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CARE FERTILITY NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, HOW YOU MAY ACCESS THAT INFORMATION, AND YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY.

Effective date: July 29, 2026

CARE Fertility
1701 Park Place Avenue
Bedford, Texas 76022

Fort Worth Office
1250 8th Avenue, Suite 365
Fort Worth, Texas 76104

Telephone: 817-540-1157
Website: www.embryo.net

Privacy Officer
Email: privacyofficer@embryo.net
Telephone: 817-540-1157

YOUR INFORMATION. YOUR RIGHTS. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

CARE Fertility is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your health information.

This Notice explains:

  • Your rights regarding your health information;
  • How CARE Fertility may use and disclose your health information;
  • Choices you may make about how your information is shared;
  • CARE Fertility’s responsibilities under federal and applicable state law; and
  • How to ask questions or file a complaint.

This Notice applies to health information created or maintained by CARE Fertility, including information in paper, electronic, oral, photographic, laboratory, billing, and other forms.

WHO FOLLOWS THIS NOTICE

This Notice applies to CARE Fertility and its workforce, including physicians, employees, contractors, trainees, volunteers, and other persons or entities who perform services for CARE Fertility and are permitted to access protected health information.

When permitted by law, CARE Fertility may share health information with business associates that perform services on CARE Fertility’s behalf, such as billing, information technology, document management, laboratory coordination, patient-communication services, or other healthcare operations. Business associates are required to protect health information as required by law and by written agreement.

YOUR RIGHTS

When it comes to your health information, you have certain rights. These rights may be subject to limitations established by law.

Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record

You may ask to inspect or obtain an electronic or paper copy of health information maintained by CARE Fertility.

We will provide access or a copy within the time required by law.

We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee permitted by federal and Texas law.

Ask us to correct your medical record

You may ask us to correct health information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete.

We may deny your request in some circumstances. If we deny your request, we will explain the reason in writing when required by law.

Request confidential communications

You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location.

For example, you may ask us to contact you only by cell phone, through the patient portal, or at a different mailing address.

We will accommodate reasonable requests.

Ask us to limit what we use or share

You may ask us not to use or share certain health information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

We are not required to agree to every request. If we agree to a restriction, we will follow it except when needed for emergency treatment or when another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law.

If you pay for a healthcare service or item in full out of pocket, you may ask us not to share information about that service with your health plan for payment or healthcare operations. We will honor that request unless a law requires us to share the information.

Get a list of certain disclosures

You may request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information made during the time period allowed by law.

The accounting generally will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, healthcare operations, disclosures you authorized, or certain other disclosures excluded by law.

Get a copy of this Notice

You may ask for a paper or electronic copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

CARE Fertility will provide a copy upon request.

This Notice is also available on CARE Fertility’s website and in printed form at the front desk of each CARE Fertility office.

Choose someone to act for you

If another person has legal authority to act for you, such as a legally appointed guardian, healthcare agent, medical power of attorney, or other personal representative, that person may exercise applicable rights on your behalf.

CARE Fertility may require documentation verifying the person’s authority before taking action.

File a complaint if you believe your rights have been violated

You may file a complaint with CARE Fertility if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

Contact:

Privacy Officer
CARE Fertility
1701 Park Place Avenue
Bedford, Texas 76022
Email: privacyofficer@embryo.net
Telephone: 817-540-1157

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

CARE Fertility will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

YOUR CHOICES

For certain health information, you may tell us your preferences about how we share information.

Persons involved in your care or payment for care

You may identify a spouse, treatment partner, family member, friend, caregiver, or other person involved in your care or payment for your care.

When permitted by law, we may share information directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment for care when:

  • You have identified or authorized that person;
  • You are present and agree or do not object;
  • Your agreement can reasonably be inferred from the circumstances; or
  • You are unavailable or unable to agree and, using professional judgment, disclosure is in your best interest.

Fertility care often involves two patients whose information may be relevant to their shared fertility evaluation or treatment. CARE Fertility uses a separate communication-preference and authorization form to document clinic-specific preferences regarding communication with treatment partners and other authorized persons.

Disaster relief

We may share information with a disaster-relief organization when permitted by law so that family, friends, or others involved in your care can be notified of your location, general condition, or death.

Marketing, sale of information, and psychotherapy notes

We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your information when authorization is required by law, including:

  • Most uses or disclosures for marketing;
  • Sale of protected health information;
  • Most uses or disclosures of psychotherapy notes, if applicable; and
  • Other uses or disclosures not described in this Notice.

You may revoke a written authorization at any time by notifying CARE Fertility in writing. Revocation will not affect actions already taken in reliance on the authorization.

Fundraising

CARE Fertility does not routinely use patient information for fundraising communications.

If CARE Fertility ever uses health information for fundraising in a manner permitted by law, you may opt out of receiving future fundraising communications. If CARE Fertility has your substance-use-disorder patient records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2, CARE Fertility will provide any required notice and choice before using that information for fundraising.

HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR INFORMATION

CARE Fertility may use and disclose your health information in the following ways.

Treatment

We may use and share your health information to provide, coordinate, and manage your care.

For example, we may share relevant information with:

  • CARE Fertility physicians and staff;
  • Physician assistants, nurses, and clinical personnel;
  • Embryology, endocrine, and andrology laboratory personnel;
  • Outside laboratories;
  • Pharmacies;
  • Imaging centers;
  • Hospitals;
  • Surgery centers;
  • Anesthesiologists;
  • Genetic counselors;
  • Pathologists;
  • Obstetrical providers;
  • Urologists;
  • Primary-care physicians; and
  • Other healthcare professionals involved in your care.

Payment

We may use and share information to bill and obtain payment for services.

