Rice Dental Associates Notice of Privacy Practices

2905 Rockfish Valley Hwy, Nellysford, VA 22958

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH IMFORMATION ABOUT OYOU MAY BE USED AND

DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION.

PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

THE PRIVACY OF YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO US.

OUR LEGAL DUTY

We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this notice about our privacy practices, our legal duty, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this notice while it is in effect. This notice takes effect 08/01/2002 and will remain in effect until we replace it.

We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our notice and make the new notice available upon request.

You may request a copy of our notice at any time. For more information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this notice, please contact us using the information at the top of this notice.

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION

We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, payment and healthcare operations. For example:

Treatment: We may use and disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.

Payment: We may use and disclose your healthcare information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.

Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.

Your Authorization: In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you make revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use of disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this notice.

To Your Family and Friends: We must disclose your health information to you to notify, as described in the Patient Rights section of this notice. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend of other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare, but only if you agree that we may do so.

Persons Involved In Care: We may use or disclose health information to notify or assist in the notification (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or other person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. If you are present, then prior to use or disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses and disclosures. In the event of your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgement disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person's involvement in your healthcare. We also use our professional judgement and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, x-rays or other similar forms of health information.

Marketing Health Related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written consent.

Required By Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required by law to do so.

National Security: We may disclose to military authorities the healthcare information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials having lawful custody of protected health information of an inmate of patient under certain circumstances.

Appointment  Reminders: We may use of disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, postcards, letters, texts).

USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION

We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, payment and healthcare operations. For example:

Treatment: We may use and disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.

Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.

Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.

SUD Treatment Information: If we receive or maintain information about you from a substance use disorder treatment program covered by 42 CFR Part 2 (“Part 2 Program”), we may use and disclose that information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations if you have provided a general consent allowing the Part 2 Program to do so. If we receive your Part 2 Program record through a specific consent you provide to us or another party, we will use and disclose it only as permitted by that consent.

Part 2 Program records are protected by federal law, and any further disclosure is prohibited unless allowed by 42 CFR Part 2. We will not use or disclose your Part 2 Program record, or testify about it, in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you unless you authorize it or a court orders it after providing you notice.

Your Authorization: In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this notice.

To Your Family and Friends: We must disclose your health information to you, as described in the Patient Rights section of this notice. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare, but only if you agree that we may do so.

Persons Involved in Care: We may use or disclose health information to notify or assist in the notification (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or other person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. If you are present, prior to use or disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses and disclosures.

Marketing Health Related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written consent.

Required By Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required by law to do so.

National Security: We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institutions or law enforcement officials having lawful custody of protected health information of an inmate or patient under certain circumstances.

Appointment Reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, postcards, letters, texts).

PATIENT RIGHTS ACCESS:

You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information, with limited exceptions. You may request that we provide copies in a format other than photocopies. We will use the format you request unless we cannot practicably do so. (You must make a request in writing to obtain access to your health information.) You may obtain a form to request access by using the contact information listed at the end of this notice. We will charge you a reasonable cost‑based fee for expenses such as copies and staff time. You may also request access by sending us a letter to the address at the top of this notice.

Disclosure Accounting: You have the right to receive a list of instances in which we or our business associates disclosed your health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, healthcare operations and certain other activities, or the last six years. If you request this accounting more than once in a 12 month period, we may charge you a reasonable, cost‑based fee for responding to these additional requests.

Restriction: You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement (except in an emergency).

Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or to alternative locations. (You must make the request in writing.)

Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your health information. (Your request must be in writing and must explain why the information should be amended.) We may deny your request under certain circumstances.

Electronic Notice: If you receive this notice on our website or by electronic mail (email) you are entitled to receive this notice in written form.

QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact us. If you are concerned that we may have violated your privacy rights, or you disagree with a decision we made about access to your health information or in response to a request you made to amend or restrict the use or disclosure of your health information or have submitted a complaint with us, you may also submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Our office contact is Stephanie Bishop. You can contact her at STEPHANIE.BISHOP@RICEDENTALSMILES.COM

**Revised February 2026**