Privacy Policy for Fleischmann DDS
Effective Date: April 13 2026
https://www.fleischmanndds.com/
Introduction
Fleischmann DDS (“Practice,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of our patients and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose personal information—including protected health information (“PHI”)—in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), the 2026 updates to HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and other applicable laws. Where state law provides stronger privacy protections than HIPAA, we follow the more stringent standard.
Information We Collect
Personal and Contact Information
When you communicate with us, schedule appointments, or submit forms, we may collect personal information such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, and demographic information (e.g., age or gender).
Health and Dental Information
As a dental provider, we collect and maintain PHI, including health history, dental records, diagnoses, treatment plans, imaging, prescriptions, billing records, insurance information, and payment details. PHI may be in electronic, paper, or verbal form, and HIPAA requires us to protect all formats.
Sensitive Information
Some health information may be subject to additional protections under federal or state law—such as substance‑use‑disorder (SUD) records, mental health records, HIV‑related information, and genetic data. This policy explains how we handle those special categories.
Online Activity and Cookies
Like many websites, we collect certain non‑identifiable information when you browse our site. This can include IP addresses, browser type, device identifiers, page views, and referring websites. We may use “cookies” or similar technologies to enhance your experience and analyze website traffic. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies, but some site features may not function properly.
How We Use Your Information
We may use your personal information and PHI for the following purposes:
- Treatment, Payment, and Health Care Operations: We use and disclose PHI to provide dental care, coordinate treatment with other providers, obtain payment for services, conduct insurance claims, manage our office operations, and improve quality of care.
- Appointment Reminders and Communications: We may contact you (by mail, phone, email, or text) to remind you of appointments, notify you of treatment options, or provide practice updates.
- Business Associates: We sometimes engage third‑party vendors (e.g., billing services, IT providers) who need access to PHI to perform services. We require those vendors to sign Business Associate Agreements and adhere to HIPAA rules.
- Legal Compliance and Public Health: We may disclose information when required by law, such as reporting suspected abuse, responding to subpoenas or court orders, or cooperating with public health authorities.
- Substance‑Use‑Disorder (SUD) Records (42 CFR Part 2): SUD treatment records receive heightened confidentiality. Under the 2026 Part 2 final rule, covered entities must obtain a single written consent for all future uses and disclosures for treatment, payment, or health‑care operations. We will not use or disclose SUD records without your written consent, except as permitted by law—for example, de‑identified disclosures to public‑health authorities. We will not use your SUD information in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding against you without your consent or a qualifying court order.
- Other Purposes Requiring Authorization: Uses or disclosures for marketing, sale of PHI, or most research activities require your explicit authorization. If you authorize a specific use or disclosure, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already relied on it).
Disclosure Without Authorization
HIPAA allows certain disclosures without your authorization, provided we follow the “minimum necessary” rule. Examples include disclosures to:
- Parents or Legal Guardians: If permitted by law for minors.
- Persons Involved in Your Care: With your verbal agreement or if you are incapacitated and disclosure is in your best interest.
- Law Enforcement or Public‑Health Authorities: When required to prevent a serious threat or comply with mandatory reporting laws.
We do not require a separate “reproductive health” disclosure section because a federal court vacated the 2025 reproductive‑health‑privacy rule.
Your HIPAA Rights
HIPAA grants you several rights regarding your PHI:
- Right to Inspect and Obtain Copies: You may request access to or copies of your dental records. We may charge a reasonable fee for copies.
- Right to Request Amendments: You may request corrections to your PHI if you believe it is incomplete or inaccurate.
- Right to an Accounting of Disclosures: Upon request, you can receive a list of disclosures we made of your PHI, except for those made for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
- Right to Request Restrictions: You may ask us to restrict how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. While we are not required to agree, we will accommodate reasonable requests when possible.
- Right to Confidential Communications: You may request that we communicate with you in a specific way (e.g., via an alternate address or phone number).
- Right to File a Complaint: If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Data Security
We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your information. Measures may include staff training, role‑based access controls, secure electronic health records, encryption, firewalls, secure destruction of paper records, and regular risk assessments. Despite these measures, no system is completely secure; if a breach occurs, we will follow the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule and notify you as required.
Retention and De‑Identification
We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. We may de‑identify information for analytics or research. De‑identified data is not considered PHI, but we ensure that identifiers are removed so individuals cannot be reasonably identified.
Tracking, Cookies, and Website Analytics
Our website may use cookies and analytics services to improve user experience and compile statistics about website usage. These tools collect data such as pages visited and time spent on the site. We do not use this data to identify you personally unless you voluntarily provide your information. You may adjust your browser settings to manage cookies.
Children Under Thirteen
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we learn that we have received information from a child without parental consent, we will delete it immediately.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this policy to reflect changes in laws or our practices. The “Effective Date” at the top of this page indicates when this policy last changed. If we make material changes, we will post a revised notice on our website and notify patients as required.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your rights under HIPAA, or wish to exercise any privacy rights, please contact:
Fleischmann DDS – Privacy Officer
Phone:
Contact form: Contact Form
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at 1‑877‑696‑6775 or online at www.hhs.gov.
