Notice of Privacy Practices
Shield Chiropractic Center
Effective Date: Aug. 20, 2026
Last Updated: Aug. 20, 2026
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
This Notice describes how medical and other protected health information about you may be used and disclosed by Shield Chiropractic Center, how you may obtain access to that information, and the rights you have concerning your health information.
Please review this Notice carefully.
This Notice applies to protected health information maintained by Shield Chiropractic Center in connection with the chiropractic care and related services we provide.
Your Rights
You have certain rights concerning your health information. Shield Chiropractic Center is responsible for helping you exercise those rights.
Get a Copy of Your Health Information
You may ask to inspect or receive an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you.
We will generally provide the requested information within the time required by law.
In some circumstances, we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee permitted by law for providing copies.
Certain limited information may be excluded from access when permitted or required by law.
Ask Us to Correct Your Health Information
If you believe health information in your record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it.
We may deny the request in certain circumstances permitted by law. If we deny your request, we will provide an explanation in writing and inform you of any additional rights available to you.
Request Confidential Communications
You may ask us to communicate with you in a particular way or at a particular location.
For example, you may ask us to:
Call a particular telephone number
Use or avoid a particular communication method
Send correspondence to a different address
Use another reasonable method of contacting you
We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Ask Us to Limit Certain Uses or Disclosures
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
We are not generally required to agree to every requested restriction. If we agree to a restriction, we will follow it except when disclosure is necessary for emergency treatment or otherwise permitted or required by law.
Services Paid in Full
If you pay for a health care service or item completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service or item to your health plan for payment or health care operations purposes.
When HIPAA requires us to honor that request, we will do so unless another law requires the disclosure.
Receive an Accounting of Certain Disclosures
You may request a list of certain disclosures of your protected health information made during the six years before the date of your request.
The accounting will identify disclosures required to be included under HIPAA and generally will not include disclosures made for:
Treatment
Payment
Health care operations
Disclosures you specifically authorized
Certain other disclosures excluded from the accounting requirement by law
One accounting within a 12-month period will be provided without charge. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply to additional requests during the same period when permitted by law.
Receive a Copy of This Notice
You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
The current Notice is also available on the Shield Chiropractic Center website.
Choose Someone to Act for You
If another person has legal authority to act on your behalf, such as a legal guardian, health care agent, or other authorized personal representative, that person may exercise your privacy rights when permitted by law.
We may verify the person's authority before acting on a request.
File a Privacy Complaint
You may file a complaint with Shield Chiropractic Center if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.
Shield Chiropractic Center will not retaliate against you for filing a privacy complaint or exercising your HIPAA rights.
Your Choices
For certain uses and disclosures of your health information, you may tell us what you prefer.
Family, Friends, and Others Involved in Your Care
You may tell us whether we may share relevant information with:
Family members
Close friends
Caregivers
Other persons involved in your care
Persons involved in payment for your care
If you are unable to express a preference, we may disclose relevant information when permitted by law if we believe doing so is in your best interest.
We may also disclose information when necessary to reduce or prevent a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Disaster Relief
When appropriate and permitted by law, we may disclose limited information to an organization assisting with disaster relief so that family members or others responsible for your care can be informed about your condition or location.
Marketing and Sale of Health Information
Shield Chiropractic Center will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information for purposes that require authorization under HIPAA.
We will not sell your protected health information without authorization when HIPAA requires such authorization.
Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if Shield Chiropractic Center maintains or receives such notes, also require written authorization unless an exception under law applies.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance on it.
Fundraising
Shield Chiropractic Center does not currently use protected health information for fundraising communications.
If our practices change and HIPAA permits us to contact you for fundraising purposes, you will have the right to tell us not to contact you again.
How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
HIPAA permits health care providers to use and disclose protected health information for certain purposes without obtaining a separate authorization for every use or disclosure.
The following sections describe the principal circumstances in which Shield Chiropractic Center may use or disclose your information.
Treatment
We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your chiropractic care.
We may disclose appropriate health information to other health care professionals involved in your treatment.
For example, we may provide relevant information to another physician, imaging provider, specialist, or health care professional when needed to coordinate your care.
Payment
We may use and disclose your health information when necessary to obtain payment for services.
This can include providing information required to:
Submit or process Medicare claims
Determine coverage or benefits
Obtain payment
Respond to payment-related inquiries
Correct or review claims
Comply with billing and reimbursement requirements
For example, Shield Chiropractic Center may submit information concerning covered services to Medicare so that a claim can be processed.
Health Care Operations
We may use and disclose protected health information as necessary to operate the practice and maintain the quality of our services.
Health care operations may include activities such as:
Quality assessment and improvement
Reviewing treatment and services
Staff training
Business planning and administration
Compliance activities
Auditing
Record management
Credentialing
Patient-service activities
Protecting the security and integrity of practice systems
Business Associates and Service Providers
Shield Chiropractic Center may use outside companies or individuals to perform functions that involve protected health information on our behalf.
When HIPAA classifies a service provider as a business associate, we require appropriate agreements and safeguards before allowing the business associate to create, receive, maintain, or transmit protected health information on our behalf.
These services may include functions such as:
Practice-management technology
Electronic health records
Billing or claims processing
Patient communications
Data storage or backup
Information technology support
Other administrative services
Shield Chiropractic Center may use ChiroTouch or related services for certain practice-management, patient-communication, scheduling, or administrative functions.
