Important Notices

This website provides information only and is not a replacement for professional services. None of the content on this website prevents, cures or treats any mental or medical condition. You are responsible for your own physical, mental and emotional well-being, decisions, choices, actions and results. Seaside Life Services disclaims any liability for your reliance on any opinions or advice contained in this website or it's social media platforms.

HIPAA - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability was passed by Congress in 1996.  HIPAA does the following:

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- Provides the ability to transfer and continue health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs;

- Reduces health care fraud and abuse;

- Mandates industry-wide standards for health care information on electronic billing and other processes; and

- Requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information

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For more information visit DHCS (Department of Health Care Services - California).

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Protected Health Information (PHI) means information that is created or received by the service provider and relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health condition of a Patient/Client (“Participant”); the provision of health care to a participant; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to a participant; and that identifies the participant or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify the participant. Protected health information includes information of persons living or deceased. Some examples of PHI are:

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- Participant’s medical record number

- Participant’s demographic information (e.g. address, telephone number)

- Information doctors, nurses and other health care providers put in a participant’s medical record

- Images of the participant

- Conversations a provider has about a participant’s care or treatment with nurses and others Information about a participant in a provider’s computer system or a health insurer’s computer system

- Billing information about a participant at a clinic

- Any health information that can lead to the identity of an individual or the contents of the information can be used to make a reasonable assumption as to the identity of the individual

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To learn more about how your information is used visit DHCS Notice of Privacy Practices or for PDF version.

Seaside Life Services: Notice of Privacy Practices (HIPAA)

EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS NOTICE

This notice went into effect on January 1, 2024. 

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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.

Seaside Life Services is required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information (“PHI”) and to provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices (“Notice”). Seaside Life Services must abide by the terms of this Notice, and Seaside Life Services must notify you if a breach of your unsecured PHI occurs. Seaside Life Services can change the terms of this Notice, and such changes will apply to all information Seaside Life Services   has about you. The new Notice will be available upon request, in Seaside Life Services’ office, and on Seaside Life Services’ website.
 

Except for the specific purposes set forth below, Seaside Life Services will use and disclose your PHI only with your written authorization (“Authorization”). It is your right to revoke such Authorization at any time by giving Seaside Life Services written notice of your revocation.
 

Uses (Inside Practice) and Disclosures (Outside Practice) Relating to Treatment, Payment, or Health Care Operations Do Not Require Your Written Consent. Seaside Life Services can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization.
 

The core health care activities of “Treatment,” “Payment,” and “Health Care Operations” are defined in the Privacy Rule at 45 CFR § 164.501. 
 

“Treatment” generally means the provision, coordination, or management of health care and related services among health care providers or by a health care provider with a third party, consultation between health care providers regarding a patient, or the referral of a patient from one health care provider to another. 
 

“Payment” encompasses the various activities of health care providers to obtain payment or be reimbursed for their services and of a health plan to obtain premiums, to fulfill their coverage responsibilities and provide benefits under the plan, and to obtain or provide reimbursement for the provision of health care. 
 

In addition to the general definition, the Privacy Rule provides examples of common payment activities which include, but are not limited to:
 

• Determining eligibility or coverage under a plan and adjudicating claims.

• Risk adjustments.

• Billing and collection activities.

• Reviewing health care services for medical necessity, coverage, justification of charges, and the like. 

• Utilization review activities; and 

• Disclosures to consumer reporting agencies (limited to specified identifying information about the individual, his or her payment history, and identifying information about the covered entity). 

“Health care operations” are certain administrative, financial, legal, and quality improvement activities of a covered entity that are necessary to run its business and to support the core functions of treatment and payment. These activities, which are limited to the activities listed in the definition of “health care operations” at 45 CFR § 164.501, include: 
 

• Conducting quality assessment and improvement activities, population-based activities relating to improving health or reducing health care costs, and case management and care coordination. 

