HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

North Texas Eye Clinic
Dr. Toan A. Tran & Associates Corp.

Effective Date: 2026

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.

Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.

At North Texas Eye Clinic, protecting the privacy and security of your medical information is an important part of providing quality patient care.

We are required by law to protect your health information, explain our privacy practices, and respect your rights under applicable federal and Texas laws.

How We Use & Share Your Health Information

We may use or disclose your protected health information for certain purposes permitted by law, including:

Treatment: We may share relevant medical information with other healthcare professionals involved in your care, such as your primary care physician, endocrinologist, ophthalmologist, or another treating specialist.

Payment: We may use or disclose information needed to process insurance claims, verify benefits, obtain payment, or coordinate billing for services.

Healthcare Operations: We may use information to manage our practice, evaluate quality of care, train staff, maintain records, and improve our services.

Other uses and disclosures may be permitted or required by law, including certain public health activities, health oversight, research conducted under applicable legal safeguards, workers’ compensation, and legally authorized government or judicial requests.

We may also disclose information in appropriate circumstances involving serious threats to health or safety, abuse or neglect reporting, organ donation, or medical examiner duties.

All disclosures are subject to applicable legal requirements and limitations.

Your Rights as a Patient

Access Your Medical Records

You have the right to request access to your medical and billing records, including electronic copies when available and required by law.

We process requests according to applicable federal and Texas requirements. Reasonable, legally permitted fees may apply.

Request Corrections

If you believe your medical information is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request an amendment to your record.

We will review your request and notify you of our decision as required by law.

Request Confidential Communications

You may ask us to communicate with you through a preferred method or at a different address, such as requesting telephone contact instead of mailed correspondence.

We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Request Restrictions on Information Sharing

You may request limitations on certain uses or disclosures of your health information.

Although we are not required to agree to every requested restriction, we will honor restrictions required by law.

For example, if you pay in full out of pocket for a particular healthcare service, you may request that information about that service not be disclosed to your health insurance plan for payment or healthcare operations, unless disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Request an Accounting of Disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your protected health information, subject to applicable legal exceptions and time limitations.

Receive a Copy of This Notice

You may request a paper copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices at any time, even if you have received it electronically.

Choose a Personal Representative

A legally authorized personal representative may exercise certain rights regarding your medical information.

We may verify that person’s authority before providing access.

Your Choices Regarding Information Sharing

You may tell us your preferences regarding certain disclosures to family members, close friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care.

If you cannot communicate your preference, we may share information when legally permitted and when we determine it is appropriate under the circumstances.

Certain uses or disclosures, including uses for marketing that require authorization, sales of protected health information, and most disclosures of psychotherapy notes, require written authorization.

You may revoke a written authorization, subject to applicable legal limitations.

Additional Protections for Certain Medical Records

Certain categories of health information are subject to additional confidentiality requirements under federal or Texas law.

For example, records covered by federal substance use disorder confidentiality rules under 42 CFR Part 2 receive additional protections.

Such records generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against the patient without the patient’s written consent or a qualifying court order accompanied by appropriate legal process.

We follow applicable additional privacy requirements when such information is involved.

Our Legal Responsibilities

North Texas Eye Clinic is required to:

Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information.
Follow the privacy practices described in the notice currently in effect.
Provide patients with information about their privacy rights.
Notify affected individuals of breaches of unsecured protected health information when required by law.
Obtain written authorization for uses or disclosures when required.

We may revise this notice as our practices or legal requirements change. Revised notices will be available in our office, upon request, and on our website.

Requesting Your Medical Records

If you would like to request a copy of your eye care records or transfer your records to another healthcare provider:

Contact our office at 940-369-7441 to request medical records.
Our staff will explain the verification and written request requirements.
Specify the records you need and your preferred delivery method.
We will process your request within applicable legal timeframes.

Our patient portal may also be available for accessing certain records after staff activation.

Patient Portal:
https://www.crystalpm.com/PatientPortal.jsp?crystalpmid=732

Privacy Questions & Complaints

If you believe your medical privacy rights have been violated, you may contact North Texas Eye Clinic’s designated privacy contact.

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.

HHS Privacy Complaint Information:
https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/

You will not be retaliated against for filing a privacy complaint.

Texas Patient Rights & Regulatory Contacts

Texas law provides additional protections regarding patient privacy and access to healthcare records.

Patients may contact the Texas Optometry Board regarding optometry licensing and professional complaints.

Texas Optometry Board:
https://tob.texas.gov/

Texas Optometry Board Complaint Instructions:
https://tob.texas.gov/file-a-complaint/how-to-file-a-complaint/

Telephone: (512) 305-8500

To submit a consumer privacy complaint, patients may also contact the Texas Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division.

Texas Consumer Complaint Information:
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/file-consumer-complaint

Contact Information