Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: 07/30/2026

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

This Notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can obtain access to this information, and the rights you have concerning your health information. Please review it carefully.

This Notice applies to SkanWell Medical Health PLLC, its healthcare professionals, workforce members, and locations operating under the SkanWell name.

SkanWell Management LLC may provide administrative, management, scheduling, technology, billing-support, and other non-clinical services to SkanWell Medical Health PLLC. When SkanWell Management LLC or another service provider creates, receives, maintains, or transmits protected health information on behalf of SkanWell Medical Health PLLC, it may do so only as permitted by applicable law and the agreements governing that relationship.

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains those rights and some of our responsibilities.

Obtain an Electronic or Paper Copy of Your Medical Record

You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information maintained about you.

We will generally provide a copy or summary within 30 days after receiving your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee as permitted by law.

Certain information may be withheld or access may be limited when permitted or required by law. If we deny access, we will explain the reason and tell you whether the decision may be reviewed.

Ask Us to Correct Your Medical Record

You may ask us to amend health information that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.

We may deny your request in certain circumstances, such as when we did not create the information or determine that the existing record is accurate and complete. If we deny your request, we will explain the reason in writing, generally within 60 days.

Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a different telephone number, email address, or mailing address.

We will accommodate reasonable requests. You do not need to explain why you are making the request.

Ask Us to Limit What We Use or Share

You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

We are generally not required to agree to such a request. If we agree, we will comply with the restriction except when the information is needed to provide emergency treatment or another disclosure is required by law.

If you pay for a healthcare item or service entirely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that item or service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.

Receive an Accounting of Disclosures

You may ask for a list, known as an accounting, of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before the date of your request.

The accounting will not include every disclosure. For example, it generally will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, disclosures you authorized, or certain other disclosures excluded by law.

We will provide one accounting in any 12-month period without charge. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional accountings requested within the same 12-month period.

Obtain a Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

A current copy will also be available on our website and at our office.

Choose Someone to Act for You

If a person has legal authority to act as your personal representative, such as a healthcare agent, legal guardian, or person holding an appropriate power of attorney, that person may exercise your privacy rights on your behalf.

We may require documentation verifying that person’s authority before taking action.

File a Privacy Complaint

You may file a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

You may contact SkanWell’s Privacy Officer using the information at the end of this Notice.

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

• Submitting a complaint through the HHS Office for Civil Rights complaint portal;

• Calling 1-877-696-6775; or

• Writing to:

  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  Office for Civil Rights
  200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
  Washington, D.C. 20201

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising your privacy rights.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences about what we disclose.

People Involved in Your Care

You may tell us whether we may disclose relevant information to a family member, friend, caregiver, or another person involved in your care or payment for your care.

If you are unable to communicate your preference, such as during an emergency, we may disclose information when we reasonably believe it is in your best interest and the disclosure is permitted by law.

Disaster-Relief Activities

We may disclose limited information to an authorized disaster-relief organization so that your family or others responsible for your care may be notified of your location, condition, or status.

You may tell us not to make this disclosure when circumstances permit.

Marketing

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing protected health information for marketing when authorization is required by law.

Certain communications do not legally constitute marketing, including some face-to-face communications, appointment reminders, treatment communications, and communications about health-related products or services that may be relevant to your care.

You may opt out of promotional communications at any time.

Sale of Protected Health Information

We will not sell your protected health information without your written authorization when authorization is required by law.

Psychotherapy Notes

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing psychotherapy notes in most circumstances in which such notes exist and authorization is required by law.

Fundraising

SkanWell does not currently use protected health information for fundraising communications.

If that practice changes, you will have the right to opt out of future fundraising communications.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

Treatment

We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your care.

For example, we may disclose information to:

• Physicians, physician assistants, nurses, laboratories, pharmacies, or other professionals participating in your care;

• A specialist or another provider to whom you are referred;

• A pharmacy processing a prescription;

• A laboratory performing testing ordered for you; or

• A healthcare professional from whom we request consultation.

Payment

We may use and disclose health information to bill for and collect payment for services provided to you.

This may include disclosures to:

• Your health insurer or benefit plan;

• A payment processor;

• A billing company;

• A collection service, when legally permitted; or

• Another person responsible for payment.

If SkanWell does not submit a particular service to insurance, information may still be used for internal billing, payment collection, refunds, charge disputes, or financial recordkeeping.

Healthcare Operations

We may use and disclose health information to operate our clinical practice and improve the services we provide.

Healthcare operations may include:

• Quality assessment and improvement;

• Patient-safety activities;

• Clinical supervision;

• Credentialing and professional review;

• Staff training;

• Compliance and auditing;

• Business planning;

• Legal, accounting, and administrative services;

• Technology and information-system support;

• Customer service;

• Reviewing provider performance; and

• Contacting you when necessary regarding your care.

