Disclaimer & Privacy Notices
Medical Disclaimer
The material contained within this website is protected under U.S. copyright law and remains the exclusive property of SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. Reproduction, distribution or circulation of these materials without written permission by SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. is strictly prohibited.
The health informational and educational materials accessed through this site are not intended to constitute or to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Patients should always seek the advice of a physician or other healthcare professional regarding health conditions.
Privacy & Notice
SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. Notice of Privacy Practices
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.
SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. (SpectraCell) is legally required to safeguard your protected health information.
Protected Health Information includes information that can be used to identify you that SpectraCell has created or received about your past, present, or future health or condition, the provision of healthcare to you, or the payment of this healthcare. We recognize the importance of Protected Health Information and take all steps appropriate and necessary to maintain the privacy of your Protected Health Information.
SpectraCell is required by law to maintain the privacy of Protected Health Information and provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to Protected Health Information. This information describes how SpectraCell uses and discloses your Protected Health Information.
SpectraCell reserves the right to change the terms of this notice and our privacy policies at any time, which will apply to the Protected Health Information we already have. Before any changes are made to our policies, we will promptly change this notice and post a new notice at our laboratory's main reception area. You may also request a copy of this notice from the contact person in section V, or view a copy at our website: www.spectracell.com.
How we may use and disclose your Protected Health Information
It is the policy of SpectraCell to use or disclose Protected Health Information only as permitted by law as follows:
- To carry out treatment. (Example: test results made available to the authorizing healthcare provider)
- To obtain payment for treatment. (Example: Filing insurance, billing for services)
- For healthcare operations. We may disclose your Protected Health Information in order to operate this lab and evaluate the quality of our testing in compliance with laws and regulations that affect us.
Use or Disclosure In Accordance With an Authorization
SpectraCell may use and disclose your Protected Health Information for purposes other than treatment, payment, or health care operations only with your written authorization which you may revoke at any time. The following section details specific uses and disclosures where consent or authorization is unnecessary:
Use or Disclosure Where Consent or Authorization is Unnecessary
SpectraCell may use or disclose your health information; to the extent you have been notified in advance and had the opportunity to object in whole or in part, under the following circumstances:
- To notify family, friends, or other individuals involved with your care or in the payment for your health care.
- In an emergency where the opportunity to object is not practical due to emergency circumstances or your incapacity; consent may be obtained retroactively.
- To an entity authorized to assist in disaster relief efforts.
- As required by federal, state, or local law.
- To a public health authority to carry out public health activities.
- To a government authority, under certain circumstances, in the event we reasonably believe you are a victim of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.
- To a health oversight agency to conduct health oversight activities such as audits, civil, administrative or criminal investigations, inspections, licensure or disciplinary actions.
- To carry out judicial or administrative proceedings.
- To a medical examiner to identify a decedent or determine cause of death.
- For the purpose of conducting medical research.
- To comply with worker's compensation laws.
What Rights You Have Regarding Your Protected Health Information
SpectraCell is committed to protecting your individual rights as they relate to your Protected Health Information.
- You have the right to authorize uses and disclosures of your Protected Health Information, and can request restrictions on future uses and disclosures of your Protected Health Information. We reserve the right to refuse to grant specific restrictions but, if we agree, will be bound by such restrictions. You may not limit the uses and disclosures that we are legally required or allowed to make.
- You have the right to receive communications in an alternative manner or at an alternative location - i.e. an alternative address or communications sent electronically.
- You have the right to access, inspect, and obtain copies of your own Protected Health Information unless otherwise prohibited by law. In accordance with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA), we must have written authorization from your physician before they may be released directly to you.
- You have the right to request that your Protected Health Information be amended.
- You have the right to receive an accounting of all disclosures made in accordance with an authorization.
- You have the right to request a copy of this Notice of Privacy Practices.
How To Complain About Our Privacy Practices
If you believe we may have violated your privacy rights, you may file a complaint with our Privacy Officer at SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. Please contact:
Privacy Officer
7051 Portwest Drive, Suite 100
Houston, TX 77024
713-621-3101
For further action, you may contact The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. SpectraCell will take no retaliatory action against you if you file a complaint about our privacy practices.
Website Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy was last modified on May, 28, 2020.
It is the policy of SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. to respect your privacy, and the privacy of all visitors to our website. This policy statement has been established to help you understand our commitment to protecting your privacy, and the steps we take to ensure it.
SpectraCell collects certain Personal Information, or information that could be used to identify you, such as names, addresses, telephone/fax numbers, or email addresses, when that information is voluntarily submitted by our visitors. This information will be kept strictly confidential and will not be sold, reused, rented, loaned or otherwise disclosed to anyone outside SpectraCell, our service providers, or as otherwise required or permitted by law. We use this information to answer your requests for information or to better understand and respond to your needs. We never share the information collected at www.spectracell.com with third parties for their marketing purposes.
Access to your Personal Information is restricted to those employees who require access in order to perform their employment duties. Furthermore, all Company employees are required to abide by this Privacy Policy and are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, for breach of its provisions. By using our site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files that our Website asks to place on your computer or other internet enabled devices, such as tablets or smartphones. If your browser is set to accept cookies, then your browser adds the text in a small file.
Except as indicated otherwise in this policy, the cookies used by us are essential for the functioning and performance of our Website, such as by making our Website work more efficiently and facilitating your use of the functionalities and services provided. We will not use the information stored in essential cookies for any other purpose than as strictly necessary to provide you with the services and functionalities requested.
Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. Please note: this may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
GDPR Compliance
In accordance with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc. will comply with all requests for personal information from EU citizens, effective May 25, 2018. Please note that exceptions do apply to specific information requests.
For more information or to make a request, please contact our Compliance Officer at support@spectracell.com.