• Reviewing the competence or qualifications of health care professionals, evaluating provider and health plan performance, training health care and non-health care professionals, accreditation, certification, licensing, or credentialing activities. 

• Underwriting and other activities relating to the creation, renewal, or replacement of a contract of health insurance or health benefits, and ceding, securing, or placing a contract for reinsurance of risk relating to health care claims. 

• Conducting or arranging for medical review, legal, and auditing services, including fraud and abuse detection and compliance programs. 

• Business planning and development, such as conducting cost-management and planning analyses related to managing and operating the entity; and 

• Business management and general administrative activities, including those related to implementing and complying with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and other Administrative Simplification Rules, customer service, resolution of internal grievances, sale or transfer of assets, creating de-identified health information or a limited data set, and fundraising for the benefit of the covered entity.

“Minimum Necessary” standard is based on sound current practice that protected health information should not be used or disclosed when it is not necessary to satisfy a particular purpose or carry out a function.
 

A covered entity must develop policies and procedures that reasonably limit its disclosures of, and requests for, protected health information for payment and health care operations to the minimum necessary. Seaside Life Services has policies and procedures that limit which members of its workforce may have access to protected health information for treatment, payment, and health care operations, based on those who need access to the information to do their jobs. 
 

Please note: Seaside Life Services is not required to apply the minimum necessary standard to disclosures to or requests by a health care provider for treatment purposes.
 

Certain Uses and Disclosures that Require Your Authorization.
 

1. Psychotherapy Notes. Seaside Life Services does keep “psychotherapy notes” as that term is defined in 45 CFR § 164.501, and any use or disclosure of such notes requires your Authorization unless the use or disclosure is:
 

     a. For Seaside Life Services’ use in treating you.
 

     b. For Seaside Life Services’ use in training or supervising other mental health practitioners to help them improve their skills in group, joint, family, or individual counseling or therapy.
 

     c. For Seaside Life Services’ use in defending themself in legal proceedings instituted by you.
 

     d. For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate Seaside Life Services compliance with HIPAA.
 
     e. Required by law, and the use or disclosure is limited to the requirements of such law.
 

     f. Required by law for certain health oversight activities pertaining to the originator of the psychotherapy notes.
 

     g. Required by a coroner who is performing duties authorized by law.
 

     h. Required to help avert a serious threat to the health and safety of others.
 

2. Marketing Purposes. As a psychotherapist, Seaside Life Services will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes.
 

3. Sale of PHI. As a psychotherapist, Seaside Life Services will not sell your PHI in the regular course of business.
 

Certain Uses and Disclosures that Do Not Require Your Authorization. Subject to certain limitations in the law, Seaside Life Services can use and disclose your PHI without your Authorization for the following reasons:
 

1. When disclosure is required by state or federal law, and the use or disclosure complies with and is limited to the relevant requirements of such law.
 

2. For public health activities, including reporting suspected child, elder, or dependent adult abuse, or preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety.
 

3. For health oversight activities, including audits and investigations.
 

4. For judicial and administrative proceedings, including responding to a court or administrative order, although Seaside Life Services ’s preference is to obtain an Authorization from you before doing so.
 

5. For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring at Seaside Life Services   community location and on Seaside Life Services premises.
 

6. To coroners or medical examiners, when such individuals are performing duties authorized by law.
 

7. For research purposes, including studying and comparing the mental health of patients who received one form of therapy versus those who received another form of therapy for the same condition.
 

8. Specialized government functions, including, ensuring the proper execution of military missions; protecting the President of the United States; conducting intelligence or counter-intelligence operations; or, helping to ensure the safety of those working within or housed in correctional institutions.
 

9. For workers' compensation purposes. Although Seaside Life Services’ preference is to obtain an Authorization from you, Seaside Life Services may provide your PHI in order to follow workers' compensation laws.
 

10. Appointment reminders and health related benefits or services. Seaside Life Services may use and disclose your PHI to contact you to remind you that you have an appointment with Seaside Life Services. Seaside Life Services may also use and disclose your PHI to tell you about treatment alternatives, or other health care services or benefits that Seaside Life Services   offers.
 

