Patient Rights & Notices

Texas Medical Board

Complaint Notice

Notice Concerning Complaints

Complaints about physicians, as well as other licensees and registrants of the Texas Medical Board — including physician assistants, acupuncturists, surgical assistants, medical radiologic technologists, non-certified radiologic technicians, respiratory care practitioners, medical physicists, and perfusionists — may be reported for investigation at the following address:

Assistance in filing a complaint is available by calling 1-800-201-9353.

For more information, please visit www.tmb.state.tx.us.

Español

Aviso Sobre Las Quejas

Quejas sobre médicos, así como sobre otros profesionales médicos de la Junta Médica de Texas, incluyendo asistentes médicos profesionales, acupunturistas, asistentes quirúrgicos, tecnólogos médicos en radiología, técnicos radiólogos no certificados, profesionales de cuidados respiratorios, físicos médicos, y perfusionistas se pueden presentar en la siguiente dirección para ser investigadas:

Si necesita ayuda para presentar una queja, llame al 1-800-201-9353.

Para obtener más información, visite www.tmb.state.tx.us.

HIPAA

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.

Ruhwell Medical PLLC, operating as Ruhwell Med
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
Effective September 14, 2026

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Get an electronic or paper copy of your medical record and other health information we maintain about you.
• Ask us to correct information you believe is incorrect or incomplete.
• Ask us to contact you in a specific way or at a specific location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures of your information. We are not always required to agree.
• If you pay in full out of pocket for a service, ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or health care operations, unless disclosure is required by law.
• Request an accounting of certain disclosures of your health information.
• Get a paper copy of this notice at any time.
• Choose a person who is legally authorized to act for you.
• File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights were violated.

To exercise any of these rights, contact the Ruhwell Med Privacy Officer using the information below. We may ask for a written request when required or appropriate.

Your Choices

In certain situations, you may tell us how you want your information shared, including with family members, friends, or others involved in your care or payment for your care. If you cannot tell us your preference, we may share information when permitted by law and when professional judgment indicates that doing so is appropriate.

Written authorization is generally required for uses or disclosures not otherwise permitted by law, including most uses of psychotherapy notes, marketing, or sale of protected health information. You may generally revoke an authorization in writing, subject to actions already taken in reliance on it.

Ruhwell Med does not maintain a hospital directory and does not use protected health information for fundraising.

How We May Use or Share Your Information

Treatment

We may use and share your health information with clinicians, pharmacies, laboratories, and other professionals involved in your treatment or care coordination.

Health Care Operations

We may use and share your health information to operate the practice, improve care, perform quality and compliance activities, manage services, and contact you when necessary.

Payment

We may use and share your health information to bill and obtain payment from health plans or other responsible parties.

Other Uses and Disclosures Permitted or Required by Law

We may use or disclose health information when permitted or required by law, including for public health and safety activities, health oversight, research when legal requirements are met, workers’ compensation, lawful law-enforcement or government requests, medical examiners or funeral directors, and court or administrative proceedings.

Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Records

Texas and federal law may provide additional confidentiality protections for mental health, minor, and substance use disorder records. Ruhwell Med will follow the more protective applicable law and will obtain authorization when required.

To the extent Ruhwell Med creates or maintains substance use disorder patient records protected by 42 C.F.R. Part 2, those records will not be used or disclosed in civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigations or proceedings against the patient unless the patient provides written consent or the use or disclosure is otherwise permitted by Part 2.

Our Responsibilities

• We are required by law to maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information.
• We will notify affected individuals if a breach occurs when notification is required by law.
• We must follow the duties and privacy practices described in the notice currently in effect.
• We will not use or disclose your information other than as described in this notice unless you authorize us in writing or applicable law permits or requires it.

Questions or Complaints

You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201, by calling 1-877-696-6775, or through the HHS Office for Civil Rights website. Ruhwell Med will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Changes to This Notice

Ruhwell Med may change the terms of this notice, and the revised notice may apply to information we already maintain. The current notice will be available on our website and upon request.

Civil Rights

Nondiscrimination & Accessibility Notice

Discrimination is Against the Law

Ruhwell Med complies with applicable federal and Texas civil-rights laws and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Our Commitments

• Provides reasonable modifications and appropriate aids and services to people with disabilities when required for effective communication, including qualified interpreters and accessible formats.
• Provides language assistance to people whose primary language is not English when required, including qualified interpreters or translated information.
• Provides required accessibility and language services free of charge.

Because Ruhwell Med provides care by telehealth, please tell us about an accessibility, communication, or language need as early as possible so appropriate arrangements can be made.

Request Assistance or File a Concern

If you believe Ruhwell Med has failed to provide required services or has discriminated unlawfully, you may raise the concern with Ruhwell Med without retaliation.

You may also file a civil-rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201, by calling 1-800-368-1019 or TDD 1-800-537-7697, or through the HHS Office for Civil Rights complaint portal.

No Surprises Act

Good Faith Estimate Notice

For patients who are uninsured or choose not to use insurance.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate explaining the expected cost of scheduled nonemergency health care.

Your Rights

• If you schedule care 3 to 9 business days in advance, the Good Faith Estimate generally must be provided within 1 business day after scheduling.
• If you schedule care 10 or more business days in advance, the Good Faith Estimate generally must be provided within 3 business days after scheduling.
• You may request a Good Faith Estimate before scheduling care. It generally must be provided within 3 business days after the request.
• The estimate will include the services reasonably expected from Ruhwell Med and their expected charges.
• If a provider or facility bills you at least $400 more than that provider's or facility's Good Faith Estimate, you may be eligible for the federal patient-provider dispute resolution process.

This notice is not itself a Good Faith Estimate for any particular patient or service.

Questions