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.
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 | Sage Medical Support, LLC
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. Sage Medical Support, LLC is required by law to maintain the privacy of your protected health information, to provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and to notify you following a breach of your unsecured protected health information.
I. Who We Are and What This Notice Covers
Sage Medical Support, LLC ("Sage," "we," "us," or "our") is a Business Associate as defined under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implementing regulations, including the HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164), the HIPAA Security Rule, and the HITECH Act. We provide medical administrative support services to physician offices and healthcare providers ("Covered Entities").
In the course of providing these services, we may create, receive, maintain, or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI) on behalf of Covered Entities. This Notice of Privacy Practices describes how we handle PHI and the rights individuals have regarding their health information.
This Notice applies to all PHI we receive, create, or maintain in connection with our services, including information received verbally, in writing, or electronically.
II. Our Responsibilities Under HIPAA
We are required by law to:
- Maintain the privacy and security of your protected health information;
- Follow the duties and privacy practices described in this Notice;
- Notify you following a breach of your unsecured protected health information;
- Not use or share your information other than as described here unless you tell us we can in writing, and you may take back that permission at any time;
- Enter into Business Associate Agreements with all Covered Entities for whom we provide services;
- Comply with all applicable federal and state privacy laws, including Medicare and Medicaid privacy requirements.
III. How We May Use and Disclose Your Health Information
As a Business Associate, we use and disclose PHI only as permitted or required by our Business Associate Agreements with Covered Entities and as permitted by HIPAA. The following describes the ways we may use and share your health information.
A. Treatment
We may use or disclose your health information to assist in coordinating your care. For example, we may communicate with your physician's office to schedule examinations, relay messages between you and your care team, or request medical records necessary for your treatment.
B. Payment
We may use or disclose your health information to support billing and payment activities on behalf of your physician's office. This may include verifying insurance coverage, processing prior authorizations, or coordinating with payers.
C. Health Care Operations
We may use or disclose your health information for health care operations purposes, including quality assessment, training, compliance activities, and administrative functions necessary to support the physician practices we serve.
D. As Required by Law
We will disclose your health information when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including disclosures required by Medicare, Medicaid, or other government health programs.
E. Public Health Activities
We may disclose your health information for public health activities as permitted by law, including reporting to public health authorities to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability.
F. Health Oversight Activities
We may disclose your health information to a health oversight agency for activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, inspections, and licensure activities. These activities are necessary for the government to monitor the health care system, government benefit programs (such as Medicare and Medicaid), and compliance with civil rights laws.
G. Judicial and Administrative Proceedings
We may disclose your health information in response to a court or administrative order, subpoena, discovery request, or other lawful process, subject to applicable legal protections.
H. Law Enforcement
We may disclose your health information to law enforcement officials for law enforcement purposes as permitted by HIPAA, including to identify or locate a suspect, fugitive, material witness, or missing person.
I. Serious Threats to Health or Safety
We may use or disclose your health information when necessary to prevent a serious and imminent threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of the public or another person.
J. Business Associates
We may share your health information with third-party service providers ("subcontractors") who perform services on our behalf, provided those parties have agreed in writing to protect your information in accordance with HIPAA requirements.
IV. Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization
Other uses and disclosures of your health information not described in this Notice will be made only with your written authorization. You have the right to revoke an authorization at any time, in writing, except to the extent that we have already taken action in reliance on your authorization.
The following uses and disclosures require your written authorization:
- Most uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes;
- Uses and disclosures of PHI for marketing purposes;
- Disclosures that constitute a sale of PHI;
- Any other use or disclosure not described in this Notice.
V. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights regarding health information we maintain about you. To exercise any of these rights, please submit a written request to our Privacy Officer using the contact information at the end of this Notice. We will respond within the timeframes required by HIPAA.
A. Right to Access Your Health Information
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your health information that we maintain in a designated record set. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. We will respond to your request within 30 days (or 60 days if an extension is needed). We may deny access in limited circumstances as permitted by law.
B. Right to Request Amendment
If you believe that health information we have about you is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend the information. We may deny your request if the information was not created by us, is not part of the information we maintain, or is accurate and complete. If we deny your request, we will provide you with a written explanation.
C. Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your health information during the six years prior to your request. This right does not apply to disclosures made for treatment, payment, or health care operations, or disclosures made with your authorization.
D. Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request that we restrict how we use or disclose your health information for treatment, payment, or health care operations. We are not required to agree to your request except in limited circumstances required by law. If we agree to a restriction, we will comply with it unless the information is needed to provide you with emergency treatment.
E. Right to Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about health matters in a certain way or at a certain location. We will accommodate reasonable requests.
F. Right to a Paper Copy of This Notice
You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you have agreed to receive this Notice electronically. You may request a copy by contacting our Privacy Officer.
G. Right to Be Notified of a Breach
You have the right to be notified in the event of a breach of your unsecured protected health information. We will notify you without unreasonable delay and in no case later than 60 days following discovery of the breach, as required by the HITECH Act and HIPAA Breach Notification Rule (45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart D).
