Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: 10/2/2025
Last Updated: 10/2/2025

This notice describes how your health information may be used and disclosed, and how you can access this information.
Please review it carefully.

1. Your Protected Health Information (PHI)

When you receive therapy services from Andrea Morinoue Therapy, we create and maintain records about your care. These records may include information such as your symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, progress notes, and billing information. This information is referred to as Protected Health Information (PHI) and is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable California privacy laws.

2. How We May Use and Disclose Your Information

We are allowed by law to use or disclose your PHI in the following ways:

A. For Treatment

To provide, coordinate, or manage your mental health care and related services. Example: Consulting with another healthcare provider, such as your psychiatrist or primary care physician.

B. For Payment

To obtain reimbursement for services rendered. Example: Sending information to your insurance company to verify coverage or process claims.

C. For Healthcare Operations

To support practice activities such as quality improvement, staff training, or accreditation. Example: Reviewing records to ensure quality of care.

3. Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law

We may also disclose PHI without your authorization in specific situations, such as:

  • When required by law, such as for reporting abuse or neglect, or responding to a court order.

  • To prevent serious threat to health or safety, when necessary to prevent harm to you or others.

  • For public health activities, such as reporting certain diseases or threats.

  • For health oversight activities, such as audits or investigations by government agencies.

  • For workers’ compensation claims, if applicable.

  • To coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors, when legally required.

All such disclosures are limited to the minimum necessary information permitted by law.

4. Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Authorization

In all other cases, we will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI.
This includes, for example:

  • Psychotherapy notes (except for limited exceptions under HIPAA)

  • Marketing communications

  • Sale of health information

You may revoke your authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already relied on it.

5. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have several rights regarding your PHI:

A. Right to Inspect and Copy

You may request access to your health information or ask for copies of your records. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies and postage.

B. Right to Request Amendments

If you believe your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may request an amendment. We may deny your request if the record is accurate or not created by us.

C. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request a list of certain disclosures we’ve made of your PHI in the past six years, excluding those made for treatment, payment, or operations.

D. Right to Request Restrictions

You can ask us to limit how we use or disclose your PHI. We are not required to agree to every request, but if we do, we will comply unless legally required otherwise.

E. Right to Confidential Communications

You may request to be contacted in a specific way (for example, by email or phone) or at a specific location.

F. Right to Receive a Paper or Electronic Copy

You can request a paper or electronic copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

G. Right to File a Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

6. Our Responsibilities

We are required by law to:

  • Maintain the privacy of your PHI

  • Provide you with this Notice of Privacy Practices

  • Abide by the terms of this notice currently in effect

  • Notify you if a breach of unsecured PHI occurs

We reserve the right to change this notice and make the new provisions effective for all PHI we maintain. Any updated version will be posted on our website and available upon request.

7. Contact Information

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

Andrea Morinoue Therapy
Andrea  Morinoue, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #132624
Carlsbad, CA
Email: andrea@andreamorinouetherapy.com