Notice of Privacy Practices
McGinley Eye Associates S.C., d/b/a Optix on Downer
Effective September 9, 2026
Brian McGinley, O.D.
2567 N Downer Ave,
Milwaukee, WI 53211
Phone 414.964.3125 · Fax 414.964.3984 · hello@optixondowner.com
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.
McGinley Eye Associates S.C. d/b/a Optix on Downer is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information, your electronically protected health information, to follow the terms of the Notice, and to provide you a copy of this Notice with respect to your health information. We are required to follow the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We will let you know promptly if a breach occurs that may have compromised the privacy or security of your information.
HOW WE MAY USE AND DISCLOSE YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Treatment: Scheduling appointments, examining your eyes, prescribing glasses, contacts, or eye medications, and referring you to another doctor or clinic
Payment: Asking about Vision Insurance or other sources of payment, preparing and submitting bills or claims
If you pay out-of-pocket (without any third party contribution) we will not disclose health information to a health plan if you instruct us not to do so
Healthcare Operations: Financial and billing audits, internal quality assurance, defense of legal matters, and business planning
Appointment Reminders & Health Related Benefits and Services: Notify you of upcoming appointments, notify you of health-related benefits that may be of interest to you
Reminders will be made by postcard, phone call, email, or text
Unless you object, we will also share relevant information about your care with family or friends who are assisting with your eye care.
OTHER USES AND DISCLOSURES
We will not make any other uses or disclosures of your health information unless you sign a written authorization form. If we initiate the process and ask you to sign an authorization form, you do not have to sign it. If you do not sign it, we cannot make the use or disclosure. If you do sign one, you can revoke it at any time unless we have already acted on your permission. Revocations must be in writing and sent to the office listed at the start of the Notice.
USES AND DISCLOSURES FOR OTHER REASONS WITHOUT PERMISSION
In some limited situations, the law allows or requires us to use or disclose your health information without your permission. Not all these situations will apply to us; some may never come up at all. Such uses or disclosures are:
When a state or federal law mandates that certain health information be reported for a specific purpose
For public health purposes, such as contagious disease reporting, investigation or surveillance, and notices from the Food and Drug Administration regarding drugs or medical devices
Disclosures to governmental authorities about victims of suspected abuse, neglect, or domestic violence
Uses and disclosures for health oversight activities, such as for the licensing of doctors, for audits, or for investigation of possible violations of health care laws
Disclosures for judicial and administrative proceedings, such as in response to subpoenas or orders of courts or administrative agencies
Disclosures for law enforcement purposes, such as to provide information about someone who is or is suspected to be a victim of a crime, to provide information about a crime at our office, or to report a crime that happened somewhere else
Disclosure to a medical examiner to identify a dead person or to determine the cause of death, or to funeral directors to aid in burial, to organizations that handle organ or tissue donation, or uses or disclosures for health-related research
Uses or disclosures to prevent a serious threat to health or safety
Uses or disclosures for specialized government functions, such as for the protection of the president or high-ranking government officials, for lawful national intelligence activities, for military purposes, or for evaluation and health of members of foreign service
Disclosures of de-identified information
Disclosures relating to worker's compensation programs
Disclosures of a "limited data set" for research, public health, or health care operations
Incidental disclosures that are an unavoidable by-product of permitted uses or disclosures
Disclosures to "business associates" who perform health care operations for us and who are obligated to follow HIPAA guidelines
YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION
Right to Inspect and Copy You have the right to inspect and copy health information that may be used to make decisions about your care or payment. This includes medical and billing records, other than psychotherapy notes. Your glasses and contact lens prescriptions are available to you and printed or emailed upon request at no charge. You must make your inspection request, in writing, to our office.
Right to Amend If you feel that health information we have is incorrect or incomplete you may ask us to amend the information, as long as the information is kept by our office. To request an amendment you must do so in writing to our office.
Right to Accounting of Disclosures You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we made of health information for purposes other than treatment, payment, and healthcare operations for which you provided written authorization. Requests must be made in writing to our office.
Right to Request Restrictions You have the right to request restrictions or limitations on the health information we use or disclose for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You may also request a limit on the health information we disclose to a family member or friend, such as asking us to not share a diagnosis with a spouse. To request said restriction you must make the request in writing to our office. We are not required to agree to all requests. If we agree, we will comply with the request unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
Right to Request Confidential Communication You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, asking us to only call you at work or only communicating by mail. Your request must be in writing, and must specify how or where you wish to be contacted. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice. You may ask us to give you a copy of this Notice at any time. You may obtain a copy of this Notice at our office located at the address above.
Right to Electronic Records You have the right to receive a copy of your electronic health records in electronic form.
CHANGES TO THIS NOTICE
We reserve the right to change this notice and make the new notice apply to health information we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. The current notice will be posted on our website (optixondowner.com), and be available as a paper copy at our office. The notice will contain the effective date at the top of the page.
REPORT A PROBLEM
If you believe your rights have been violated you may file a written or electronic complaint, for which there will be no retaliation. You can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights by sending a letter to 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20201, calling 1-877-696-6775, or visiting hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint. You may also discuss your complaint in person or by phone.
