Notice of Privacy Practices

Effective date: August 30, 2026. This notice applies to Schirmer Hearing, Inc., doing business as Desert Hearing Associates ("we," "us," "our practice").

Our commitment to your privacy

We are required by law to keep your protected health information (PHI) private, to give you this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of the notice currently in effect. PHI is information that can identify you and that relates to your health, the care we provide you, or payment for that care.

How we may use and disclose your health information

Treatment. We use your health information to provide your hearing care. For example, we may share your hearing test results with your physician, or with a hearing aid manufacturer when ordering or repairing your devices.

Payment. We may use and disclose your information to bill and collect payment for services and devices. For example, we may send information to your insurance plan to determine coverage or to process a claim.

Health care operations. We may use your information to run our practice, such as quality review, training, scheduling, and appointment reminders. We may contact you by phone, mail, or text about appointments, follow-up care, or service due on your hearing aids. Tell us if you prefer a different way of being contacted.

People involved in your care. With your permission, or if you do not object, we may share relevant information with a family member or other person involved in your care.

As required or permitted by law. We may disclose information when law requires it, including public health reporting, health oversight activities, responses to court orders, law enforcement purposes defined by law, and to prevent a serious threat to health or safety.

Everything else requires your written authorization. Uses and disclosures not described in this notice will be made only with your written authorization. That includes most uses for marketing and any sale of your information, which we do not do. You may revoke an authorization at any time in writing, except to the extent we have already acted on it.

Your rights

See and copy your record. You may inspect and receive a copy of your health record, usually within 30 days of a written request. A reasonable copying fee may apply.

Request a correction. If you believe information in your record is wrong or incomplete, you may ask us in writing to amend it. We may deny the request in certain cases, and we will tell you why in writing.

Request restrictions. You may ask us to limit how we use or share your information. We are not required to agree in every case, but if you pay for a service in full out of pocket, you may require us not to share that information with your health plan.

Confidential communications. You may ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location, and we will accommodate reasonable requests.

Accounting of disclosures. You may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your information in the past six years.

Paper copy. You may request a paper copy of this notice at any time, even if you agreed to receive it electronically. Copies are available at our front desk.

Breach notification. We will notify you if a breach occurs that compromises the privacy or security of your information.

Changes to this notice

We may change this notice and make the new terms effective for all information we hold. The current notice is posted in our office and on this page, with its effective date at the top.

Questions and complaints

If you have questions about this notice or believe your privacy rights have been violated, contact our Privacy Officer: Andy Schirmer, Desert Hearing Associates, 1180 North Indian Canyon Drive, Suite E324, Palm Springs, CA 92262, (760) 320-4136.

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. We will not retaliate against you in any way for filing a complaint.