Privacy Policy for Active Quality Care Inc. (Maryland)
Effective Date: May 17, 2025
Active Quality Care Inc. (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect the personal information of our clients, their families, caregivers, employees, and website visitors in accordance with applicable Maryland state laws and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). By using our services or interacting with us, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We collect various types of personal information, including:
- Client Information (Protected Health Information – PHI): This may include name, address, contact information (phone number, email address), date of birth, Social Security number, medical history, health conditions, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, insurance information, emergency contacts, care plans, records of services provided, physician orders, and other information related to your health and care.
- Caregiver Information: This may include name, address, contact information, qualifications, certifications, background check information, employment history, and payroll information.
- Family and Emergency Contact Information: This may include names, contact information, and relationship to the client.
- Website Visitor Information: This may include IP addresses, browser type, operating system, referring website addresses, pages visited, and the dates and times of visits. We may also collect information you voluntarily submit through our website, such as through contact forms.
- Communication Information: Records of our communications with you, whether by phone, email, or other means.
2. How We Collect Information
We collect personal information in various ways, including:
- Directly from You: When you or your representative provide information to us through applications, assessments, service agreements, and other forms.
- From Caregivers: Information provided by our caregivers in the course of providing services and documenting care.
- From Third Parties: We may receive information from healthcare providers, insurance companies, hospitals, and other relevant parties involved in your care, with your consent or as permitted by law (including HIPAA).
- Through Our Website: We may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about website visitors.
- Through Communication: During phone calls, emails, and other communications.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for various purposes, including:
- Providing Home Care Services (Treatment): To assess your needs, develop and implement care plans, schedule and deliver services, coordinate care with other healthcare providers, and communicate with you and your family about your care.
- Payment: To prepare and submit bills to you, your insurance company, or other responsible parties, and to manage payment for our services.
- Healthcare Operations: To conduct quality assessment and improvement activities, review caregiver performance, manage our business operations, conduct training programs, and for other administrative and operational purposes.
- Managing Our Workforce: To recruit, hire, train, schedule, pay, and manage our caregivers and other employees.
- Communication: To respond to your inquiries, provide information about our services, and send important notices.
- Quality Improvement: To monitor and improve the quality of our services, conduct surveys, and gather feedback.
- Legal and Regulatory Compliance: To comply with applicable federal and Maryland state laws, regulations, and legal processes, including reporting requirements to the Maryland Department of Health.
- Website Administration: To administer and improve our website.
- Safety and Security: To ensure the safety and security of our clients, caregivers, and employees.
4. Disclosure of Your Information
We may disclose your personal information in the following circumstances:
- To Caregivers (Treatment): We share relevant client information (PHI) with our caregivers to enable them to provide appropriate care.
- To Healthcare Providers (Treatment, Payment, Healthcare Operations): With your consent or as permitted by HIPAA and Maryland law, we may share your health information (PHI) with your physicians, hospitals, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers involved in your care.
- To Family and Emergency Contacts (Treatment, Payment, Healthcare Operations): With your consent or as necessary in an emergency or as allowed by HIPAA and Maryland law, we may share relevant information (PHI) with your family members and emergency contacts who are involved in your care or payment for your care.
- To Insurance Companies (Payment, Healthcare Operations): We may share your health information (PHI) with your insurance company for billing and payment purposes and for pre-authorization or other healthcare operations.
- To Service Providers (Healthcare Operations): We may engage third-party service providers (e.g., for IT support, billing services, electronic health records) who may have access to your personal information (including PHI), but they are contractually obligated to comply with HIPAA and Maryland privacy laws and to protect your information.
- For Legal Reasons (Healthcare Operations, Legal and Regulatory Compliance): We may disclose personal information (including PHI) if required to do so by law, court order, or legal process, or to report suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence as required by Maryland law.
- For Public Health Activities (Healthcare Operations, Legal and Regulatory Compliance): We may disclose PHI to public health authorities for purposes such as preventing or controlling disease, reporting vital statistics, and reporting adverse events.
- For Health Oversight Activities (Healthcare Operations, Legal and Regulatory Compliance): We may disclose PHI to health oversight agencies for audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure purposes as authorized by law.
- In Case of Business Transfer (Healthcare Operations): In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information (including PHI) may be transferred to the acquiring entity, who will be required to maintain its privacy and security.
5. Your Rights Under HIPAA and Maryland Law
Under HIPAA and Maryland law, you have certain rights regarding your Protected Health Information (PHI), which include the right to:
- Access: You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI. We may charge a reasonable fee for the costs of copying, mailing, or other supplies associated with your request.
- Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your PHI that you believe is incorrect or incomplete. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.
- Accounting of Disclosures: You have the right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures of your PHI that we have made, generally for the six years prior to your request. This does not include disclosures for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, or disclosures made with your authorization.
- Restriction of Uses and Disclosures: You have the right to request that we restrict certain uses and disclosures of your PHI for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. We are not required to agree to your request.
- Confidential Communications: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health matters in a certain way or at a certain location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
- Notice of Privacy Practices: You have the right to receive a paper copy of this Privacy Policy upon request.
To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to our Privacy Officer (contact information below). We may require you to verify your identity before processing your request.
6. Data Security
We take reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information (including PHI) from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, consistent with HIPAA and Maryland law. These measures include secure storage, encryption, access controls, and regular security assessments. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Data Retention
We will retain your personal information (including PHI) for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and as required by applicable federal and Maryland state laws and regulations, including HIPAA’s record retention requirements. When your information is no longer needed, we will take reasonable steps to securely dispose of it.
8. Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies
Our website may use cookies and other tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
9. Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any website you visit.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on our website and update the “Effective Date” at the top of this policy. We will also notify you of any material changes as required by law. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or if you wish to exercise your rights regarding your PHI, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
Privacy Officer Active Quality Care Inc.
Address: 8414 Maymeadow Court Windsor Mill
Telephone: +1 (410)-901-7694
Email: activequalitycareinc@gmail.com