Welkin Wellness LLC
info@welkinwellness.com | www.welkinwellness.com
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Effective Date: February 16, 2026
I. OUR PLEDGE REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Welkin Wellness LLC is committed to protecting the privacy of your health information. We create and maintain records of the care and services you receive through our practice. This notice applies to all records generated by Welkin Wellness in connection with your treatment, regardless of which clinician provides your care.
This notice describes how Welkin Wellness may use and disclose your protected health information ("PHI"), your rights with respect to that information, and our legal obligations.
Welkin Wellness is required by law to:
Maintain the privacy of your PHI.
Provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
Notify you in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.
Follow the terms of the notice currently in effect.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice. Any changes will apply to all health information we maintain about you. An updated Notice will be available upon request and on our website at www.welkinwellness.com.
II. HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
The following categories describe the ways Welkin Wellness may use and disclose health information. Not every use or disclosure in each category is listed, but all permitted uses and disclosures fall within one of these categories.
Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations
Federal privacy regulations permit health care providers with a direct treatment relationship to use or disclose a client's PHI, without written authorization, to carry out treatment, payment, and health care operations. For example, a Welkin Wellness clinician may consult with another licensed health care provider regarding your diagnosis or treatment, and your health information may be shared as part of that coordination of care.
Disclosures for treatment purposes are not subject to the minimum necessary standard, as clinicians require access to complete records in order to provide quality care. "Treatment" includes care coordination, consultations between providers, and referrals.
For payment purposes, we may use or disclose your PHI to obtain payment for services rendered, including billing your insurance carrier. For example, we may submit a claim to your health plan that includes your diagnosis and services received.
For health care operations, we may use your PHI for internal practice activities such as quality improvement, compliance reviews, and staff training.
Lawsuits and Legal Proceedings
If you are involved in a lawsuit or legal dispute, Welkin Wellness may disclose your PHI in response to a valid court or administrative order, subpoena, or other lawful process. We will make reasonable efforts to notify you or seek a protective order before doing so.
III. USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT REQUIRE YOUR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION
Psychotherapy Notes
Welkin Wellness maintains psychotherapy notes as defined under 45 CFR § 164.501. Any use or disclosure of psychotherapy notes requires your written authorization, unless the use or disclosure is:
For treatment by the treating clinician.
For training or supervising mental health practitioners to support clinical skill development.
For use in defending the practice or a clinician in legal proceedings initiated by you.
For use by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to investigate HIPAA compliance.
Required by law and limited to what that law requires.
Required for health oversight activities related to the originator of the notes.
Required by a coroner performing duties authorized by law.
Required to avert a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Marketing and Sale of PHI
Welkin Wellness will not use or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes, nor will we sell your PHI in the ordinary course of business.
Reproductive Health Care
Welkin Wellness will not use or disclose your PHI in any manner prohibited by applicable federal or state law, including disclosures intended to investigate or impose liability on any person for seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating lawful reproductive health care. Several of the states in which we provide services maintain additional protections for reproductive health care information. We will handle any PHI related to reproductive health care in accordance with these state protections and with the general privacy and disclosure standards of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Where state law affords you greater protection than federal law, we will follow the law that is more protective of your privacy.
Substance Use Disorder Records
Federal law (42 C.F.R. Part 2) provides heightened privacy protections for records that would identify you as having or having had a substance use disorder, where those records originate from a federally assisted substance use disorder program ("Part 2 program"). Welkin Wellness is not a Part 2 program. However, if we receive or maintain records protected under Part 2, the following protections apply:
Heightened protection. Part 2 records are subject to stricter limits on use and disclosure than other PHI, including for treatment, payment, and health care operations.
Your consent. With limited exceptions, we will not use or disclose Part 2 records without your written consent. You may provide a single consent that covers future uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, and health care operations, and you may revoke that consent in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.
