Effective Date: October 10, 2026
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how you can obtain access to this information, and your rights regarding your health information.
Please review it carefully.
This Notice of Privacy Practices applies to Align Alabama and healthcare professionals and workforce members providing services through the practice as applicable.
If you have questions about this notice or would like a paper or electronic copy, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Align Alabama
1207 Loring St NW
Cullman, AL 35055
Phone:(256) 747-5540
Email: frontdesk@alignalabama.com
When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights.
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 will provide a copy or summary as required by law, generally within the time period required by HIPAA.
We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee when permitted by law.
You may ask us to correct health information 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 as required by law.
You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location.
For example, you may ask us to call your mobile telephone instead of your home telephone.
We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.
You may ask us not to use or disclose certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.
We are generally not required to agree to these requests.
If you pay for a healthcare item or service completely out of pocket, you may ask us not to disclose information about that item or service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We will honor that request unless a law requires us to disclose the information.
You may ask for an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the period permitted by law.
The accounting will not include every disclosure. For example, certain disclosures for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations generally are not included.
You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive the notice electronically.
You may also access the current notice on our website.
If you have given someone medical power of attorney, if someone is your legal guardian, or if another person is legally authorized to make healthcare decisions for you, that person may exercise your rights and make choices about your health information as permitted by law.
We may verify that the person has appropriate authority before taking action.
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint directly with Align Alabama by contacting our Privacy Officer.
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences about what we share.
Where applicable, you may tell us whether you want us to:
If you are unable to tell us your preference, such as during an emergency, we may share information when we believe doing so is in your best interest and is permitted by law.
We may also share information when necessary to reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety as permitted by law.
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your protected health information for purposes that require an authorization under HIPAA, including certain marketing activities and any sale of protected health information.
You may revoke an authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.
We may use and share your health information with other healthcare professionals who are treating you.
Example: We may share relevant health information with another provider involved in your care.
We may use and share your health information to operate our practice, improve the quality of care, train staff, conduct compliance activities, and manage our services.
Example: We may use health information to evaluate the quality of the services we provide.
We may use and share your health information to bill and receive payment from health plans or other responsible parties.
Example: We may provide necessary information to your health insurance company so that it can process a claim.
We may use your information to contact you regarding appointments, treatment, follow-up care, scheduling, healthcare services, or other matters related to your care.
This may include communications through telephone, voicemail, email, text messaging, patient portals, or other communication methods you have authorized or that are otherwise permitted by law.
We may use or disclose your health information without your written authorization in certain circumstances permitted or required by law, including:
We may share health information for certain public-health activities, such as:
We will disclose health information when federal or state law requires us to do so.
We may disclose information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, including audits, inspections, investigations, licensing, and disciplinary activities.
We may disclose health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation or similar laws.
We may disclose information for certain law-enforcement purposes and to authorized government agencies when permitted or required by law.
We may disclose health information to coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors when permitted by law.
We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when permitted or required by law.
To the extent Align Alabama receives, creates, or maintains substance use disorder patient records that are protected by 42 CFR Part 2, additional federal confidentiality protections may apply.
When those protections apply, such records will not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against you unless the disclosure is permitted by applicable federal law, such as with your written consent or pursuant to an appropriate court order and legal process.
Nothing in this notice is intended to state that Align Alabama operates a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program.
Align Alabama is required by law to:
We will not use or disclose your health information for purposes other than those described in this notice unless you authorize us in writing or the law otherwise permits or requires the use or disclosure.
If you give us written authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time, subject to applicable law and actions already taken in reliance on your authorization.
We may change the terms of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
Changes may apply to all health information we maintain, including information created or received before the change.
When we make a material change, the revised notice will be available upon request, at our office, and on our website as required by law.
For questions about this notice, requests regarding your privacy rights, or complaints, contact:
Privacy Officer
Align Alabama
1207 Loring St NW
Cullman, AL 35055
Phone:(256) 747-5540
Email: frontdesk@alignalabama.com
You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.
Align Alabama will not retaliate against you for exercising your privacy rights or filing a complaint.