Appointment and Patient Communications
We may use your contact information to communicate with you about matters relating to your care or our services.
These communications may include:
Appointment confirmations
Appointment reminders
Scheduling
Follow-up communications
Office notices
Patient-care communications
Billing or account information
Where text messaging is used, separate SMS Terms & Conditions and an SMS Privacy Policy may also apply.
You may request reasonable alternative methods of communication by contacting our office.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
HIPAA and other laws permit or require health information to be used or disclosed in additional circumstances.
Public Health and Safety
We may disclose protected health information for legally authorized public health and safety purposes, including activities such as:
Preventing or controlling disease
Reporting certain diseases or conditions
Reporting adverse events when required
Assisting with product recalls
Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence when authorized or required
Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety
Health Oversight
We may disclose health information to authorized health oversight agencies for activities permitted by law, including audits, inspections, investigations, licensing activities, and government health program oversight.
Compliance With Law
We may use or disclose protected health information when federal, state, or local law requires us to do so.
This may include disclosures necessary to demonstrate compliance with HIPAA or other health care laws and regulations.
Research
We may use or disclose health information for research when all applicable legal requirements have been satisfied.
Research involving identifiable protected health information may require your authorization or another legally permitted approval or waiver.
Workers' Compensation
We may use or disclose health information as authorized by and necessary to comply with workers' compensation laws and similar programs.
Law Enforcement and Government Requests
We may disclose protected health information for certain law enforcement or governmental purposes when permitted or required by law.
This may include:
Certain law enforcement requests
Health oversight activities
Military or veterans' activities
National security functions
Protective services
Other governmental functions specifically authorized by law
Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose protected health information in response to certain:
Court orders
Administrative orders
Subpoenas
Discovery requests
Other lawful processes
We will disclose information only as permitted or required by applicable law.
Medical Examiners, Coroners, and Funeral Directors
We may disclose health information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when permitted or required by law.
Organ and Tissue Donation
When applicable, we may disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation as permitted by law.
Information Subject to Additional Privacy Protections
Certain categories of health information may receive protections beyond the general requirements of HIPAA.
Where federal or North Carolina law imposes stricter confidentiality requirements, Shield Chiropractic Center will follow the more protective requirement.
This may include certain information involving:
Substance use disorder treatment records
Mental or behavioral health records
Communicable or reportable diseases
Other specially protected health information
We will not use or disclose such information in a manner prohibited by an applicable federal or North Carolina confidentiality law.
If Shield Chiropractic Center receives records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2 concerning substance use disorder treatment, those records are subject to additional federal protections. We will not use or disclose Part 2 records in an investigation or legal proceeding against you except as permitted by applicable federal law.
Our Responsibilities
Shield Chiropractic Center has legal responsibilities concerning your protected health information.
Privacy and Security
We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
We use administrative, physical, and technical safeguards appropriate to the information and systems under our control.
Breach Notification
If a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs and applicable law requires notification, we will notify affected individuals as required by law.
We will also make any required notifications to government agencies or other parties.
Following This Notice
We are required to follow the privacy practices described in the version of this Notice that is currently in effect.
Uses Not Described in This Notice
We will not use or disclose your protected health information for a purpose requiring your authorization unless you provide that authorization in writing.
You may revoke an authorization in writing, except when we have already taken action based upon it or when another legal exception applies.
Minimum Necessary Information
When the HIPAA minimum-necessary rule applies, Shield Chiropractic Center will make reasonable efforts to use, disclose, or request only the amount of protected health information reasonably necessary to accomplish the intended purpose.
Public Website
The public Shield Chiropractic Center website is informational and is not intended to serve as a patient medical-record system.
Patients should not submit sensitive medical information through ordinary public website communications.
Patient scheduling, communications, or other services may be provided through separate systems or service providers designated by Shield Chiropractic Center.
The Website Privacy Policy describes privacy practices relating specifically to use of the public website.
This Notice of Privacy Practices governs Shield Chiropractic Center's use and disclosure of protected health information and is separate from the Website Privacy Policy.
Changes to This Notice
Shield Chiropractic Center may change the terms of this Notice and its privacy practices as permitted by law.
A revised Notice may apply to protected health information we already maintain as well as information created or received after the revision takes effect.
When this Notice is materially revised, the current version will be:
Available upon request
Available at our office
Posted as required at the practice
Made available on our website
The effective date shown at the beginning of this Notice identifies the version currently in effect.
Questions, Requests, and Privacy Complaints
For questions concerning this Notice, requests to exercise your privacy rights, or complaints concerning Shield Chiropractic Center's privacy practices, contact:
Shield Chiropractic Center
809 North Justice Street
Hendersonville, NC 28791
Privacy Contact: [Privacy Officer Name or Title]
Phone: (828) 693-8691
Email: ShieldChiropractic@gmail.com
You may also file a privacy complaint directly with:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201
Telephone: 1-877-696-6775
Complaints may also be submitted through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights complaint process.
Shield Chiropractic Center will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint or exercising any right described in this Notice.
Related Policies
For information concerning other Shield Chiropractic Center privacy and communications practices, please review:
These documents supplement this Notice for their respective subjects but do not replace this Notice of Privacy Practices or limit the rights provided to you by HIPAA.