Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 17, 2025

We value your trust and are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal and health information in connection with our home-based occupational therapy services.

1) Information We Collect

We collect and maintain information needed to provide safe, effective, and legal care. This may include:

Personal details: name, date of birth, contact information, emergency contacts
Health information: medical history, medications, provider referrals, therapy notes, treatment goals
Payment information: invoices, receipts, billing records
Communication records: phone calls, texts, or emails related to your care

2) How We Use Your Information

Your information is used to:

Plan and provide occupational therapy services
Communicate with you about appointments, care plans, and follow-up
Coordinate with your referring provider and other healthcare professionals (with your consent)
Comply with legal, professional, and regulatory requirements
Process payments and provide receipts or superbills upon request

3) How We Share Information

We do not sell or share your information for marketing. We may share your health information only when permitted or required by law, such as:

With your referring provider or other healthcare professionals involved in your care
With your insurance company, if you choose to submit a superbill for reimbursement
With regulators or licensing boards, if legally required
To comply with court orders, subpoenas, or mandatory public health reporting laws
To prevent or reduce a serious threat to health or safety

4) Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your records: Request a copy of your health information
Request corrections: Ask us to amend inaccurate or incomplete information
Request restrictions: Limit how we share your information with others
Request confidential communications: Ask us to contact you in a specific way (e.g., only by phone, not by mail)
Receive a record of disclosures: Request a list of when your information was shared (other than for treatment, payment, or routine operations)
File a complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can contact us or file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS). You will not be penalized for filing a complaint.

5) Safeguards & Security

We use reasonable physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect your information, including:

Locked storage for paper records
Secure electronic devices and encrypted storage where possible
Limited access to your information by authorized personnel only

Please note: electronic communications (such as email or text) carry some risk of unauthorized access. You may request paper-only or phone-only communication at any time.

6) Payment & Financial Privacy

All services are private pay. We do not bill insurance directly.
If you request a superbill, it will include diagnosis and treatment codes that your insurance may require for processing.
We do not share payment information except as needed to process your transactions.

7) Retention of Records

We retain your health records for the minimum period required by law in your state (typically 6–7 years after the last date of service for adults, and longer for minors). After that period, records may be securely destroyed.

8) Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in law or practice. The “Effective Date” will be updated whenever changes are made.

9) Contact Information

If you have questions, want to exercise your privacy rights, or need to file a complaint with us, please contact:

Joyce Swankoski MS, OTR/L, TIPHP
201-614-4554
joyces@protectyourpeece.com

If you prefer, you may also file a complaint with:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights
Website: https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy