HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices

About this notice

Stars Bay Area Inc. (Stars Infant Program) is required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to maintain the privacy of protected health information (PHI), to give families notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to follow the terms of this notice. PHI includes information that identifies your child and relates to his or her past, present, or future health care, developmental services, or payment for that care.

This notice applies to records of your child created or maintained by Stars in the course of an Early Start assessment or early intervention services.

How we may use and disclose health information

We may use and disclose your child's PHI without your separate authorization for the following purposes:

Treatment, payment, and health care operations

• Treatment and service coordination: to provide, coordinate, or manage your child's assessment and early intervention services. For example, sharing information with the professionals on your child's team or with a Regional Center service coordinator involved in your child's plan.
• Payment: to bill and collect payment for services from the responsible payer, which may include a Regional Center, an insurer, or another program.
• Operations: for our internal operations, including quality assessment, training, licensure, and management of the program.

Other permitted uses and disclosures

• Appointment reminders and service updates: by phone, text message (only with your consent), email, or mail.
• Public health activities: such as reporting communicable diseases or reporting suspected child abuse or neglect as required by law.
• Health oversight, law enforcement, judicial proceedings: when required by law (subpoena, court order, audit, regulatory investigation).
• To avert a serious threat to health or safety: when disclosure is needed to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat.
• Business associates: vendors that perform services for us under a written Business Associate Agreement requiring them to protect your child's information.

Uses that require your written authorization

Other uses and disclosures, including marketing communications and any sale of PHI, will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke that authorization in writing at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it.

Your rights regarding your child's health information

As the parent or legal guardian, you generally have the following rights regarding your child's PHI:

• Right to inspect and copy: you may request to inspect or obtain a copy of your child's record. We will respond within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee.
• Right to amend: if you believe a record is inaccurate or incomplete, you may request a correction. We may deny the request in limited circumstances.
• Right to an accounting of disclosures: you may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your child's PHI, other than those for treatment, payment, or operations.
• Right to request restrictions: you may ask us to limit certain uses or disclosures. We are not required to agree, except for disclosures to a health plan for a service you paid for in full out of pocket.
• Right to request confidential communications: you may ask us to contact you a specific way (for example, by mobile phone only) or at a specific address. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
• Right to a paper copy of this notice: even if you have agreed to receive it electronically, you may request a paper copy at any time.
• Right to notification of a breach: we will notify you if a breach of your child's unsecured PHI occurs.

A note about minors

Stars serves children under age 3. Parents and legal guardians exercise these privacy rights on the child's behalf. Where California or federal law recognizes an exception, our team will explain how access works at the time of service.

Complaints

If you believe your child's privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights:

• Stars Infant Program, Attn: Privacy Officer, by phone or email using the contact below.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights: www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint

We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.

Changes to this notice

We reserve the right to change this notice and to make the new notice effective for all PHI we maintain. When we change it, we will post the updated version in our office and on this page, with a new "Last reviewed" date.

How to reach us

To exercise any of these rights, request a paper copy of this notice, or ask a question about our privacy practices, contact our Privacy Officer:

Last reviewed: September 2026.