that end, this notice explains our privacy practices, as well as your rights, with regard to your health information.

Who will follow the privacy practices in this Notice

The privacy practices described in this Notice will be followed by all health care professionals, employees, trainees, students and volunteers of Neighborcare Health.

Uses and Disclosures of Health Information without Authorization

We may use or disclose your health information without your authorization to the following individuals, or for other purposes permitted or required by law, including:

Treatment
We may use or disclose your health information as necessary to provide you treatment or services. For example, we may use your health information to provide health care to you, and we may consult with other health care providers about your treatment.

We can use Part 2-protected records within our Part 2 program to provide you with treatment. To share Part 2-protected records with other professionals who are treating you, you must consent in writing. You may provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for treatment
purposes.

We can disclose Part 2-protected records in a bona fide medical emergency if: (1) we cannot obtain your consent or (2) our Part 2 Program is closed and unable to provide services or obtain your consent, during a temporary state of emergency declared by a state or federal authority because of a major or natural disaster.

Payment
We may use and disclose your health information so that the treatment you receive at Neighborcare Health may be billed and payment collected from you, an insurance company, or another third party. For example, we may share your health information to request payment and receive payment from your health insurer, and to confirm that your health insurer will pay for your treatment.

To use and share information from Part 2- protected records for payment purposes, you must consent in writing. You may provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for payment purposes. Health Care Operations We may use or disclose your health information to carry out certain administrative, financial, legal and quality improvement activities that are necessary to run our businesses and to support our treatment and payment activities. For example, we may use your health information to evaluate the quality of services provided to you and to evaluate the performance of our staff providing care to you.

To use and share information from Part 2- protected records for health care operations purposes, you must consent in writing. You may provide a single consent for all future uses or disclosures for health care operations.

Health Information Exchange (HIE)
We may participate in certain health information exchanges whereby we may disclose your health information, as permitted by law, to other  health care providers or entities for treatment, payment, or health care operations purpose. Exchange of health information can provide faster access, better coordination of care and assist providers and public health officials in making more informed decisions.

Organized Health Care Arrangements
We may participate in joint arrangements with other health care providers or health care entities whereby we may use or disclose your health information, as permitted by law, to participate in joint activities involving treatment, review of health care decisions, quality assessment or improvement activities, or payment activities

Fundraising Activities
We may use your health information for purposes of fundraising for our organization, including releasing your information to a foundation acting on our behalf to raise money. Any communications to you about fundraising will provide you with a clear opportunity to opt out of further  fundraising activities.

Additional uses and disclosures of your health information without authorization

  • As required by state and federal law.
  • To contact you with appointments reminders, provide test results, inform you about treatment options or advise you about other health related benefits and services.
  • To third parties referred to as “business associates” that provide services on our behalf, such as billing, software maintenance and legal services.
  • To disclose health care information about you, including Part 2-protected records, to medical researchers preparing to conduct a research project. To prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another  person. To the military if you are a member of the armed forces and we are authorized or required to do so by law.
  • To authorized federal officials for intelligence, counterintelligence or other national security activities.
  • To authorized federal officials so they may conduct special investigations or provide protection to the U.S. President or other authorized persons.
  • To law enforcement officials as authorized or required by law.
  • For workers’ compensation or similar programs providing benefits for work related injuries or illnesses.
  • In the event of a disaster, to organizations assisting in a disaster relief effort so that your family can be notified of your condition and  location.
  • To coroners, medical examiners and funeral directors, as authorized or required by law as necessary for them to carry out their duties.
  • If you are an organ donor, to organizations that handle such organ procurement or transplantation or to an organ bank, as necessary to help with organ procurement, transplantation or donation.
  • We can share information from your Health Center record, including Part 2-protected records, for purposes of an audit or evaluation on behalf of certain government agencies, third-party payors or health plans, or quality improvement organizations, for purposes of health care operations with written consent.
  • We will share information from your Neighborcare Health record, including Part 2-protected records, with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.
  • To a correctional institution as authorized or required by law if you are an inmate or under the custody of law enforcement officials.
  • To a public health authority for public health activities. Public health activities include preventing or controlling disease, injury, disability, and responding to reports of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We may disclose your health information to a person or agency required to report adverse events, product defects or problems, biologic product deviations, or for product recalls, repairs or replacements.
  • We can share Part 2-protected records in the following situations:
    • For public health purposes, we can disclose to a public health authority information that has been de-identified such that there is no reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify a patient.
    • If medical personnel of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assert a reason to believe that the health of an individual may be threatened by an error in manufacture, labeling, or sale of a product under FDA jurisdiction, we may disclose Part 2-protected records for the exclusive purpose of notifying patients or their physicians.
  • To courts and attorneys when we get a court order, subpoena or other lawful instructions from those courts or public bodies or to defend ourselves against a lawsuit brought against us.

Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information with Authorization

Uses and Disclosures that Require Your Written Authorization:

  • Psychotherapy Notes: We will not disclose psychotherapy notes without your written authorization unless the use and disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
  • Marketing: We will not engage in disclosures that constitute a sale of your health information without your written authorization. A sale of protected health information occurs when we, or someone we contract with directly or indirectly, receive payment in exchange for your protected health information.
  • Minors: We will follow Washington state law when using or sharing PHI of minors. Minors who receive health care services related to HIV/AIDS; STIs, mental health treatment, alcohol/drug testing, and treatment or reproductive health may request that another person receive that information on their behalf. If the minor does not give permission in writing to anyone, we will only give information to the minor.

Other Uses and Releases

Any requests for information besides those described in this Notice will need your written permission. For example, you will need to sign a permission form before we can send PHI to your life insurance company or to your attorney. You may revoke your permission at any time by providing us with a written request. If you give written permission, we can share Part 2-protected records for your treatment, payment, or health care operations. Once shared, those records may be shared again by health care providers when allowed by HIPAA. This additional sharing of Part 2 records does not require additional written permission from you and are only done as permitted by law.

Your Individual Rights

Right to Inspect and Copy Records
You may request to see your health records and billing records in order to inspect and/or request copies of the records. All requests to view records must be made in writing. Under limited circumstances, we may deny access to your records. We may charge a fee for the cost of copying and sending records you request.

Right to Request Amendments
You have the right to request that we amend your PHI. Your request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may ask, in writing, for an accounting of certain types of disclosures of your health information. For Part 2-protected records, you have a right to a list of disclosures of electronic records for three years prior to the date you ask. The law excludes from an accounting many of the typical disclosures, such as those made to care for you, to pay for your health services, or where you provided your written authorization to the disclosure. For Part 2-protected records, you can also ask for a list of disclosures by an intermediary for the preceding three years, including information about who received the records, the date of disclosure, and a brief description.

To make a request for an accounting see contact information below. Generally, we will respond to your request within 60 days of receiving your
request unless we need additional time.

Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use and disclosure of your health information, including Part 2-protected information shared with prior written consent. This applies to uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations, and to family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care. To request a restriction, you must tell your caregivers or contact the Privacy Office using the information listed at the end of this Notice. You may be asked to submit your request in writing. We are not required to agree to your request. If we do agree, we will notify you in writing and will honor our agreement unless the information is needed to provide you emergency treatment or we are required or permitted by law to disclose it. If you or another family member or person on your behalf have paid your health care provider in full for a particular health care service or item and specifically request that we not disclose information about this health care item or service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes, we will agree to this request. We generally cannot restrict disclosure of information needed for health care treatment purposes.

Right to Request Confidential Communications
You may request that we contact or send PHI to you in a certain way or at a certain location, such as only at work or home, or only by mail. To request a confidential communication, please write to our Privacy Official at the address below and state how or where you wish to be contacted. We will not ask you the reason for your request, and we will accommodate all reasonable requests.

Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time. Copies of this Notice are available throughout our locations, on our website neighborcare.org, or by contacting the Privacy Officer at privacy@neighborcare.org.

Right to Notice of Breach
You have the right to receive notifications of breaches of your health information as required by law.

Changes to this Notice

We reserve the right to change our practices and this Notice and to make the new Notice effective for all PHI we maintain. If we do so, the updated Notice will be posted on our website and will be available at our locations. Upon request, we will provide any revised Notice to you.

Questions or Complaints

If you have questions about your privacy rights, or are concerned that we have violated your privacy rights, you may contact Neighborcare Health Privacy Officer at privacy@neighborcare.org. You also have the right to complain to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Neighborcare Health
1200 12th Ave S, Suite 901
Seattle, WA 98144
206-461-6935
neighborcare.org

Updated: January 2026