Privacy Policy
This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, and how you can access this information. This is a HIPAA-compliant Privacy Notice. Please read it carefully. If you have any questions, contact us at in**@******************ry.com or call (818) 210-0203.
INTRODUCTION
At Lens Factory Optometry, we take your privacy very seriously. When you visit us for an eye exam, contact lens fitting, eyeglasses, or any other vision care service, you trust us with your personal and health information. We are committed to protecting that information and using it only to give you the best possible eye care.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and what rights you have. We follow all applicable federal and California state privacy laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
1. Information we collect
When you visit Lens Factory Optometry — whether for a comprehensive eye exam, contact lens fitting, prescription eyeglasses, or any other optometry service — we may collect the following types of information:
Personal Identification Information
- Full name, date of birth, and gender
- Home address, phone number, and email address
- Government-issued ID (such as a driver’s license for DMV vision forms)
- Emergency contact details
Medical & Eye Health Information (Protected Health Information / PHI)
- Eye health history and medical records
- Current vision prescription and previous prescriptions
- Results of comprehensive eye exams, including visual acuity, refraction, and eye disease screenings
- Contact lens fitting measurements and lens type preferences
- Information about conditions such as glaucoma, dry eye, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, or astigmatism
- Dilation (DFE) records and any diagnostics performed during your visit
- Information about medications you are taking that may affect your eye health
Insurance & Payment Information
- Vision and medical insurance details (VSP, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, etc.)
- CareCredit financing account information
- Payment method details (credit/debit card transactions processed securely)
- Billing address and insurance member ID
Website & Communication Information
- Name and email address submitted through our online contact or appointment request forms
- IP address and browser type when you visit https://lensfactoryoptometry.com
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies used to improve your website experience
- Email and phone communications with our office
2. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
We use your information only for legitimate eye care and business purposes. Here is how we use the information we collect:
To Provide Eye Care Services (Treatment)
This is the main reason we collect your information. We use your health and personal information to provide you with high-quality optometry services, including comprehensive eye exams, contact lens fittings, eyeglass prescriptions, dry eye assessments, and eye disease screenings. Dr. Domenic Colabella and our team use your records to give you accurate, personalized care every single visit.
To Process Payment & Insurance Claims
We use your insurance and billing information to submit claims to your vision or medical insurance provider — including VSP, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Cigna — and to process payments for services rendered. If you use CareCredit financing, we share the necessary information with CareCredit to set up and manage your payment plan.
To Communicate With You
We use your contact information to send you appointment reminders, recall notices for annual eye exams, follow-up communications after your visit, and important updates about our office hours, services, or health information that may be relevant to your eye care.
To Run Our Practice
We use your information internally to manage our practice operations, maintain accurate medical records, improve the quality of care we deliver, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. We may use anonymized or aggregated data (with no identifying information) to analyze practice trends and improve our services.
To Comply With the Law
In certain situations, we are required by law to use or disclose your information — for example, to comply with public health reporting requirements, respond to a court order or subpoena, or cooperate with a government health oversight agency.
3. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal or health information. We only share your information in the limited circumstances described below:
With Your Insurance Provider
We share your health and billing information with your vision or medical insurance company — such as VSP, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Cigna — to process claims and obtain payment for services you received. This is standard practice in all health care settings.
With Other Healthcare Providers (When Needed for Your Care)
If Dr. Colabella determines that you need to be referred to another eye care specialist — such as an ophthalmologist for cataract surgery or a retinal specialist — we may share relevant portions of your medical record with that provider. This is done only to support your treatment and with your best interest in mind.
With Our Business Associates
We work with trusted third-party service providers (called Business Associates under HIPAA) who help us operate our practice. This may include our billing software provider, appointment scheduling platform, and IT support team. All business associates are legally required to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and protect your information just as we do.
With CareCredit (If You Use Financing)
If you choose to use CareCredit financing for your eye care services, we share the information necessary to process and manage your payment plan with CareCredit. CareCredit’s own privacy policy governs how they handle your financial information.
As Required by Law
We may disclose your information when required by federal or California state law, including in response to a valid court order, subpoena, government audit, public health reporting requirement, or law enforcement request. We will always try to limit disclosures to only what is legally required.
In a Business Transfer
If Lens Factory Optometry is ever sold, merged, or transferred to a new owner, your health records and personal information may become part of the transferred assets. You will maintain all your rights to your health information, including the right to request copies or request transfer to another provider.
We will never share your health information for marketing purposes, or sell it to advertisers, data brokers, or any third party for commercial gain.