Certain Uses and Disclosures that Require You to Have the Opportunity to Object.
 

1. Disclosures to family, friends, or others. Seaside Life Services may provide your PHI to a family member, friend, or other person that you indicate is involved in your care or the payment for your health care, unless you object in whole or in part. The opportunity to consent may be obtained retroactively in emergency situations.
 

YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PHI
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:
 

1. The Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures of Your PHI. You have the right to ask Seaside Life Services not to use or disclose certain PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations purposes. Seaside Life Services am not required to agree to your request, and Seaside Life Services may say “no” if is believed it would affect your health care.
 

2. The Right to Request Restrictions for Out-of-Pocket Expenses Paid for In Full. You have the right to request restrictions on disclosures of your PHI to health plans for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a health care item or a health care service that you have paid for out-of-pocket in full.
 

3. The Right to Choose How Seaside Life Services Sends PHI to You. You have the right to ask Seaside Life Services   to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone) or to send mail to a different address, and Seaside Life Services   will agree to all reasonable requests.
 

4. The Right to See and Get Copies of Your PHI. Other than “psychotherapy notes,” you have the right to get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other information that Seaside Life Services have about you. 

Seaside Life Services will provide you with a copy of your record, or a summary of it, if you agree to receive a summary, within 30 days of receiving your written request, and Seaside Life Services may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for doing so.
 

5. The Right to Get a List of the Disclosures Seaside Life Services Has Made. You have the right to request a list of instances in which Seaside Life Services have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations, or for which you provided an Authorization for.
 

Seaside Life Services will respond to your request for an accounting of disclosures within 60 days of receiving your request. The list Seaside Life Services will give you will include disclosures made in the last six years unless you request a shorter time. Seaside Life Services will provide the list to you at no charge, but if you make more than one request in the same year, Seaside Life Services will charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for each additional request.
 

6. The Right to Correct or Update Your PHI. If you believe that there is a mistake in your PHI, or that a piece of essential information is missing from your PHI, you have the right to request that Seaside Life Services correct the existing information or add the missing information. Seaside Life Services may say “no” to your request, but Seaside Life Services will tell you why in writing within 60 days of receiving your request.
 

7. The Right to Get a Paper or Electronic Copy of this Notice. You have the right get a paper copy of this Notice, and you have the right to get a copy of this notice by e-mail. Even if you have agreed to receive this Notice via e-mail and or EHR, you also have the right to request a paper copy of it or print the full form from your client portal.

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YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO RECEIVE A “GOOD FAITH ESTIMATE” EXPLAINING HOW MUCH YOUR MEDICAL CARE WILL COST

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least one (1) business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit the U.S. Services for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Accessibility Statement for Seaside Life Services

This is an accessibility statement from Seaside Life Services a psychotherapy, anger management, and life skills provider.

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Measures to Support Accessibility

Seaside Life Services takes the following measures to ensure accessibility of Seaside Life Services:

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• Include accessibility throughout our internal policies.

• Appoint an accessibility officer and/or ombudsperson.

• Provide continual accessibility training for our staff.

Conformance Status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA.

Seaside Life Services is fully conformant with WCAG 2.1 level AA. Fully conformant means that the content fully conforms to the accessibility standard without any exceptions.

Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of Seaside Life Services. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers on Seaside Life Services:

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• Phone: 925-414-1581

• E-mail: seasidelifeservices@gmail.com

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeasideLifeServices

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We try to respond to feedback within 24-36 Business Hours.

Technical Specifications 

Accessibility of Seaside Life Services relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer:

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• HTML

These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

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Accessibility Statement for Seaside Life Services

Seaside Life Services assessed the accessibility of Seaside Life Services by the following approaches:

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• Self-evaluation

Date

This statement was created on August 3, 2022, using the W3C Accessibility Statement Generator Tool.

Under revision, coming soon.