Privacy Practices

At The Cove San Clemente, we understand that your health information is personal and sensitive. This notice describes how we may use and disclose your protected health information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable California privacy laws, and outlines your rights regarding that information.

We may collect and maintain the following types of information:

• Health information: treatment records, medical history, photographs, and notes from your visits.
• Personal information: name, address, date of birth, contact details, and government identification.
• Payment information: billing records and financing details through our partners (Cherry, PatientFi, and CareCredit).
• Website information: pages visited, booking inquiries, and chat messages submitted through our website.

We use your information to:

• Provide, coordinate, and manage your treatments and care.
• Communicate about appointments, results, and follow-ups.
• Process payments and verify financing eligibility.
• Comply with legal, regulatory, and licensing requirements.
• Improve our services, website, and patient experience.

We do not sell your health information. We may share it only as permitted or required by law, including:

• With your written authorization, for purposes you approve.
• With your other healthcare providers for treatment coordination.
• With payment partners solely to process your financing or claims.
• When required by law, court order, or public health authority.

Our website includes an AI concierge ("Ask The Cove") that answers questions using only information published on this site. It does not access your personal health records. Messages you type are processed to generate a response and may be logged for quality improvement. We do not store payment details or login credentials on the website.

We maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that comply with HIPAA to protect your information. Access is limited to authorized personnel who need it to perform their duties. Despite these safeguards, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

Under HIPAA and California law, you have the right to:

• Request access to or a copy of your health records.
• Request an amendment to your records if you believe they are inaccurate.
• Request a list of disclosures we have made of your information.
• Request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures.
• Request confidential communications by alternative means.
• Withdraw authorization for uses not covered by this notice.

We retain health and billing records for the period required by California law and professional standards. When records are no longer needed, they are securely destroyed.

We may update this notice from time to time. The current version will always be posted on this page with the effective date shown above. We will provide a revised notice in our office upon request.

If you have questions about this notice, wish to exercise your rights, or need to report a privacy concern, please contact us:

• Phone: (949) 776-2860
• Email: thecovesanclemente@gmail.com
• Address: 629 Camino de Los Mares, Suite 104A, San Clemente, CA 92673