Notice of Privacy Practices
Primary Care of Albuquerque LLC
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 explains your privacy rights and how Primary Care of Albuquerque LLC (the “Practice”) may use or disclose health information that identifies you. It applies to the Practice and the workforce members who handle your information on its behalf.
Effective date: October 12, 2026
Your Rights
You may exercise the rights below by contacting our Privacy Officer using the contact information at the end of this notice. Some requests must be submitted in writing.
See or receive a copy of your medical records
You can request to inspect your records or receive an electronic or paper copy of health information we maintain about you. We generally respond within 30 days. If allowed by law, we may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies.
Request a correction to your record
If you believe information in your medical record is wrong or incomplete, you may ask us to amend it. We may deny the request in certain circumstances, but we will explain the reason in writing, generally within 60 days.
Request private ways of communicating with you
You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a different mailing address. We will accommodate reasonable requests for confidential communications.
Ask us to limit how we use or disclose information
You may request limits on certain uses or disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not always required to agree. However, if you have paid in full out of pocket for a service or item, you may ask us not to disclose information about that service or item to your health plan for payment or health care operations; we must honor that request unless disclosure is required by law.
Request a history of certain disclosures
You may ask for an accounting of certain disclosures made during the six years before your request, including who received information and why. The accounting does not include every type of disclosure, such as most disclosures for treatment, payment, or health care operations. One accounting in a 12-month period is free; additional accountings may carry a reasonable, cost-based fee.
Receive a paper copy of this notice
You may request a paper copy at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.
Have an authorized person act for you
A legally authorized personal representative, such as an individual with an applicable medical power of attorney or a legal guardian, may exercise your rights when the law permits. We may verify that person’s authority before acting.
File a complaint without retaliation
If you believe we have violated your privacy rights, you may complain to our Privacy Officer or to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). We will not retaliate against you for making a complaint. Contact details appear near the end of this notice.
Your Choices
For certain disclosures, you may direct how information is shared. Tell us your preference when you want us to share information with family, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care, or with organizations coordinating disaster relief. If you cannot state a preference, we may share limited information when legally permitted and we believe doing so is in your best interest. We may also share information when necessary to prevent or reduce a serious and imminent threat to health or safety.
Your written authorization is generally required before we use or disclose your information for marketing that requires authorization, sell your protected health information, or disclose psychotherapy notes in circumstances requiring authorization. Uses and disclosures not otherwise described here or authorized by law also require your written authorization. You may withdraw an authorization in writing, except to the extent we already acted in reliance on it.
Fundraising: If the Practice ever contacts you for fundraising using information permitted by HIPAA, you may opt out of further fundraising communications. Additional notice and choice rules apply if fundraising communications would use records protected by 42 CFR Part 2.
How We Use or Share Health Information
We may use or disclose your protected health information without separate written authorization when HIPAA or another applicable law permits or requires it. Three common examples are:
For your treatment
We may share relevant information with clinicians, pharmacies, laboratories, specialists, and other professionals caring for you. Example: We send a referral and relevant medical history to a specialist who will evaluate you.
For payment
We may use or disclose the information needed to request payment, verify benefits, and process insurance claims. Example: We provide a diagnosis and service information to your health plan so it can process a claim.
For health care operations
We may use or disclose information to operate the Practice, coordinate services, assess quality, train staff, conduct appropriate reviews, and improve care. Example: We review records to assess appointment workflows and clinical quality.
Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law
Subject to the limits and conditions of applicable law, we may use or share information for the purposes described below. These are examples of legally permitted circumstances; they do not mean every disclosure will occur.
- Public health and safety: Reporting certain diseases; assisting with product recalls; reporting medication reactions; reporting abuse or neglect where permitted or required; or addressing serious threats to safety.
- Research: Conducting or supporting legally permitted health research, subject to required approvals and privacy safeguards.
- Legal compliance and oversight: Following laws and reporting obligations, responding to authorized health oversight activities, or providing information to HHS to demonstrate compliance.
- Organ donation and death-related matters: Communicating with organ procurement organizations or coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors as legally allowed.
- Workers’ compensation and government functions: Responding to appropriate workers’ compensation matters and certain lawful requests related to law enforcement, military, national security, or other government functions.
- Court or administrative proceedings: Responding to applicable court orders, administrative orders, subpoenas, and other legally valid demands, subject to any additional protections that apply.
- Service providers: Sharing the minimum necessary information with business associates that perform services for the Practice under appropriate privacy and security agreements, when required.
Special Protections for Certain Records
Substance use disorder treatment records protected by 42 CFR Part 2
If we create, receive, or maintain substance use disorder treatment records governed by 42 CFR Part 2, special federal rules apply. Those records may be subject to additional consent and disclosure restrictions. In particular, Part 2 records or testimony describing them generally may not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you without your written consent or a qualifying court order following the required notice and opportunity to be heard; a court order must be accompanied by a subpoena or another legal requirement compelling disclosure. We will follow applicable Part 2 rules when handling those records.
Where Part 2 permits use or disclosure for treatment, payment, or health care operations based on a valid consent or other applicable legal authority, we will follow those requirements. If Part 2 information would be used for fundraising, you will receive the advance notice and opportunity to opt out required by law.
Other information subject to stronger protections
Certain information, including some behavioral health, HIV-related, or other sensitive records, may receive additional protection under New Mexico or federal law. If another applicable law provides greater confidentiality protections than HIPAA, we follow the stricter requirements.
Our Legal Responsibilities
- We must protect the privacy and security of health information covered by applicable law and provide notice of our legal duties and privacy practices.
- We must notify affected individuals when a breach of unsecured protected health information requires notification under the law.
- We must follow the terms of the Notice of Privacy Practices currently in effect.
- We will not use or disclose your information for other purposes unless you provide written authorization or the law otherwise allows or requires it.
Changes to This Notice
We may revise this notice and apply the new provisions to all health information that we maintain, including information received before the change. When we revise the notice, the updated version will be available in our office, upon request, and on our website.
Questions, Requests, or Privacy Complaints
Primary Care of Albuquerque LLC
Attn: Privacy Officer
7520 Montgomery Blvd NE, Building D, Suite D-4
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: (505) 677-8343
Email: admin@primarycareabq.com
Website: primarycareabq.com
Federal HIPAA complaints
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 1-877-696-6775
Online: hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/
You may ask us questions about this notice, request a copy, or submit a privacy concern using the contact information above.
