Your Medical Records

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. To request these records you can notify us in person, call or text us at 512-892-2160, Fax us at 512-892-7309, Email us at contact@stakeschiropractic.com, or send a written letter to Stakes Chiropractic Center 7413 Old Bee Caves Rd. Austin, TX 78735

• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. If you personally request a copy of your records, there is no fee. If you ask us to send records to another provider, there is no fee. If you are involved in a legal case or any litigation, there will be a reasonable fee assessed the attorney(s) or records retrieval service(s).

Ask us to correct your medical record

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Simply tell us in writing what you would like to change.

• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communication

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone, text or email) or to send mail to a different address.

• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

If you have any questions about your medical records please inform us.

Payment of Services/No Surprise Billing Act

 

We are out-of-network with all insurance companies, so it is best to fully understand your benefits and costs before your appointment, if you are intending on using insurance. Our prices are the same whether you have insurance or not. The only time this is different is if you have Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan. Medicare sets our prices.

Being “out-of-network” means providers and facilities haven’t signed a contract with your health insurance plan to provide services. Out-of-network providers may bill you for the full amount charged for a service. This amount is likely more than in-network costs for the same service and might not count toward your plan’s in-network deductible or annual out-of-pocket limit. Your insurance may have a separate or higher deductible to meet for an out-of-network facility.

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. We will gladly tell you what your initial costs may be prior to your appointment. You have the right to a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services.

Once you arrive you may ask for an estimate of your services in writing. Make sure to save a copy of your Good Faith Estimate. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

If insured, we encourage you to read your policy carefully and ask your workplace benefits representative, if applicable, or your insurance carrier regarding specific coverage. We will be happy to obtain benefit information and explain your benefits per our understanding, and information available to us from the available resources. Our office will file claims for you; however, financial responsibility remains with the patient.

Medicare and Part C (Advantage) Plans, are not the same. We find many Advantage plans do not cover the same as Medicare for chiropractic care. Medicare does not cover all your charges under chiropractic care either.

Whether insured or uninsured, we will always provide you with a reasonable estimate of your health care charges prior to your first appointment.

Questions about your rights? For more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate visit www.cms.gob/nosurprises or call 800-985-3059 OR Texas Department of Insurance at www.tdi.texas.gov or call 800-252-3439.

How to File a Complaint

We hope you will notify us of any concern you have with our office, however, if you feel uncomfortable with that option and wish to file a complaint with the disciplinary or licensing authority, you would contact

Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners
1801 Congress Avenue
Ste. 10.500
Austin, Texas 78701-1319
Phone: (512) 305-6700
Fax: (512) 305-6705
Email: tbce@tbce.texas.gov

Or you may find a complaint form at: https://db.tbce.texas.gov/fmi/webd/TBCE_Complaint_Portal?homeurl=https://tbce.texas.gov

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

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.

Effective date 1.1.2026

Your Rights

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains your rights and some of our responsibilities to help you.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

• You can ask to see or get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we have about you. Ask us how to do this.

• We will provide a copy or a summary of your health information, usually within 30 days of your request. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.

Ask us to correct your medical record

• You can ask us to correct health information about you that you think is incorrect or incomplete. Ask us how to do this.

• We may say “no” to your request, but we’ll tell you why in writing within 60 days.

Request confidential communication

• You can ask us to contact you in a specific way (for example, home or office phone, text or email) or to send mail to a different address.

• We will say “yes” to all reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

• You can ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or our operations. Please know that only the minimum medical information required to achieve the intended purpose will be used or disclosed to third parties, rather than the individual’s entire medical history. This of course, would not be the case, unless you state no, to a lawsuit, such as an automobile accident or other injury, where records are subpoenaed.

• We are not required to agree to your request, and we may say “no” if it would affect your care.

• If you pay for a service or health care item out-of-pocket in full, you can ask us not to share that information for the purpose of payment or our operations with your health insurer.

• We will say “yes” unless a law requires us to share that information.

Get a list of those with whom we’ve shared information

• You can ask for a list (accounting) of the times we’ve shared your health information for six years prior to the date you ask, who we shared it with, and why.

• We will include all the disclosures except for those about treatment, payment, and health careoperations, and certain other disclosures (such as any you asked us to make). We’ll provideone accounting a year for free but will charge a reasonable, cost-based fee if you ask for another one within 12 months.

Get a copy of this privacy notice

• You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive the notice electronically. We will provide you with a paper copy promptly.

Choose someone to act for you

• If you have given someone medical power of attorney or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can exercise your rights and make choices about your health information.

• We will make sure the person has this authority and can act for you before we take any

action.

File a complaint if you feel your rights are violated

• You can complain if you feel we have violated your rights, by contacting us and/or

• You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/guidance-materials-for-consumers/index.html

• We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Your Choices

For certain health information, you can tell us your choices about what we share. If you have a clear preference for how we share your information in the situations described below, talk to us. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will follow your instructions.

In these cases, you have both the right and choice to tell us to:

• Share information with your family, close friends, or others involved in your care

• Share information in a disaster relief situation

• Include your information in a hospital directory (we do not create or manage a hospital directory) If you cannot tell us your preference, for example if you are unconscious, we may go ahead and share your information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share your information when needed to lessen a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.

In these cases, we never share your information unless you give us written permission:

• Marketing purposes

• Sale of your information

• Most sharing of psychotherapy notes (We do not create or maintain psychotherapy notes at

this practice).

Our Uses and Disclosures

How do we typically use or share your health information? We typically use or share your health information in the following ways.

Treat you

• We can use your health information and share it with other professionals who are treatingyou. Example: A doctor treating you for an injury  asks another doctor about your overall health condition or for a letter of referral with our findings.

Running our organization

• We can use and share your health information to run our practice, improve your care, and contact you when necessary. Example: We use health information about you to manage your treatment and services.

Bill for your services

• We can use and share your health information to bill and get payment from health plans or other entities. Example: We give information about you to your health insurance plan so it will pay for your services.

How else can we use or share your health information?

We are allowed or required to share your information in other ways – usually in ways that contribute to the public good, such as public health and research. We must meet many conditions in the law before we can share your information for these purposes. For more information see: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/guidance-materials-for-consumers/index.html

Help with public health and safety issues

• We can share health information about you for certain situations such as:

• Preventing disease

• Helping with product recalls

• Reporting adverse reactions to medications

• Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence

• Preventing or reducing a serious threat to anyone’s health or safety

Do research

• We can use or share your information for health research. We do not participate in any research at this time.

Comply with the law

• We will share information about you if state or federal laws require it, including with the Department of Health and Human Services if it wants to see that we’re complying with federal privacy law.

Respond to organ and tissue donation requests

• We can share health information about you with organ procurement organizations. Work with a medical examiner or funeral director

• We can share health information with a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when an individual dies.

Address workers’ compensation, law enforcement, and other government requests

• We can use or share health information about you:

• For workers’ compensation claims

• For law enforcement purposes or with a law enforcement official

• With health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law

• For special government functions such as military, national security, and presidential protective services

Respond to lawsuits and legal actions

• We can share health information about you in response to a court or administrative order, or in response to a subpoena.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.

• We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.

• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in this notice and give you a copy of it.

• We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing. If you tell us we can, you may change your mind at any time. Let us know in writing if you change your mind.
For more information see: www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/consumers/noticepp.html.

Changes to the Terms of This Notice

We can change the terms of this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be available upon request, in our office, and on our web site.