VI. Medicare and Medicaid Compliance
Sage Medical Support, LLC operates in compliance with all applicable Medicare and Medicaid privacy and security requirements, including:
- The Medicare Conditions of Participation (42 C.F.R. Part 482);
- CMS requirements for Business Associates handling Medicare beneficiary information;
- The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) data privacy provisions;
- Applicable state Medicaid agency privacy requirements;
- CMS guidance on the use and disclosure of Medicare beneficiary data.
We do not use Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary information for any purpose other than providing the administrative services contracted by the Covered Entity, and we do not sell, rent, or otherwise disclose such information for commercial purposes.
VII. Security of Your Health Information
We implement and maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information (ePHI) as required by the HIPAA Security Rule (45 C.F.R. Part 164, Subpart C). Our security measures include:
- Access controls limiting PHI access to authorized personnel only;
- Workforce training on HIPAA privacy and security requirements;
- Encryption of ePHI in transit and at rest where feasible;
- Regular risk assessments and security evaluations;
- Policies and procedures for reporting and responding to security incidents;
- Physical safeguards for facilities and workstations where PHI is accessed.
VIII. Website Privacy and Data Collection
This website is operated by Sage Medical Support, LLC for informational and business inquiry purposes. We collect the following types of information through this website:
A. Information You Provide Voluntarily
When you submit a contact or consultation request form, we collect your name, practice name, email address, and phone number. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry and is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
B. Automatically Collected Information
We may collect standard web server log information, including IP addresses, browser type, and pages visited, for security and analytics purposes. This website does not collect PHI through its public-facing forms.
C. Cookies
This website may use cookies to improve your browsing experience. You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, some features of the site may not function properly without them.
D. No Sale of Personal Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or any health information to third parties for commercial purposes.
IX. Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice at any time. We reserve the right to make the revised or changed Notice effective for health information we already have about you as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post the current Notice on our website with the effective date. You may request a copy of the current Notice at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer.
X. Complaints
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). To file a complaint with HHS, visit www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint or call 1-800-368-1019.
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint. All complaints will be investigated and addressed in accordance with our internal privacy complaint procedures.
Contact Our Privacy Officer
For questions about this Notice, to exercise your rights, or to file a privacy complaint, please contact our designated Privacy Officer:
You also have the right to file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. Filing a complaint will not affect the services provided to you.
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 • Sage Medical Support, LLC • All rights reserved.
Terms & Conditions
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 | Sage Medical Support, LLC
I. Informational Purposes Only — No Legal or Medical Advice
Information you obtain from the Sage Medical Support website, social media, or blog posts authored by or commented on by Sage Medical Support staff is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.
The content of an email sent to the company or any of its staff, and/or comments sent via social media directed to staff, will not create an attorney-client or patient-physician relationship and will not be treated as confidential. You should not act upon informational content without seeking professional legal counsel or a qualified medical provider regarding your particular situation or issue.
Information on the Sage Medical Support website and in social media or blog posts is not intended to represent or guarantee that the same or similar results could be obtained for other clients in similar matters. Every situation is unique, and outcomes depend on individual facts and circumstances.
II. Messaging Terms & Conditions
A. General
When you opt in to the Sage Medical Support messaging service, we will send you a confirmation message to verify your sign-up.
By opting into messages, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing and informational text messages from Sage Medical Support. Automated messages may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) to the mobile telephone number you provided when signing up, or any other number you designate.
Message frequency varies, and additional mobile messages may be sent periodically based on your interaction with Sage Medical Support. Sage Medical Support reserves the right to alter the frequency of messages sent at any time — to increase or decrease the total number of outbound messages. Sage Medical Support also reserves the right to change the short code or phone number from which messages are sent.
Message and data rates may apply. If you have questions about your text plan or data plan, please contact your wireless provider directly. Your wireless provider is not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
Your consent to receive marketing messages is not a condition of purchase of any goods or services.
B. Carriers
Wireless carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Delivery of text messages is subject to effective transmission from your network operator.
C. Cancellation / Opt-Out
You may cancel text message services at any time by texting STOP to the number from which you received messages. After sending "STOP," we will send you a final confirmation message verifying that you have been unsubscribed, and no further messages will be sent to that number.
If you wish to resume receiving messages from Sage Medical Support, simply sign up again as you did the first time, and messaging will resume.
D. Help / Support
Text HELP at any time and we will respond with instructions on how to unsubscribe or manage your preferences. For support regarding our services, contact us at [email protected].
E. Transfer of Mobile Number
You agree that before changing your mobile number or transferring your mobile number to another individual, you will either reply STOP from the original number or notify us of your old number at [email protected]. The duty to inform us upon such events is a condition of using this messaging service.
F. Privacy
If you have questions about your data or our privacy practices, please review our Privacy & HIPAA Policy above, or visit sagemedicalsupport.com/privacy-policy.
G. Changes to Messaging Terms
Sage Medical Support reserves the right to change or terminate its messaging program at any time. We also reserve the right to update these Messaging Terms & Conditions at any time. Such changes will be effective immediately upon posting to this page. Your continued enrollment in the messaging program following any such changes shall constitute your acceptance of the updated terms.
Effective Date: January 1, 2025 • Sage Medical Support, LLC • All rights reserved.