Privacy Policy

Who we are

AO Aligners
Our website address is: https://aoaligners.com

HIPAA Information

In December 2000, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced comprehensive privacy regulations, later amended in August 2002, stemming from the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA is legislation that establishes national standards to safeguard individuals’ medical records and other personal health information.

What does HIPAA do?

  1. Empowers patients with increased control over their “protected health information. (PHI)”
  2. Defines clear boundaries on the utilization and release of health records.
  3. Imposes specific safeguards that health care providers and other entities must implement to ensure the privacy of health information.

Who is covered by HIPAA?

  1. Health care providers.
  2. Health plans.
  3. Health care clearinghouses.
  4. Indirectly, any “Business Associate” of a covered entity (Business Associate is defined by HIPAA).

This notice outlines the use and disclosure of your protected health information (PHI) and how to access it. Please review it carefully.

We are obligated to safeguard your protected health information, adhere to privacy practices, and notify you of any breaches. This notice is effective and remains in force until replaced.

We may modify our privacy practices, and such changes will be posted prominently at our practice location and provided upon request. Special confidentiality protections apply to certain information under state or federal law.

Key Uses and Disclosures of Your Health Information:

1. Treatment: We may disclose your health information for your treatment, such as to a specialist.

2. Payment: Your health information may be used for payment activities, including billing and claims management.

3. Healthcare Operations: We may use your health information for healthcare operations, such as quality assessment and training programs.

4. Individuals Involved: Your health information may be disclosed to family or friends involved in your care or payment.

5. Disaster Relief: Your health information may be used or disclosed to assist in disaster relief efforts.

6. Required by Law: We may disclose your health information when required by law.

7. Public Health Activities: Disclosures may occur for public health activities, such as disease control or reporting child abuse.

8. National Security: Disclosures to military or federal authorities may occur for national security activities.

9. Secretary of HHS: We will disclose health information to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as required by HIPAA.

10. Worker’s Compensation: Your health information may be disclosed as authorized by and necessary for compliance with worker’s compensation laws.

11. Law Enforcement: Disclosures for law enforcement purposes are permitted by HIPAA or as required by law.

12. Health Oversight Activities: Disclosures may occur for oversight activities authorized by law, such as audits and investigations.

13. Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: Your health information may be disclosed in response to a court or administrative order.

14. Research: Your health information may be disclosed to researchers with approved protocols ensuring privacy.

15. Coroners, Medical Examiners, and Funeral Directors: Your health information may be released for identification or determining the cause of death.

16. Fundraising: We may contact you for fundraising programs in compliance with applicable law.

Other Disclosures:

Your authorization is generally required for certain disclosures, and you may revoke it in writing at any time.

Your Health Information Rights:

1. Access: You have the right to access your health information, and we will provide copies at a reasonable cost.

2. Disclosure Accounting: You have the right to receive an accounting of disclosures, with a potential cost for multiple requests.

3. Request a Restriction: You can request restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information.

4. Alternative Communication: You can request alternative communication means or locations for your health information.

5. Amendment: You can request amendments to your health information, and we will notify you of any denial.

6. Notification of a Breach: You will be notified of breaches of your unsecured protected health information as required by law.

For more information or to file a complaint, please contact us. We respect your privacy and will not retaliate for filing a complaint.

Comments

When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user agent string to facilitate spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to check if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media

If you upload images to the website, please refrain from including embedded location data (EXIF GPS). Visitors can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Cookies

If you leave a comment on our site, you may opt-in to save your name, email address, and website in cookies. These are for your convenience, eliminating the need to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies last for one year.

Upon visiting our login page, we set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we establish several cookies to save your login information and screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me,” your login will persist for two weeks. Logging out of your account removes the login cookies.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser, containing no personal data, and expiring after 1 day.

Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on this site may contain embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles) behaving similarly to a visitor browsing the other website. Embedded content from other websites may collect data, use cookies, embed third-party tracking, and monitor interactions with that content, especially if logged in with an account on that website.

Who We Share Your Data With

If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.

How Long We Retain Your Data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely for automatic approval of follow-up comments.

For registered users, personal information provided in their user profile is stored. Users can view, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except changing the username). Website administrators can also access and edit this information.

Your Data Rights

If you have an account or have left comments, you can request an exported file of your personal data, including any provided data. You may also request the erasure of any personal data, excluding data required for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where Your Data Is Sent

Visitor comments may undergo automated spam detection services. We want to reassure you that we do not sell your data to third-party companies. Your privacy is important to us, and your information is handled with care and security.

Effective Date: 01/01/2024

By providing your phone number and/ or email, you consent to receive text messages and calls, including automated messages and prerecorded voice messages, emails regarding updates, newsletters, and other important information from Alexandria Orthodontics for informational and marketing purposes or to conduct normal business activities around your treatments at the number and/ or email provided. By providing your phone number, you agree to receive text messages from Telnyx on behalf of Alexandria Orthodontics. Message data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Communication consent is not a condition of doing business.

How to Opt Out: You can opt-out of receiving text messages and calls at any time by replying “STOP” to any message you receive from us or by contacting us directly at Support@MyAlexandriaOrtho.com.

Privacy Policy: We want to reassure you that we do not sell your data to third-party companies. Your privacy is important to us, and your information is handled with care and security.