Privacy Policy & HIPAA Notice

1. Introduction and General Scope

Welcome to vitalcarehorizon.com (referred to herein as "Vital Care Horizon", "we", "us", or "our").Vital Care Horizon operates an integrated healthcare network headquartered at 742 Evergreen Terrace, Suite 350, Austin, TX 78701, United States.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, safeguard, disclose, and store your personal information and Protected Health Information (PHI) when you interact with our website, book clinical appointments, subscribe to our health newsletters, or utilize our telemedicine consultation portals.

2. Protected Health Information (PHI) & HIPAA Compliance

As a healthcare organization operating within the United States,Vital Care Horizon complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and applicable state medical privacy statutes.

Any health or medical data you transmit to us for clinical care, diagnostic reviews, or treatment planning is treated as Protected Health Information (PHI). We employ administrative, physical, and technical safeguards — including 256-bit SSL encryption, restricted role-based credentialing, and SOC-2 compliant hosting infrastructure — to protect your health records.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect information through various touchpoints:

• Direct Inquiries & Contact Forms: Full name, email address, phone number, physical mailing address, preferred medical service, and messages submitted via our forms.
• Clinical & Appointment Data: Medical history summaries, insurance carrier details, policy group numbers, telehealth appointment scheduling requests, and doctor notes.
• Newsletter Subscriptions: First and last name, email address, delivery frequency preferences, and topics of interest.
• Automated Device & Technical Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, time spent, and referring URLs collected via standard web server logs and privacy-preserving cookies.

4. How We Use Your Information

Vital Care Horizon utilizes collected information strictly for legitimate medical and operational purposes, including:

• Scheduling, coordinating, and delivering medical, dental, nutritional, and wellness care.
• Verifying health insurance coverage and coordinating prior authorizations with US insurance providers.
• Responding to patient inquiries, appointment requests, and customer care messages.
• Distributing requested health educational digests, nutrition recipes, and clinical newsletters.
• Maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local healthcare regulations and quality reporting.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We never sell, rent, or lease your personal contact information or medical records to third-party marketing companies.

We only disclose information under the following strict parameters:

• Authorized Medical Providers: Our licensed doctors, dietitians, and clinical partners involved directly in your diagnosis and care plan.
• Insurance Payers: Submitting verified claims and medical codes to your insurance company (e.g. Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna) for treatment billing.
• Business Associates: HIPAA-compliant vendors providing specialized services (such as laboratory diagnostics, digital prescription processing, and encrypted telehealth hosting) bound by strict Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
• Legal Requirements: When mandated by court subpoenas, public health reporting mandates, or lawful law enforcement requests under applicable US law.

6. Data Security and Retention

We implement industry-standard cybersecurity measures to protect against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. All digital transmissions containing sensitive patient information are protected via TLS/SSL encryption.

We retain clinical records in accordance with Texas Medical Board retention guidelines and US federal standards (typically a minimum of seven years for adult medical records). Non-clinical inquiry data is periodically pruned when no longer required.

7. Your Privacy Rights & Access

Under HIPAA and applicable state privacy laws (including California CCPA/CPRA and Texas TDPSA), you have the right to:

• Request access to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical records.
• Request amendments or corrections to inaccurate personal health records.
• Request an accounting of disclosures of your Protected Health Information.
• Opt out of marketing communications or newsletters at any time via our Unsubscribe page.
• Request restrictions on specific disclosures of your medical information to health plans for out-of-pocket paid care.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses functional cookies to enhance site navigation, remember form inputs during active sessions, and analyze anonymous site traffic patterns. You can adjust your browser settings to decline cookies; however, certain portal functions may require cookies for authentication.

9. Contact Our Data Privacy Officer

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your healthcare records, please contact our Privacy & HIPAA Compliance Officer: