Privacy Policy & HIPAA Compliance

1. Commitment to Privacy & HIPAA

MedCare Billing Solutions ("MedCare", "we", "us", or "our") is fully committed to maintaining strict confidentiality, data integrity, and compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and applicable U.S. federal and state privacy laws.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information necessary to perform medical billing, revenue cycle management, and practice consulting services for healthcare providers:

• Business Information: Practice name, contact person, NPI, tax ID, email, and phone number when requesting quotes or consultations.
• Protected Health Information (PHI): Handled strictly as a Business Associate on behalf of healthcare Covered Entities under signed Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
• Technical Data: IP addresses, browser types, and navigation data via cookies to ensure website security and operational performance.

3. How We Use Your Information

Information collected is used solely for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: Processing medical claims, verifying insurance eligibility, managing denials and appeals, and performing accounts receivable follow-up on behalf of our healthcare provider clients.
• Communication: Responding to inquiries, providing billing updates, sending service-related notifications, and delivering requested consultations or audits.
• Compliance & Auditing: Maintaining audit trails, ensuring regulatory compliance, and conducting internal quality assurance reviews.
• Website Improvement: Analyzing aggregate, anonymized usage data to improve website functionality, user experience, and content relevance.

4. Security Safeguards & SOC 2 Certification

We implement end-to-end 256-bit AES encryption at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit. Our infrastructure is SOC 2 Type II certified with continuous security auditing, role-based access control (RBAC), and 24/7 intrusion monitoring. All employees undergo annual HIPAA training and background checks. Access to PHI is restricted to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis, and all access events are logged and auditable.

5. Third-Party Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information or PHI to third parties. We may share information only with: (a) insurance payers and clearinghouses as required to process claims on behalf of our clients; (b) technology service providers who are bound by BAAs and confidentiality agreements; and (c) regulatory authorities when required by law or legal process. All third-party service providers are vetted for HIPAA compliance before engagement.

6. Data Retention & Disposal

We retain business records and PHI for the minimum period required by applicable federal and state regulations (typically 7 years for medical billing records). Upon expiration of the retention period or termination of our business relationship, all PHI is securely destroyed using NIST 800-88 compliant media sanitization methods. Electronic records are cryptographically wiped, and physical documents are cross-cut shredded.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your relationship with MedCare and applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you or your practice.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your information, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Restriction: Request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Breach Notification: Be notified of any unauthorized access to your PHI in accordance with the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule.

For patient-specific PHI requests, please contact your healthcare provider directly, as they are the Covered Entity responsible for responding to individual patient rights requests under HIPAA.

8. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or regulatory guidance. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

9. Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or HIPAA compliance practices, please contact our Compliance Officer at privacy@medcarebillingsolutions.com or call (210) 660-2772.