Legal proceedings. Part 2 records may not be used or disclosed in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you, and may not be used to initiate or substantiate any criminal charges against you, unless you provide written consent or a court issues an order authorizing the use or disclosure after you have been given notice and an opportunity to be heard.
Restriction on re-disclosure. When Part 2 records are disclosed with your consent, the disclosure is accompanied by a notice informing the recipient that the records may not be re-disclosed except as permitted by 42 C.F.R. Part 2 or with your further written consent.
Reporting of suspected abuse. These protections do not prohibit the reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect, or elder or dependent adult abuse, under applicable state law.
IV. USES AND DISCLOSURES THAT DO NOT REQUIRE YOUR AUTHORIZATION
Subject to applicable legal limitations, Welkin Wellness may use and disclose your PHI without your authorization for the following purposes:
When disclosure is required by state or federal law, limited to what that law requires.
For public health activities, including reporting suspected abuse of a child, elder, or dependent adult, or to prevent or reduce a serious threat to health or safety.
For health oversight activities, including government audits and investigations.
For judicial and administrative proceedings in response to a valid court or administrative order. We prefer to obtain your authorization before disclosing whenever possible.
For law enforcement purposes, including reporting crimes occurring on practice premises.
To coroners or medical examiners performing duties authorized by law.
For research purposes, such as comparing outcomes across treatment approaches for the same condition, subject to applicable oversight requirements.
For specialized government functions, including national security and intelligence operations, and safety within correctional institutions.
For workers' compensation purposes as required by law. We prefer to obtain your authorization before disclosing whenever possible.
For appointment reminders and to provide information about treatment alternatives or health care services and benefits offered by Welkin Wellness.
V. USES AND DISCLOSURES REQUIRING YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT
Disclosures to Family, Friends, or Others: Welkin Wellness may share relevant PHI with a family member, friend, or other person you have identified as involved in your care or the payment for your care, unless you object in whole or in part. In emergency situations, we may make such disclosures and obtain your agreement after the fact if possible.
VI. YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION
Right to Request Limits on Uses and Disclosures
You may request that Welkin Wellness limit how your PHI is used or disclosed for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request and may decline if doing so would affect your care. If you have paid for a service entirely out of pocket, you have the right to request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health plan.
Right to Choose How We Contact You
You may request that we contact you in a specific way or at a specific location (for example, a preferred phone number or mailing address). We will honor all reasonable requests.
Right to Access and Copy Your PHI
With the exception of psychotherapy notes, you have the right to obtain an electronic or paper copy of your health record and other PHI we maintain about you. We will provide a copy or a summary (if you agree to receive a summary) within 30 days of receiving your written request. A reasonable, cost-based fee may apply.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You may request a list of instances in which we have disclosed your PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, health care operations, or purposes for which you provided authorization. We will respond within 60 days of receiving your written request. The accounting covers the preceding six years unless you request a shorter period. The first request each calendar year is provided at no charge; additional requests within the same year may be subject to a reasonable cost-based fee.
Right to Correct or Update Your PHI
If you believe your health information is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request a correction or addition. We may decline your request, but will provide our reason in writing within 60 days.
Right to a Copy of This Notice
You have the right to receive a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically. To request a copy, contact us at info@welkinwellness.com.
VII. HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with Welkin Wellness or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. To file a complaint with Welkin Wellness, please contact us in writing at info@welkinwellness.com.
To file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights:
By mail: Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20201
By phone: 1-800-368-1019 (TDD: 1-800-537-7697)
You will not be retaliated against in any way for filing a complaint.
VIII. QUESTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions about this Notice or about your privacy rights, please contact us at:
Welkin Wellness LLC — Privacy Contact
Email: info@welkinwellness.com
Website: www.welkinwellness.com
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RECEIPT
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), you have certain rights regarding the use and disclosure of your protected health information. By signing below, you acknowledge that you have received and reviewed a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Please note: You are not required to sign this acknowledgment as a condition of receiving services. However, if you decline to sign, Welkin Wellness is required to document that the Notice was provided and that you chose not to sign.