Legal

Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date: April 15, 2026

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.

Our Legal Duty

Megacare Home Health Services, Inc. (CMS Certification #673193) is required by federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information ("PHI"), to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI, and to abide by the terms of this Notice while it is in effect. This Notice is provided pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act ("HITECH"), and their implementing regulations at 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164, as well as the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act (Tex. Health & Safety Code Chapter 181).

We are required to provide you with a copy of this Notice at the time of first service delivery and to make a good faith effort to obtain your written acknowledgment of receipt.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information Without Your Written Authorization

The following categories describe the ways we may use and disclose your PHI without obtaining your written authorization:

Treatment

We may use your PHI to provide, coordinate, and manage your home health care and any related services. This includes sharing information with your physicians, nurses, therapists, home health aides, and other members of your care team. For example, a nurse visiting your home may need to review your treatment plan and share observations with your supervising physician to adjust your care.

Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for services provided to you. For example, we may share information about your home health services with Medicare, Medicaid, your health insurance plan, or other third-party payers to obtain authorization for services or to process claims for payment.

Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI for our internal operations, including quality assessment and improvement activities, outcomes evaluation, staff training and competency review, compliance activities, auditing, accreditation, and business planning and development.

Appointment Reminders and Care Coordination

We may contact you to provide appointment reminders, notify you of upcoming visits, or inform you of treatment alternatives or other health-related services that may be of interest to you.

Individuals Involved in Your Care

We may disclose PHI to a family member, close personal friend, or any other person you identify who is involved in your care or payment for your care. We may also notify a family member or personal representative about your location, general condition, or death.

As Required by Law

We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and other regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over home health agencies.

Public Health Activities

We may disclose your PHI to public health authorities for purposes of preventing or controlling disease, injury, or disability; reporting births and deaths; reporting child abuse or neglect; reporting reactions to medications or product problems; notifying people of recalls; and tracking certain products.

Abuse, Neglect, or Domestic Violence

We may disclose your PHI to a government authority if we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence. As required by Texas law (Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.051), we are mandated reporters of suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of elderly or disabled individuals.

Health Oversight Activities

We may disclose your PHI to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, including audits, civil or criminal investigations, inspections, licensure, and other proceedings related to the oversight of the health care system.

Judicial and Administrative Proceedings

We may disclose your PHI in response to a court order, or a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, subject to the requirements of applicable law.

Serious Threat to Health or Safety

We may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of the public or another person.

Workers' Compensation

We may disclose your PHI as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers' compensation or other similar programs.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

Other uses and disclosures of your PHI not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization. You have the right to revoke your authorization at any time by submitting a written request to our Privacy Officer, except to the extent that we have already acted in reliance on your authorization. The following uses and disclosures require your written authorization:

  • Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes (if applicable)
  • Uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes
  • Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI
  • Any other uses and disclosures not described in this Notice

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

You have the following rights with respect to your PHI. To exercise any of these rights, you must submit a written request to our Privacy Officer at the contact information provided below.

Right to Inspect and Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI contained in a designated record set. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. Under certain limited circumstances, we may deny your request to inspect and copy your records, in which case you may request a review of the denial.

Right to Amend

You have the right to request that we amend your PHI if you believe the information is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request under certain circumstances, such as when the information was not created by us, is not part of the records we maintain, or is accurate and complete.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI for the six years prior to your request (or from the effective date of this Notice, whichever is more recent). This accounting does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations; disclosures made to you; disclosures authorized by you; or certain other disclosures.

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the PHI we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You also have the right to request a limit on the PHI we disclose about you to someone involved in your care or the payment of your care. We are not required to agree to your request, except that we must agree to restrict disclosures to a health plan for payment or health care operations if you paid for the service in full out of pocket.

Right to Request Confidential Communications

You have the right to request that we communicate with you about health matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only at your work address or only by mail. We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive the Notice electronically. You may request a paper copy by contacting our Privacy Officer.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified in the event that we discover a breach of your unsecured PHI, as required by the HITECH Act and its implementing regulations. We will notify you as required by law.

Our Duties

  • We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your PHI.
  • We are required to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI.
  • We are required to abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect.
  • We will notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction on how your information is used or disclosed.
  • We will accommodate reasonable requests to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.
  • We will not use or disclose your PHI without your written authorization, except as described in this Notice.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. Any revised Notice will be effective for all PHI we maintain at that time, including PHI we created or received before we issued the revised Notice. We will post a copy of the current Notice on our website and make it available at our office. The Notice will contain the effective date on the first page.

Filing a Complaint

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. To file a complaint with us, contact our Privacy Officer at the address below.

To file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, you may:

  • Send a written complaint to: Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1301 Young Street, Suite 1169, Dallas, TX 75202
  • Call: (800) 368-1019 or TDD: (800) 537-7697
  • File online at: hhs.gov/ocr/complaints

You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Privacy Officer Contact Information

To exercise any of your rights, request additional information about our privacy practices, or file a complaint, contact our Privacy Officer:

Megacare Home Health Services

Attn: Privacy Officer

4606 FM 1960 Rd W, Suite 620, Houston, TX 77069

Phone: (713) 995-0675

Email: admin@megacare.health

Acknowledgment of Receipt

By receiving home health services from Megacare Home Health Services, you acknowledge that you have been provided with a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices and have had the opportunity to review it. A signed acknowledgment of receipt will be requested at the time of your first service visit and maintained in your medical record.