Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective Date: September 21, 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 Commitment to Your Privacy

Bit by Bit Counseling, LLC ("we," "us," or "the practice") is required by 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, to notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured PHI, and to abide by the terms of the notice currently in effect. This notice applies to all records of your care generated by the practice, whether made by Cheryl or any associate, contractor, or business associate acting on the practice's behalf.

How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information

For Treatment

We may use or disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your treatment. For example, we may share information with another treating provider (such as a psychiatrist or physician) if you are being seen for coordinated care, or with a covering clinician in the rare event we are unavailable.

For Payment

We may use and disclose your PHI to bill and collect payment for services, including submitting claims to your health insurance plan, responding to requests from insurers or their agents to verify coverage or medical necessity, and using a clearinghouse or billing service to process claims on our behalf.

For Health Care Operations

We may use and disclose your PHI in connection with our operations, including quality assessment, license or credentialing activities, and responding to a payer's or its business associate's records request made for payment or health care operations purposes (such as a coding, quality, or risk-adjustment review).

Other Permitted or Required Disclosures Without Your Authorization

In limited circumstances, the law permits or requires us to disclose your PHI without your authorization, including:

  • When required by federal, state, or local law

  • To avert a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or that of another identifiable person

  • To appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe you may be a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence

  • For public health activities, such as reporting as required by law

  • In response to a court order, subpoena, or other lawful process

  • To a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law

  • To coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors as necessary

  • For workers' compensation purposes, to the extent authorized by and necessary to comply with applicable law

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Written Authorization

Other than the uses and disclosures described above, we will use or disclose your PHI only with your written authorization. This includes, in particular, your psychotherapy notes (as narrowly defined under HIPAA — notes documenting or analyzing session content that are maintained separately from the rest of your record), which we will not release without your specific written authorization except in the limited circumstances the law requires (such as to avert a serious threat, or as required by law). You may revoke a written authorization at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.

Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information

Right to Request Restrictions

You have the right to request a restriction on certain uses or disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to a requested restriction, except that we must agree to a restriction on disclosure to a health plan for payment or health care operations purposes if the PHI pertains solely to a service you paid for out of pocket in full.

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, only by phone or only to a specific address).

Right to Access and Copy

You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI, with limited exceptions (including psychotherapy notes, as defined above, which are not subject to this right).

Right to Amend

You have the right to request that we amend your PHI if you believe it is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny the request in certain circumstances permitted by law.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures

You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI, other than disclosures for treatment, payment, health care operations, and certain other excepted categories.

Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice

You have the right to obtain a paper copy of this notice at any time upon request, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.

Right to Be Notified of a Breach

You have the right to be notified in the event that we (or a business associate) discover a breach of your unsecured PHI.

Business Associates

We use outside vendors and service providers — such as our electronic health record system, billing and claims-clearinghouse services, and secure communications tools — to help operate the practice. Where these vendors have access to your PHI in order to perform services on our behalf, we enter into a Business Associate Agreement requiring them to safeguard your information consistent with HIPAA. We do not use, sell, or disclose your PHI for marketing purposes, and we do not sell your PHI.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with the practice or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. To file a complaint with the practice, contact Cheryl using the information below. You will not be penalized or retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Changes to This Notice

We reserve the right to change this notice and to make the revised notice effective for PHI we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. The current notice will be available on our website and at our office, and will be provided to you upon request.

Contact Information

Privacy Contact: Cheryl, Bit by Bit Counseling, LLC

Address: 1123 Clairmont Rd, Decatur, GA 30030

Phone: (404) 491-7044