Privacy Practices Disclosure for Pregnancy Center of Eaton County

A. THIS DISCLOSURE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
This Privacy Practices Disclosure applies to all information about care that you receive from the Pregnancy Center of Eaton County (PCEC).
In addition to the above, this Notice applies to Heartbeat International (a network of pro-life pregnancy centers) that supports the health care activities of PCEC. Heartbeat International uses your health information for treatment or health care operations as described in this Notice.

B. HIPAA AND PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION (PHI) DOES NOT APPLY TO PCEC.
HIPAA is a federal law that applies to medical organizations that transmit information in electronic form and bill insurance or Medicaid for services. PCEC does not fall under these guidelines, and therefore HIPAA privacy laws do not apply to PCEC.
We take your privacy very seriously. Your information is kept securely and confidentially and only released with the client’s signed authorization or as required by law. We follow all applicable laws when it comes to your private information.

C. HOW WE USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. We use and disclose your personal information for different reasons, and some require your prior specific authorization. The different categories of our uses and disclosures are described below, with examples of each.
1. Uses and Disclosures Relating to Treatment or Health Care Operations Do Not Require Your Consent.
1.1. For Treatment. We may use and disclose your personal information to physicians, nurses, and other health care personnel who provide health care services to you or who are involved in your care. For example, if you have an ultrasound, our Medical Director will read your exam.
1.2. To Obtain Payment. PCEC does not charge you for healthcare services or bill your insurance company for payment.
1.3. For Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your personal information to operate our pregnancy center. For example, we may use your personal information to review the care provided to you or to evaluate the performance of the health care professionals and processes involved in your care.
1.4. When disclosure is required by federal, state or local law, judicial or administrative proceedings, or law enforcement. For example, we make disclosures when a law requires that we report information to government agencies and law enforcement personnel about victims of abuse, neglect or domestic violence, when dealing with gunshot and other wounds, or when ordered in a judicial or administrative proceeding.
1.6. To avoid harm. To avoid a serious threat to the health or safety of a person or the public, we may provide personal information to law enforcement personnel or persons able to prevent or lessen the potential harm.
1.7. To provide appointment reminders and health-related benefits or services. We may use personal information to provide appointment reminders. We may also give you information about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits we provide.
1.8. For fundraising activities. We may use personal information to raise funds for our organization. You have the right to opt out of receiving fundraising communications.
2. Disclosure to family, friends, or others. We may provide your personal information to a family member, friend or other persons who are involved in your care, unless you object in whole or in part.
3. Applicable Michigan Law. Our use and disclosure of personal information must comply with Michigan law.

D. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. You have the following rights with respect to your personal information:
1. The Right to Request Restrictions on Uses and Disclosures of Your Personal Information. You have the right to ask us to limit how we use and disclose your personal information for treatment or health care operations. This request must be in writing. We are not required to agree to your restriction request, but if we do, we will honor our agreement except in cases of an emergency or in cases where we are legally required or allowed to make a use or disclosure.
2. The Right to Request Confidential Communications Involving Your Personal Information. You can ask in writing to send information to you in a certain way or location. For example, you can request we mail information to a Post Office Box rather than your home. We must agree to your request so long as we can easily provide it in the format you requested.
3. The Right to Receive Copies of Your Personal Information. In most cases you have the right to receive copies of your information used by us to make decisions about you. You must make the request in writing. We will respond within 30 days after receiving your written request, and we may charge a reasonable fee. In certain situations, we may deny your request, but we will do so in writing, and we will provide our reasons for the denial and explain your right to have the denial reviewed.
4. The Right to Amend or Update Your Personal Information. If you believe your personal information is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to request us to add to or amend the existing information. Your request must be in writing and must include the reason for your request. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your request. We may deny your request in writing if the information(i) is correct and complete, (ii) was not created by us, (iii) is not allowed to be disclosed, or (iv) is not part of our records. Our denial will include the reason(s) for the denial and will explain your right to file a written statement of disagreement. If you don’t file a written statement of disagreement, you have the right to request that your amendment request and our denial be attached to your information. If your amendment request is approved, we will make the change to your personal information and let you know it has been completed. An amendment may take several forms, such as an explanatory statement added to your record.
5. The Right to a Copy of this Notice. Our Commitment of Care and Competency List is posted in the Cafe for you to reference at any time. You have a right to request a paper copy of this Notice and the Commitment of Care and Competency List be mailed to you.

E. WHO YOU CAN CONTACT FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PRIVACY PRACTICE DISCLOSURE. If you have questions about this privacy practice disclosure or complaints about our privacy practices, you can contact our Center Administrator at 517-543-7077. You will not be penalized for filing your complaint. Written complaints must be submitted to:
Pregnancy Center of Eaton County
Center Administrator
337 State St
Charlotte, MI 48813

We may change our privacy practices at any time. Before we make an important change, we will revise this Notice and post it in our facilities and on our website.

F. EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE: January 10, 2025