Your Rights, Your Information, and Our Responsibilities.
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL AND DENTAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
Thomas Orthodontics is required by federal law, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Florida state law, including the Florida Information Protection Act (FIPA), to maintain the rigorous privacy and security of your Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personal Information (PI). Our practice is legally obligated to provide you with this Notice detailing our legal duties and privacy practices, and we must follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We are also required to notify you promptly in the event of a breach compromising your unsecured health information.
The Practice is permitted by law to use and disclose your health information for the following core purposes without requiring your explicit written authorization:
We use your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your orthodontic care. For example, we may share your diagnostic records, intraoral scans, and treatment progress notes with your general dentist, an oral surgeon, or other specialists to ensure comprehensive and coordinated dental care.
We use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for the services we provide. This includes submitting claims to your dental insurance provider, determining eligibility or coverage, and coordinating benefits.
We use your health information to support the business activities of our practice. This includes evaluating the quality of care provided by our staff, conducting training programs, auditing clinical procedures, and engaging in overall practice management.
We may also share your health information in other specialized situations, including:
To facilitate efficient, highly supervised, and interactive clinical care, Thomas Orthodontics utilizes an "Open Bay" architectural design in our treatment areas. While the Practice implements robust physical and administrative safeguards to protect your privacy—such as installing polarized privacy screens on all computer monitors and requiring staff to speak in lowered, confidential voices—incidental disclosures of information may occur due to the shared nature of the space. You possess the absolute right to request a private consultation room for sensitive discussions, comprehensive treatment planning, or financial reviews at any time.
In accordance with updated 2026 federal regulations, if our Practice receives or maintains health records protected by 42 CFR Part 2 (pertaining to Substance Use Disorder treatment), those specific records are subject to heightened confidentiality standards.
As a patient, you maintain the following rights concerning your health information:
You have the right to inspect and obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical, dental, and billing records. We will provide this access within thirty days of receiving your written request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for the labor, supplies, and postage associated with fulfilling your request.
You may ask us to limit the information we share for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not legally required to agree to all requests. However, if you pay for a specific service or orthodontic appliance entirely out-of-pocket and in full, we must agree to your request to restrict the disclosure of that service to your health insurance plan.
You have the right to request that we communicate with you in a specific, confidential manner (e.g., contacting a mobile phone rather than a home phone, or utilizing secure messaging) or that we send correspondence to a specific alternative address.
If you believe the health information we maintain about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may submit a written request asking us to amend the record. We may deny your request under certain circumstances, but we will provide a written explanation for the denial within sixty days.
You may request a list of instances wherein we disclosed your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations within the past six years.
Pursuant to Florida state law (FIPA), our Practice is required to notify you as expeditiously as practicable, and no later than thirty days following the determination of any breach involving your unsecured personal information.
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice at any time. Any changes will apply to all protected health information we currently maintain as well as any information we receive in the future. The updated Notice will be prominently posted in our office reception area and available on our website.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a formal complaint with our Practice's Privacy Officer or directly with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Practice strictly prohibits any form of retaliation against individuals who file a complaint in good faith.
Privacy Officer Contact:
Dr. Brian W. Thomas
Thomas Orthodontics
21521 Village Lakes Shopping Center Dr.
Land O' Lakes, FL 34639
Phone: (813) 948-9494
You also may submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We support your right to the privacy of your health information. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Download Official PDFIn addition to our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices regarding your medical information, Thomas Orthodontics collects non-medical information through our website to improve user experience and for marketing purposes.
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