Notice of Privacy Practices
BACKUPUNCTURE OF DENVER
NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES
Effective Date: September 3, 2026
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, AND YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to Backupuncture LLC, doing business as Backupuncture of Denver (“Backupuncture”), and to health care professionals, employees, and staff working on behalf of the practice as permitted by law.
Privacy Contact
Privacy Officer
Backupuncture of Denver
950 S Cherry St, Suite 1675
Denver, CO 80246
720-370-2711
info@backupuncture.com
YOUR RIGHTS
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. This section explains those rights and some of our responsibilities to help you exercise them.
Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record
You may ask to see or obtain an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you.
We generally will provide access, a copy, or a summary of your health information within the time required by law. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.
Ask us to correct your medical record
You may ask us to amend health information about you that you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
We may deny your request in certain circumstances, but if we do, we will explain the reason in writing within the time required by law.
Request confidential communications
You may ask us to contact you in a particular way, such as only at a certain telephone number or email address, or to send mail to a different address.
We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations.
We are generally not required to agree to such a request. If we agree, however, we will comply with the restriction except when disclosure is needed to provide emergency treatment or is otherwise required by law.
If you pay for a health care service or item completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health insurer for purposes of payment or health care operations. We will honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Get a list of certain disclosures
You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the six years before the date of your request.
The accounting generally does not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations, disclosures that you authorized, and certain other disclosures excluded by law.
We will provide one accounting in any 12-month period without charge. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for additional requests as permitted by law.
Get a copy of this Notice
You may ask for a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given another person medical power of attorney or if someone is otherwise legally authorized to act as your personal representative, that person may exercise your rights and make choices regarding your health information.
We may verify the person's authority before taking action.
File a complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us by contacting:
Privacy Officer
Backupuncture of Denver
950 S Cherry St, Suite 1675
Denver, CO 80246
720-370-2711
info@backupuncture.com
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, by contacting:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20201
1-877-696-6775
www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
YOUR CHOICES
For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences about what we share.
Family members, friends, and others involved in your care
You may tell us whether we may share relevant information with a family member, close friend, caregiver, or another person involved in your care or payment for your care.
If you are unable to tell us your preference, such as during an emergency or when you are incapacitated, we may share information when, using professional judgment, we believe doing so is in your best interest and is permitted by law.
We may also disclose information when necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of you or another person, as permitted by law.
Marketing
We may contact you about appointment reminders, treatment alternatives, health-related benefits or services offered by our practice, and other communications permitted by law.
When HIPAA requires written authorization for a marketing communication, we will obtain your authorization before using your health information for that purpose.
Sale of health information
We will not sell your protected health information without your written authorization when authorization is required by law.
Psychotherapy notes
If we ever maintain psychotherapy notes as that term is specifically defined under HIPAA, most uses or disclosures of those notes require your written authorization.
Backupuncture does not provide psychotherapy merely because information regarding emotional or mental health concerns may be discussed or documented as part of acupuncture or other health care services.
Fundraising
We do not use your protected health information to solicit charitable fundraising on behalf of Backupuncture.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
We typically use or disclose your health information in the following ways without obtaining a separate written authorization.
To treat you
We may use your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your care.
We may disclose relevant information to other health care professionals involved in your treatment when appropriate.
Example: With appropriate safeguards, we may communicate with a physician, physical therapist, or other health care provider regarding information relevant to coordinating your care.
To operate our practice
We may use and disclose health information to operate our practice, manage your care, evaluate the quality of our services, conduct administrative activities, train staff, and improve our operations.
Example: We may review patient records internally to evaluate treatment outcomes, documentation quality, or office procedures.
To bill for your services
We may use and disclose your health information to bill and obtain payment from health plans and other responsible parties.
Example: We may submit your diagnosis, treatment information, dates of service, and other information required by your health insurance carrier to process a claim.
Business associates
We may share protected health information with companies or individuals that perform services for us when those services require access to health information, such as electronic health record providers, billing services, information technology providers, payment processors, document storage services, or other administrative vendors.