For example, we may disclose information to:

  • Health insurance plans;
  • Fertility-benefit administrators;
  • Employer-sponsored fertility programs;
  • Third-party administrators;
  • Billing services;
  • Collection services when applicable; and
  • Other entities involved in payment for care.

Payment-related uses and disclosures may include eligibility checks, benefit verification, prior authorization, claim submission, claim review, appeals, payment posting, statements, and collection of patient-responsibility balances.

Healthcare operations

We may use and share information to run CARE Fertility and support healthcare operations.

Examples include:

  • Quality assessment and improvement;
  • Staff training and supervision;
  • Credentialing and peer review;
  • Compliance activities;
  • Auditing and record review;
  • Practice management;
  • Patient communication;
  • Information-technology support;
  • Legal and accounting services;
  • Business planning;
  • Patient-satisfaction activities; and
  • Other administrative and operational functions.

Appointment reminders, treatment alternatives, and health-related services

We may contact you about appointments, treatment instructions, test results, treatment options, health-related benefits, or services that may be relevant to your care.

Public-health and safety activities

We may use or disclose health information for certain public-health and safety purposes when permitted or required by law, such as:

  • Preventing or controlling disease;
  • Reporting births or deaths when required;
  • Reporting adverse reactions to medications or devices;
  • Reporting communicable diseases;
  • Assisting with product recalls;
  • Reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence when required or authorized;
  • Preventing or reducing a serious threat to health or safety; and
  • Cooperating with lawful public-health investigations.

Health oversight activities

We may disclose health information to health oversight agencies for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, licensure, disciplinary actions, compliance reviews, and other oversight activities.

Research

We may use or disclose health information for research when permitted by law and when required approvals or authorizations have been obtained.

Compliance with the law

We will disclose health information when required by federal, state, or local law.

This may include disclosures to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine compliance with federal privacy law.

Judicial and administrative proceedings

We may disclose health information in response to a court or administrative order.

We may also disclose health information in response to a subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process when legally permitted and when required conditions have been met.

Law enforcement

We may disclose health information for law-enforcement purposes when permitted or required by law, such as in response to a lawful request, court order, warrant, subpoena, or other legal process, or to report certain types of injuries or conduct when required by law.

Coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors

We may disclose health information to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors when permitted by law.

Organ and tissue donation

We may disclose health information to organizations involved in organ, eye, or tissue donation and transplantation when applicable.

Workers’ compensation

We may disclose health information as authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with workers’ compensation laws.

Military, national security, and other government functions

We may disclose health information for certain military, national-security, protective-service, correctional-institution, or other government functions when permitted or required by law.

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INFORMATION

CARE Fertility provides reproductive healthcare.

CARE Fertility will follow applicable federal and state laws governing the use and disclosure of protected health information related to reproductive healthcare.

Certain requests for information related to reproductive healthcare may be subject to additional federal requirements, including requirements that the requester provide an attestation or other legally required documentation before information is disclosed.

CARE Fertility will not use or disclose reproductive-health information in a manner prohibited by applicable law.

Because federal and state reproductive-health privacy rules may change, CARE Fertility may update this Notice and related procedures as necessary.

SUBSTANCE-USE-DISORDER PATIENT RECORDS

To the extent CARE Fertility creates, receives, or maintains substance-use-disorder patient records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2, those records receive additional protection.

If CARE Fertility has your substance-use-disorder patient records protected by Part 2, CARE Fertility will not use or disclose those records in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against you unless permitted by your written consent or by a court order and subpoena that meet applicable legal requirements.

CARE Fertility will follow applicable requirements governing Part 2 records, including any required notice, consent, redisclosure, complaint, and breach-notification provisions.

SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF INFORMATION

Some types of health information may receive additional protection under federal or state law.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include information related to:

  • Genetic testing;
  • HIV or other communicable diseases;
  • Mental-health treatment;
  • Substance-use-disorder treatment;
  • Reproductive healthcare;
  • Minors’ protected services;
  • Donor or gestational-carrier arrangements; or
  • Other information protected by specific laws.

CARE Fertility will comply with applicable laws that impose stricter limits on the use or disclosure of these categories of information.

COMMUNICATION METHODS

CARE Fertility communicates with patients through secure portal messages, telephone calls, voicemail, email, text messages, mail, and other appropriate methods.

Secure portal messaging is preferred for detailed clinical information when reasonably available.

Ordinary email and text messaging may not be encrypted and may carry privacy risks. CARE Fertility uses a separate communication-preference and authorization form to document your choices regarding voicemail, email, text messaging, treatment-partner communication, and additional authorized persons.

OUR RESPONSIBILITIES

CARE Fertility is required by law to:

  • Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;
  • Provide this Notice describing our legal duties and privacy practices;
  • Follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect;
  • Notify you following a breach of unsecured protected health information when required by law; and
  • Refrain from retaliation if you file a privacy complaint.

CARE Fertility will not use or share your information other than as described in this Notice unless you authorize another use or disclosure in writing or another use or disclosure is permitted or required by law.

If you authorize a use or disclosure in writing, you may revoke that authorization in writing at any time. Revocation will not affect actions already taken in reliance on the authorization.

CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE

CARE Fertility may change the terms of this Notice.

Changes may apply to all health information CARE Fertility maintains, including information created or received before the change.

The revised Notice will be available upon request, in CARE Fertility’s offices, and on CARE Fertility’s website.

QUESTIONS

For questions about this Notice or CARE Fertility’s privacy practices, contact:

Privacy Officer
CARE Fertility
1701 Park Place Avenue
Bedford, Texas 76022
Telephone: 817-540-1157
Email: privacyofficer@embryo.net