Appointment Reminders and Care Communications

We may use your health information to contact you about:

• Appointment confirmations and reminders;

• Intake forms;

• Scheduling changes;

• Follow-up care;

• Test results;

• Treatment instructions;

• Prescription or medication matters;

• Recommended services;

• Treatment alternatives; or

• Other health-related benefits or services that may be relevant to you.

Communications may occur by telephone, voicemail, text message, email, secure portal, or mail, subject to your communication preferences and applicable law.

Business Associates

We may disclose health information to contractors and service providers that perform services on our behalf and require access to protected health information.

These organizations may include technology vendors, electronic health record providers, billing-support providers, administrative service organizations, laboratories, consultants, attorneys, accountants, and secure communication providers.

When required, these parties must enter into written agreements requiring them to protect the information and use it only for permitted purposes.

Public Health and Safety Activities

We may disclose health information for legally authorized public-health and safety purposes, including:

• Preventing or controlling disease;

• Reporting certain communicable diseases;

• Reporting adverse events or reactions to medications or medical products;

• Assisting with product recalls;

• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence;

• Preventing or reducing a serious and imminent threat to health or safety; and

• Complying with public-health reporting requirements.

Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose information to health-oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, inspections, investigations, licensing actions, disciplinary proceedings, and regulatory reviews.

Research

We may use or disclose health information for research when the research has received required approval, when you have provided authorization, or when another legally recognized exception applies.

Compliance With Law

We will disclose information when federal, state, or local law requires us to do so.

We may disclose information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when it requests information to determine our compliance with federal privacy requirements.

Workers’ Compensation

We may use or disclose health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws and similar programs.

Law Enforcement and Government Requests

We may disclose health information for law-enforcement purposes or other government functions when legally permitted or required.

Such disclosures may include responses to:

• Court orders;

• Judicial warrants;

• Grand-jury subpoenas;

• Certain administrative requests;

• Requests to identify or locate certain individuals;

• Requests relating to victims of crime;

• Health-oversight activities;

• Military or veterans’ activities;

• National-security activities; or

• Correctional institutions and custodial law-enforcement officials.

Additional protections under New York or federal law may limit these disclosures.

Legal Proceedings

We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order or, when legally permitted, in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process.

We will apply any additional protections required by New York or federal law.

Medical Examiners and Funeral Directors

We may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when legally permitted and necessary for that person to perform their duties.

Organ and Tissue Donation

We may disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation when applicable.

Serious Threats to Health or Safety

We may use or disclose health information when we reasonably believe doing so is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, consistent with applicable law and professional standards.

Additional Protections for Certain Information

Certain categories of health information may receive greater protection under federal or New York law.

These categories may include:

• HIV- and AIDS-related information;

• Substance-use-disorder treatment records;

• Mental-health treatment records;

• Psychotherapy notes;

• Genetic-testing information;

• Reproductive-health information;

• Records concerning certain sexually transmitted infections;

• Records concerning services provided to minors; and

• Other specially protected information.

When a law provides greater privacy protection than HIPAA, we will follow the more protective law.

Substance-Use-Disorder Records

If we receive or maintain substance-use-disorder patient records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2, those records may receive protections in addition to HIPAA.

Such records generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you without your written consent or a qualifying court order and subpoena or other legal mandate that satisfies applicable requirements.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Written Authorization

Uses and disclosures not described in this Notice will generally be made only with your written authorization.

If you provide authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect actions already taken in reliance on your authorization.

Our Responsibilities

SkanWell Medical Health PLLC is required to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;

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

• Follow the privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect;

• Notify you following a breach of unsecured protected health information when notification is required by law;

• Limit uses, disclosures, and requests to the minimum information reasonably necessary when the minimum-necessary standard applies; and

• Refrain from using or disclosing your information in a manner not described in this Notice unless you authorize it or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted by law.

Changes to This Notice

We may change the terms of this Notice and make the revised Notice effective for all health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.

The revised Notice will include a new effective date and will be:

• Available upon request;

• Posted at our office;

• Published on our website; and

• Provided through other legally required methods.

Questions, Requests, and Complaints

Contact the SkanWell Privacy Officer to:

• Ask a question about this Notice;

• Request access to or amendment of your records;

• Request confidential communications;

• Request a restriction;

• Request an accounting of disclosures;

• Obtain a paper copy of this Notice; or

• Submit a privacy complaint.

Privacy Officer
SkanWell Medical Health PLLC
240 Township Boulevard, Suite 40
Camillus, New York 13031

Telephone: 1-680-200-7100
Email: info@skanwellness.com

Please do not include detailed medical information in standard email. When possible, use the secure PatientNow patient portal or another communication method approved by SkanWell.