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

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At More Precious Than Rubies Counseling and Restoration, PLLC (“More Precious Than Rubies,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), we are committed to protecting the privacy of your health information.

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This Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”) describes how we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information (“PHI”), your rights regarding your PHI, and our responsibilities regarding the privacy and security of your information.

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We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI, provide you with this Notice describing our privacy practices and legal duties, and follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect.

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1. WHAT IS PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION?

Protected Health Information is individually identifiable information about your health, mental health treatment, healthcare services, or payment for healthcare services.

Examples may include:

• Your name and contact information

• Information about your mental or behavioral health

• Diagnoses and treatment information

• Treatment plans and progress

• Information you provide during therapy

• Records related to your healthcare services

• Insurance and billing information

• Information about appointments and services received

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2. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

We may use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization when permitted or required by HIPAA and other applicable laws.

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Treatment

We may use or disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your behavioral health treatment.

Example: We may communicate with another healthcare provider involved in your treatment when permitted by law and necessary for your care.

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Payment

We may use or disclose your health information to obtain payment for services.

Example: We may provide information to your health insurance company to obtain payment for therapy services or determine whether your treatment is covered.

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Healthcare Operations

We may use or disclose your health information for healthcare operations necessary to operate our practice and maintain the quality of our services.

Example: We may use information for quality improvement, credentialing, compliance, billing, administrative activities, or other activities permitted by HIPAA.

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Appointment Reminders and Communications

We may use your contact information to remind you about appointments or communicate with you regarding your care.

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You may request that we communicate with you through a particular method or at a particular location.

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As Required by Law

We may use or disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law.

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Public Health Activities

We may disclose health information for certain public health activities permitted by law, such as preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability.

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Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence

We may disclose health information to appropriate government authorities when required or permitted by law to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

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Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose information to government agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensing activities, and other oversight activities.

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Judicial and Administrative Proceedings

We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order or certain lawful legal processes when permitted by law.

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Law Enforcement

We may disclose health information to law enforcement when permitted or required by applicable law.

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Serious Threats to Health or Safety

We may use or disclose information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you or another person, consistent with applicable law.

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Workers' Compensation

We may disclose health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws.

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3. USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION

Certain uses and disclosures of your PHI generally require your written authorization.

These may include:

• Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes

• Uses and disclosures for marketing purposes

• Disclosures that constitute a sale of your PHI

• Other uses or disclosures not described in this Notice that are not otherwise permitted by law

If you provide written authorization, you may generally revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already relied upon the authorization.

Psychotherapy notes receive special protection under HIPAA and generally require authorization for disclosure, subject to limited exceptions provided by law.

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4. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION

You have certain rights regarding your PHI.

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Right to Inspect and Obtain a Copy

You generally have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI contained in a designated record set.

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You may request your records in paper or electronic form when available.

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Certain limited exceptions may apply under federal or state law.

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Right to Request an Amendment

You may request that we correct or amend health information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

We may deny your request in certain circumstances permitted by law.

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Right to Request Confidential Communications

You may request that we communicate with you about your healthcare in a particular way or at a particular location.

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For example, you may request that we contact you by email instead of telephone or contact you at a specific address.

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We will consider reasonable requests.

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Right to Request Restrictions

You may request restrictions on how we use or disclose your PHI.

We are not required to agree to every restriction request.

However, if you request that we not disclose information to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations purposes regarding a service for which you have paid us in full out of pocket, we will generally honor that request unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

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Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You generally have the right to request a list of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made during the applicable period.

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Certain disclosures are excluded from this accounting as permitted by law.

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Right to Receive a Copy of This Notice

You have the right to request a paper copy of this Notice at any time.

You may also access the current Notice on our website.

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Right to Choose a Personal Representative

If you have given another person legal authority to act on your behalf regarding your healthcare, that person may exercise certain rights and make certain choices regarding your PHI.

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We will recognize a legally authorized personal representative in accordance with applicable law.

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Right to File a Complaint

You have the right to file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

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5. YOUR CHOICES REGARDING CERTAIN DISCLOSURES

Unless otherwise permitted or required by law, we will generally provide you with an opportunity to agree or object before making certain disclosures of your PHI to family members, friends, or other individuals involved in your care.

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We may also disclose information to assist with disaster relief efforts as permitted by law.

You may tell us whether you want us to share information with a particular person involved in your care.

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6. MINORS AND PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES

Certain individuals may have legal authority to act on behalf of another person regarding healthcare decisions and health information.

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The rights of parents, guardians, minors, and personal representatives may vary depending on applicable federal and North Carolina law.

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We will follow applicable laws regarding access to and disclosure of a minor's health information.

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7. TELEHEALTH AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

More Precious Than Rubies may provide behavioral health services through telehealth and electronic communication platforms.

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We use reasonable safeguards designed to protect your health information when using electronic systems.

 

However, electronic communication and technology may involve risks, and no method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

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Please do not use regular email, website contact forms, text messages, or social media to communicate urgent or emergency mental health concerns.

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8. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

We are required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your PHI

• Provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices

• Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect

• Notify you if a breach occurs that compromises the privacy or security of your PHI when notification is required by law

• Provide you with information about your privacy rights

• Comply with applicable federal and state privacy laws

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We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and this Notice.

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If we make a material change to our privacy practices, we will update this Notice and make the revised Notice available as required by law.

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9. YOUR RIGHT TO RECEIVE SERVICES IS NOT CONDITIONED ON SIGNING THIS NOTICE

You do not have to sign this Notice to receive services.

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We may ask you to sign an acknowledgment confirming that you received or were offered this Notice.

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If you decline to sign the acknowledgment, we may document our good-faith efforts to obtain your acknowledgment as required by applicable law.

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10. QUESTIONS OR PRIVACY CONCERNS

If you have questions about this Notice or believe your privacy rights have been violated, please contact:

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More Precious Than Rubies Counseling and Restoration, PLLC

Privacy Contact: Temesha Clark

Email: support@rubiescounseling.com

Phone: 336-447-3757

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You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

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You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office for Civil Rights

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You can learn more about filing a HIPAA complaint through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

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More Precious Than Rubies Counseling and Restoration, PLLC
Effective Date: August 27, 2026

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This Notice is intended to comply with applicable HIPAA requirements. More Precious Than Rubies Counseling and Restoration, PLLC will comply with applicable federal and North Carolina privacy laws, including any law that provides greater protection for your health information.