Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective Date: September 28, 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.
This notice applies to the health information Andora Health Services, LLC d/b/a Andora Private Duty Home Health ("Andora," "we," "us") creates or receives while providing home care to you. It is given to every client at admission, it is on our website, and you can ask us for a paper copy at any time.
CONTENTS
1. Our duties to you
- Federal law (HIPAA) and Texas law require us to keep your health information private and to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
- We must follow the notice that is currently in effect.
- We must tell you if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
- We will not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing.
2. How we use and share your information
For your treatment
We use your information to plan and give your care, and we share it with others who care for you. For example, your caregiver sees your care plan, and our nurse may talk with your doctor about a change in your condition.
To get paid
We use and share your information to bill and collect payment for your services. For example, we send an invoice to you or the person responsible for your bill, or give information to an insurance plan or program that pays for your care.
To run our agency
We use your information to operate and improve our services and to train and supervise staff. For example, we review charts to check the quality of care, as Texas home care rules require.
Reminders and scheduling
We may contact you about visits, schedule changes, and services by phone, mail, email, or text message if you agreed to texts. Our emails and texts do not include health details; you can see those in our secure portal after signing in.
Our business associates
Some companies help us with services such as secure hosting of our records system. They may only use your information to do that work for us, and a written agreement (a business associate agreement) requires them to protect it.
People involved in your care
Unless you tell us not to, we may share information with a family member, friend, or other person you identify who is involved in your care or in paying for it. If you cannot tell us your preference, for example in an emergency, we may share information if we believe it is in your best interest. We may also share information with disaster relief organizations to help locate or notify your family.
3. Other sharing the law allows or requires
We may share your information without your written permission in these situations, and only as the law allows:
- When the law requires it, including to show the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that we are following federal privacy law.
- Public health and safety, such as reporting disease, injury, reactions to medicines, or problems with products, and preventing a serious threat to someone's health or safety.
- Abuse, neglect, or exploitation. As mandated reporters, we report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation to Adult Protective Services, Child Protective Services, or the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).
- Health oversight, such as licensing surveys and inspections by HHSC, audits, and investigations.
- Lawsuits and legal actions, in response to a court or administrative order, or a subpoena when the law allows.
- Law enforcement, for purposes the law allows, such as responding to a court order or reporting a crime on our premises.
- Workers' compensation and other programs that provide work-related injury benefits.
- Special government functions, such as military and veterans activities, national security, and protective services.
- Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors, and organ and tissue donation organizations.
- Research, only when an approved review board has protected your privacy as the law requires.
4. When we need your written permission
- We never sell your health information.
- We do not use or share your information for marketing without your written permission.
- Any use or sharing not described in this notice, including sharing of psychotherapy notes if we ever held any, requires your written permission.
- You may take back your permission at any time by telling us in writing. That stops future sharing, but it cannot undo sharing that already happened while we relied on your permission.
5. Extra protections under Texas law
- Electronic disclosure. Texas law requires us to tell you that your health information may be shared electronically, for example through our secure records system and portal. We ask for your written permission before sharing your information electronically, except to another covered entity for treatment, payment, health care operations, or insurance functions, or when state or federal law allows or requires it.
- No sale of your information. Texas law, like our own practice, prohibits selling your health information.
- Electronic copies. If you ask in writing for a copy of your electronic health record, we will provide it in electronic form within 15 business days.
- Trained staff. Our staff are trained in federal and Texas privacy law, as Texas law requires.
6. Substance use treatment records
If we receive records from a federally assisted substance use disorder treatment program, federal law (42 CFR Part 2) gives those records extra protection. We will not use or share them in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against you without your written consent or a court order that meets the requirements of that law.
7. Your rights
To use any of these rights, contact our Privacy Officer (section 10). We will not ask you to give up these rights to receive care.
See and get a copy of your records
You can ask to see or get a paper or electronic copy of your health and billing records. We will respond within 30 days (within 15 business days for an electronic copy of your electronic record). We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Ask us to correct your records
If you believe information in your record is wrong or incomplete, you can ask us in writing to correct it. We may say no, but we will tell you why in writing within 60 days, and you can add a statement of disagreement.
Ask for confidential communications
You can ask us to contact you in a certain way (for example, only by cell phone) or at a different address. We will agree to reasonable requests.
Ask us to limit what we use or share
You can ask us not to use or share certain information for treatment, payment, or our operations. We are not required to agree, and we may say no if it would affect your care. If you pay for a service in full yourself, you can ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan, and we will agree unless the law requires us to share it.
Get a list of those we shared your information with
You can ask for a list (an accounting) of the times we shared your information in the six years before your request, who we shared it with, and why. It excludes sharing for treatment, payment, and health care operations, and certain other sharing, such as any you asked us to make. We provide one list a year free; we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for another within 12 months.
Get a copy of this notice
You can ask for a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically.
Choose someone to act for you
If you have given someone medical power of attorney, or if someone is your legal guardian, that person can use your rights and make choices about your health information. We will make sure the person has this authority before we act.
8. If your information is ever exposed
If a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information, we will notify you as the law requires.
9. Changes to this notice
We may change this notice, and the changes will apply to all information we have about you. The new notice will be posted on our website and available from us on request.
10. Questions and complaints
Andora Private Duty Home Health
Attn: Privacy Officer
Houston, Texas
Phone: (832) 679-3716 | Fax: (281) 822-7670
Email: privatecare@andorahealth.com
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with us using the contact information above. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201, by calling 1-800-368-1019 (TDD 1-800-537-7697), or at hhs.gov/ocr/complaints.
For concerns about the care Andora provides, you can also contact HHSC Complaint and Incident Intake at 1-800-458-9858.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.