4. YOUR HIPAA RIGHTS
As a patient at Lens Factory Optometry, you have important rights regarding your Protected Health Information (PHI). Here is what you have the right to do:
Right to Access Your Medical Records
You have the right to see and get a copy of your eye care records and other health information we have about you. To request access, please contact us in writing. We will respond within 30 days. We may charge a small, reasonable fee for copying and preparing your records.
Right to Request Corrections
If you believe any information in your medical records is incorrect or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to correct it. Please submit your request in writing. We may decline in certain limited circumstances, but we will always explain our decision in writing within 60 days.
Right to Know Who We Have Shared Your Information With
You have the right to request a list of the times we disclosed your health information, who we shared it with, and why — going back up to six years. We will provide this list once per year at no charge. Additional requests within 12 months may include a reasonable fee.
Right to Request Restrictions
You can ask us to limit how we use or share your health information for treatment, payment, or practice operations. You can also ask us not to share certain information with specific people, such as a family member. We will honor your request whenever possible, unless it would affect your care in an emergency.
Right to Confidential Communications
You can ask us to contact you only in a specific way — for example, only by email, only at a specific phone number, or only at a certain address. We will do our best to accommodate all reasonable requests.
Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You can request a printed copy of this Privacy Policy at any time — even if you have agreed to receive it electronically. Just ask our front desk team or contact us at in**@******************ry.com.
Right to Electronic Records
You have the right to receive a copy of your health records in electronic format. Please contact our office to make this request.
Right to Breach Notification
If your protected health information is ever compromised in a data breach, we are required by law to notify you as soon as possible. We will contact you using your most recent contact information on file and explain what happened, what information was involved, and what steps we are taking to protect you.
Right to File a Complaint
If you feel your privacy rights have been violated, you can file a complaint with our office — or directly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights at www.hhs.gov/ocr or by calling 1-877-696-6775. We will never retaliate against any patient for filing a complaint. Your care will not be affected in any way.
5. WEBSITE PRIVACY & COOKIES
Our Website — https://lensfactoryoptometry.com
When you visit our website, we collect limited information to help us understand how people use our site and to improve your experience. Here is what you should know:
Information Collected Automatically
- Your IP address and general location (city/region level only)
- Browser type and device information
- Pages you visit and how long you spend on each page
- How you found our website (search engine, referral link, etc.)
Cookies
Our website may use cookies — small text files stored on your device — to remember your preferences and improve your browsing experience. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Disabling cookies may affect some features of our website.
Contact & Appointment Forms
When you fill out a contact form or appointment request on our website, we collect your name, phone number, email address, and any message you include. We use this information only to respond to your inquiry or confirm your appointment. We do not share this data with third parties for marketing purposes.
Third-Party Links
Our website may include links to third-party websites, such as Google Maps, insurance provider portals, or CareCredit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before submitting any information to them.
6. SPECIAL SITUATIONS
Beyond routine care and billing, there are specific situations where we are legally permitted or required to share your health information:
Public Health & Safety
We may share your information with public health authorities to help prevent or control disease, report adverse reactions to medications, or report suspected abuse or neglect as required by California law.
Health Oversight Activities
Government agencies that oversee health care — such as the California Department of Public Health or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — may require access to our records during audits, investigations, or inspections. We cooperate fully with lawful oversight activities.
Workers’ Compensation
If your eye condition or injury is related to your workplace, we may share relevant health information with workers’ compensation programs or your employer’s insurance carrier as permitted by law.
Emergency Situations
In a medical emergency, we may share your health information with first responders, emergency room staff, or other healthcare providers as needed to protect your life or the lives of others.
Research
We may occasionally participate in research studies that have received proper ethical approval. In these cases, we may share de-identified (anonymized) information that cannot be linked back to you personally.
7. Eye Care for Children
We love caring for our youngest patients! At Lens Factory Optometry, we follow the American Optometric Association’s recommendation that children have their first eye exam between 6 and 12 months of age, again between ages 3 and 5, and annually after starting school.
For patients under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian must provide consent for treatment and has full rights to access the child’s medical records. We handle all children’s health information with the same strict care and confidentiality we apply to adult records. If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about your child’s eye health records, please contact us at (818) 210-0203 or in**@******************ry.com
8. Questions, Concerns & How to Reach Us
We are always happy to answer your questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your health information. Here is how to get in touch with us:
- Lens Factory Optometry — Privacy Contact Information
- Practice Name: Lens Factory Optometry
- Address: 11400 Victory Boulevard, North Hollywood, California 91606, United States
- Phone: (818) 210-0203
- Email: in**@******************ry.com
- Website: https://lensfactoryoptometry.com
- Privacy Officer: Dr. Domenic Colabella, O.D.
- Office Hours:
- Monday – Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
We will never penalize, retaliate against, or treat any patient differently for exercising their privacy rights or for filing a complaint with our office or with HHS.