When required by HIPAA, these business associates must agree to appropriately safeguard your protected health information.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES PERMITTED OR REQUIRED BY LAW
We may use or disclose your health information without your written authorization in other circumstances permitted or required by law. Depending on the circumstances, these may include:
Public health and safety activities
We may disclose health information for legally authorized public health and safety activities, including:
preventing or controlling disease;
reporting certain adverse events or product problems;
reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence when permitted or required by law; and
preventing or reducing a serious threat to someone's health or safety.
Health oversight
We may disclose information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensing matters, or disciplinary proceedings.
Workers' compensation
We may use or disclose information as authorized or required for workers' compensation claims or similar programs.
Research
We may use or disclose health information for research when the requirements of HIPAA and other applicable laws have been satisfied.
Legal proceedings
We may disclose health information in response to a valid court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when the requirements of applicable law have been met.
Law enforcement
We may disclose information to law enforcement officials in circumstances specifically permitted or required by law.
Medical examiners, coroners, and funeral directors
We may disclose information to a coroner, medical examiner, or funeral director when permitted by law and necessary for the person's duties.
Organ and tissue donation
When applicable, we may disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation as permitted by law.
Specialized government functions
We may make disclosures authorized by law for certain government functions, including military and veterans' activities, national security and intelligence activities, protective services, and other functions specifically authorized by law.
Compliance with law
We will disclose information when federal or state law requires us to do so, including disclosures to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services when necessary to determine our compliance with HIPAA.
INFORMATION RECEIVING ADDITIONAL LEGAL PROTECTION
Some categories of health information may receive protections beyond the general HIPAA requirements under federal or Colorado law.
When another applicable law provides greater privacy protection than HIPAA, we will follow the more protective law.
This may include, depending upon the information and circumstances, certain substance-use-disorder records, HIV-related information, genetic information, behavioral or mental health information, and records involving minors.
Substance-Use-Disorder Records — 42 CFR Part 2
Certain records created by or received from federally assisted substance-use-disorder treatment programs are subject to additional confidentiality protections under 42 CFR Part 2.
To the extent we maintain records that are protected by Part 2, those records may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you based on the content of the records without your written consent or as otherwise specifically authorized by federal law, including when an appropriate court order and subpoena are required.
The presence of information in an ordinary acupuncture medical record concerning substance use does not by itself mean that the entire medical record is a Part 2 record.
ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS
We may communicate with you electronically for treatment, appointment scheduling, billing, health care operations, or other permitted purposes.
You may request that we use a particular method of communication or avoid a particular communication method, and we will accommodate reasonable requests.
Electronic communication may include communication through our electronic health record or patient portal, telephone, voicemail, text messaging, or email, as appropriate and permitted by law.
OUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Backupuncture is required by law to:
maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;
provide you with this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices;
follow the privacy practices described in the Notice currently in effect; and
notify affected individuals following a breach of unsecured protected health information when notification is required by law.
We will not use or disclose your health information for purposes other than those described in this Notice unless you authorize us to do so in writing or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted by law.
If you give us written authorization, you generally may revoke that authorization in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect actions we already took in reliance on the authorization.
COLORADO ACUPUNCTURE PATIENT RECORDS
Colorado law requires licensed acupuncturists to maintain a plan addressing the security, storage, proper disposal, and disposition of patient records, including a method by which patients may obtain their records if an acupuncturist dies, retires, closes the practice, or otherwise ceases providing acupuncture services.
Backupuncture maintains a written patient-record security and disposition plan.
If Backupuncture or one of its acupuncturists ceases practice, patients will be provided with information regarding how and from whom their records may be obtained, consistent with applicable Colorado law. Current information regarding access to records may be obtained by contacting:
Backupuncture of Denver
950 S Cherry St, Suite 1675
Denver, CO 80246
720-370-2711
info@backupuncture.com
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We reserve the right to change the terms of this Notice and our privacy practices as permitted by law.
Changes may apply to all protected health information that we maintain, including information created or received before the change.
When we materially revise this Notice, the current version will be available upon request, at our office, and on our website.
Effective Date: September 3, 2026