Introduction

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Effective Date: March 1, 2024

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This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can obtain access to this information. Please review it carefully.This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can obtain access to this information. Please review it carefully.

 

HealthLink Insights, LLC (TechLink Health, "we, or "us") operates under the brand names HealthLink Insights and TechLink Health.  TechLink Health's primary goal is making healthcare practitioners more accessible to ultimately provide the best patient outcomes, which in turn means that we are committed to protecting your privacy and we take great care with your personal information that we gather when you access or use TechLink.Health and related websites, applications, and services owned and operated by TechLink Health (the "Platform").

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Authorization

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TechLink Health offers services, such as helping you to search and find healthcare providers, booking appointments with the healthcare provider(s) of your choice (each, “Your Healthcare Provider”) and managing and sending your health history forms and other health-related information to share with Your Healthcare Providers (“TechLink Health Services”). As part of providing the services, TechLink Health may collect, use, share, and exchange your health history forms and other health-related information with Your Healthcare Providers. Under a federal law called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”),health and health-related information may be considered “protected health information” or “PHI” if such information is received from or on behalf of Your Healthcare Providers.

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Safeguards for PHI

 

HIPAA protects the privacy and security of your PHI by limiting the uses and disclosures of PHI by most healthcare providers and by health plans (called “Covered Entities”) as well as companies, like TechLink Health, that provide certain types of assistance to Covered Entities (called “Business Associates”). Under certain circumstances described in HIPAA, an individual needs to sign an Authorization form before a Covered Entity, like Your Healthcare Provider(s), can disclose protected health information to a third party.  TechLink Health will notify you in the event a breach occurs involving or potentially involving your unsecured health information and inform you of what steps you may need to take to protect yourself.

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Non-Protected Health Information

 

As a condition of creating your TechLink Health account, you are required to read and agree to TechLink Health’s Privacy Policy. TechLink Health’s Privacy Policy explains how TechLink Health processes and shares information received from you that is not covered by HIPAA (“Non-PHI”). 

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Uses and Disclosures for Health Care Operations 

 

We will make uses and disclosures of your protected health information as necessary, and as permitted by law, for our health care operations, which may include clinical improvement, professional peer review, business management, accreditation and licensing, etc. For instance, we may use and disclose your protected health information for purposes of improving clinical treatment and patient care.

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PHI Authorization 

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The purpose of this TechLink Health Authorization (“Authorization”) is to request your written permission to allow TechLink Health to use and disclose your PHI in the same way as we use and disclose your Non-PHI. If TechLink Health is a Business Associate of Your Healthcare Providers, TechLink Health needs your Authorization to be able to use and disclose your PHI in the same way it can currently use and disclose your Non-PHI when TechLink Health is not working on behalf of Your Healthcare Providers, but is instead working on its own behalf. Therefore, when TechLink Health depends on this Authorization, and uses and discloses PHI as indicated in this Authorization, it is not working as a Business Associate and the HIPAA requirements that apply to Business Associates will not apply to such uses and disclosures.

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If you e-sign this Authorization, you give your permission to TechLink Health to retain your PHI and to use and/or disclose your PHI in the same way that you have agreed that your Non-PHI can be used and disclosed.

 

Specifically, you agree that TechLink Health can use your PHI to enable and customize your use of the TechLink Health Services; provide you notifications or other TechLink Health Services regarding future appointments; notify you regarding providers we think you may be interested in learning more about; share information with you regarding services, products or resources about which we think you may be interested in learning more; provide you with updates and information about TechLink Health Services; market to you about TechLink Health and third party products and services; conduct analysis for TechLink Health’s business purposes; support development of the TechLink Health Services; and create de-identified information and then use and disclose this information in any way permitted by law, including to third parties in connection with their commercial and marketing efforts.

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You also agree that TechLink Health can disclose your PHI to third parties assisting TechLink Health with any of the uses described above; Your Healthcare Providers to enable them to refer you to, and make appointments with, other providers on your behalf, or to perform an analysis on potential health issues or treatments, provided that you choose to use the applicable TechLink Health Service; a third party as part of a potential merger, sale or acquisition of TechLink Health; our business partners who assist us by performing core services (such as hosting, billing, fulfillment, or data storage and security) related to the operation or provision of our services, even when TechLink Health is no longer working on behalf of Your Healthcare Providers; a provider of medical services, in the event of an emergency; and organizations that collect, aggregate and organize your information so they can make it more easily accessible to your providers.

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Redisclosure of PHI 

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TechLink Health discloses your PHI, TechLink Health will require that the person or entity receiving your PHI agrees to only use and disclose your PHI to carry out its specific business obligations to TechLink Health or for the permitted purpose of the disclosure.  TechLink Health cannot, however, guarantee that any such person or entity to which TechLink Health discloses your PHI or other information will not re-disclose it in ways that you or we did not intend or permit.

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Expiration and Cancellation of Authorization

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Your Authorization remains in effect until you provide written notice of cancellation to TechLink Health.  You can cancel this authorization at any time and for any or no reason.

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If you wish to cancel this Authorization, you must notify TechLink Health by submitting a cancellation through your account settings page. Your decision not to execute this Authorization or to cancel it at any time will not affect your ability to use certain of the TechLink Health Services. A Cancellation of Authorization is effective after you submit it to TechLink Health, but it does not have any effect on TechLink Health’s prior actions taken in reliance on the Authorization before cancelled.

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Once TechLink Health receives your Cancellation of Authorization, TechLink Health can only use and disclose your PHI as permitted in TechLink Health’s agreements with Your Healthcare Provider(s). Your Cancellation of Authorization does not affect TechLink Health’s use of your Non-PHI.

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We will make available to Your Healthcare Provider(s), current and past, your agreement to or cancellation of this Authorization.

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Other Uses and Disclosures

 

TechLink Health is permitted and/or required by law to make certain other uses and disclosures of your protected health information without your consent or authorization for the following:

 

• Any purpose required by law;

• Public health activities such as required reporting of immunizations, disease, injury, birth and death, or in connection with public health investigations;

• If we suspect child abuse or neglect; if we believe you to be a victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence;

• To the Food and Drug Administration to report adverse events, product defects, or to participate in product recalls;

• To your employer when we have provided health care to you at the request of your employer;

• To a government oversight agency conducting audits, investigations, civil or criminal proceedings;

• Court or administrative ordered subpoena or discovery request;

• To law enforcement officials as required by law if we believe you have been the victim of abuse, neglect or domestic violence. We will only make this disclosure if you agree or when required or authorized by law;

• To coroners and/or funeral directors consistent with law;

• If necessary to arrange an organ or tissue donation from you or a transplant for you;

• If you are a member of the military, we may also release your protected health information for national security or intelligence activities; and

• To workers' compensation agencies for workers' compensation benefit determination.

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Complaints

 

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint in writing with the Privacy Officer. You may also file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at the US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775 or visiting www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/complaints/. There will be no retaliation for filing a complaint.

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For Further Information

 

If you have questions, need further assistance regarding or would like to submit a request pursuant to this Notice, you may contact TechLink Health by email at connect@techlink.health or at the following address: HealthLink Insights, LLC, 495a Henry Street, Suite 1039, Brooklyn, NY 11231.

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