Privacy Policy for HelpMatch.com

Effective Date: 06/01/2024Back to the homepage

1. Introduction

At HelpMatch, LLC (“HelpMatch,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), we prioritize your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.helpmatch.com and use our services (collectively, the “Services”). It is designed to help you understand our practices regarding your personal data and how we handle it.

By accessing or using our Services in any manner, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use our Services. If you are using the Services on behalf of another individual (such as a dependent or someone under your care), you represent that you are authorized to accept this Privacy Policy on their behalf.

Any use of our Services is also subject to our Terms of Use, which incorporates this Privacy Policy by reference.

2. Personal Data We Collect

“Personal Data” encompasses any information that pertains to or can identify an individual. This term includes what is commonly defined as “personally identifiable information” or “personal information” under applicable laws, regulations, or rules related to data privacy. In regard to each type of Personal Data, the subsequent sections will specify the categories of third parties with whom we may share this data, the business or commercial purpose for its collection, and the sources from which we obtain it. Additional information about these categories and sources is outlined below.

Notice to Healthcare Providers

If you are a healthcare provider, please be advised that we collect additional personal data beyond what is described in this section. We encourage you to visit this web page and review our “Healthcare Provider Personal Data Collection” section, which outlines the specific personal data collected from healthcare providers who enroll in or express interest in enrolling with HelpMatch.

  • Personal Identifiers: Full name, email address, phone number, mailing address, date of birth
  • Online Identifiers: IP address, device information, browser type and version, operating system
  • Health-Related Information: Types of medical services you are seeking, optional details you provide about your health concerns
  • Insurance Information: Insurance provider, member ID, group ID, and other relevant insurance information
  • Booking Information: Appointment details, provider information, and whether you are a new patient for a specific provider
  • Communication Data: Messages exchanged with healthcare providers (or with patient leads, if you’re a healthcare provider), preferences for receiving communications
  • Analytics Data: Information to monitor and analyze use of our Services, for example for our Service’s technical administration, to increase our Service’s functionality and user-friendliness, and to verify users have the authorization needed to process their requests
  • Internet Activity: Browsing history on our website, interaction with our ads and emails, referring websites or services
  • Geolocation Data: Approximate location derived from your IP address
  • User-Generated Content: Feedback, reviews, ratings, and responses to surveys
  • Commercial Information: Transaction history, records of services requested or used

3. HIPAA and Protected Health Information (PHI)

Certain health-related information that we collect on behalf of healthcare providers may be considered “Protected Health Information” (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”). When acting as a “Business Associate” to “Covered Entities” (healthcare providers), we handle PHI in compliance with HIPAA regulations.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to PHI governed by HIPAA. PHI is subject to separate privacy and security protections under HIPAA and the healthcare provider’s Notice of Privacy Practices. Please refer to your healthcare provider’s Notice for detailed information on how your PHI is used and disclosed.

Personal data that you provide to HelpMatch when we are not acting as a Business Associate is not considered PHI and is covered by this Privacy Policy.

4. Sources of Personal Data

We collect Personal Data from:

  • Direct Interactions: Information you provide when you create an account, fill out forms, or communicate with us.
  • Automated Technologies: Data collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies as you navigate our website and use our Services.
  • Third Parties: Healthcare providers, analytics and advertising partners, social media platforms (if you link your accounts), and insurance providers.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your Personal Data for the following purposes:

  • Service Provision: Matching you with appropriate healthcare providers, facilitating appointment bookings and communications, sending confirmations, updates, and support messages.
  • Improvement and Personalization: Enhancing our website and services based on user interactions, personalizing your experience and content.
  • Marketing and Advertising: Providing you with information about services that may interest you, delivering targeted advertising on our website and third-party platforms.
  • Legal and Compliance: Complying with legal obligations and regulatory requirements, enforcing our terms and policies, protecting the rights, property, or safety of HelpMatch, our users, or others.
  • Correspondence: Responding to correspondence from you, contacting you if or as needed, sending you reminders to connect with your matched provider, sending communications to you about services, offers, or content we think might be of interest to you.
  • Analytics and Research: Analyzing usage patterns to improve our services, conducting research and statistical analysis.

6. Disclosure of Your Personal Data

We may share your Personal Data with:

  • Healthcare Providers: To facilitate connections and communications. Providers may contact you via email, phone, or text messages.
  • Hosting, Technology, and Service Providers: Companies that perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, communications, fulfillment, data storage, analytics, insurance verification, staffing support, virtual care, payment processing, data analysis, customer support, artificial intelligence and/or machine learning model facilitation, marketing assistance, and cloud storage.
  • Advertising and Analytics Partners: Third parties that assist with delivering targeted advertising, analyzing service performance, and optimizing marketing efforts.
  • Legal and Regulatory Authorities: When required to comply with legal processes or enforceable governmental requests, or to protect against legal liability or suspected illegal activities.
  • Security and Fraud Consultants: Identifying and responding to security breaches, safeguarding against malicious, fraudulent, deceptive, or unlawful actions, and pursuing legal action against those involved in such activities.
  • Business Transfers: In connection with mergers, acquisitions, or asset sales, your Personal Data may be transferred as part of the transaction.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to collect data about your interaction with our website:

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for website functionality
  • Performance Cookies: Collect information about how you use our site
  • Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
  • Advertising Cookies: Deliver relevant ads and track ad performance

Managing Cookies: You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website. For more information, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

8. Interest-Based Advertising

We partner with third-party advertising networks to display ads tailored to your interests on our website and other sites. These partners may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your activities across different websites

Opt-Out Options: To opt out of interest-based advertising, you can visit:

9. Data Security

We prioritize the security of your Personal Data and implement a variety of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These security measures are customized based on the nature of the Personal Data we handle and the way it is processed, ensuring that appropriate safeguards are in place.

For example, we use industry-standard encryption protocols, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, to protect your Personal Data during transmission over the internet. Additionally, your information is securely stored on servers that are either located within the United States or in other regions with equivalent data protection measures. We also maintain backup and archival systems to further protect the integrity of your data and prevent any loss.

While we make every effort to secure your data, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is entirely secure. Therefore, although we work diligently to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. In the unlikely event of a data breach, we will take swift action to notify any affected parties, as required by law.

We also urge you to take steps in safeguarding your own Personal Data. This includes creating strong, unique passwords for your HelpMatch account, limiting access to your devices, keeping your software up to date, and logging out of your account when using shared or public devices. These actions can help prevent unauthorized access to your account and information.

We make no guarantees regarding the absolute security of any data you share with us. Except where required by applicable law, we disclaim any liability for the unauthorized access, theft, destruction, loss, or unintentional disclosure of your information or content.

10. Data Retention

We retain your Personal Data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

11. Your Rights and Choices

  • Access and Correction: You may access and update your Personal Data by logging into your account or contacting us.
  • Opt-Out of Communications: You can opt out of marketing emails by following the unsubscribe instructions. To opt out of text messages, reply with the word “STOP” or contact us directly.
  • Do Not Track Signals: Our website does not respond to “Do Not Track” browser settings.
  • Data Deletion: You may request the deletion of your Personal Data, subject to certain exceptions under applicable law.

12. Children’s Privacy

HelpMatch’s Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 13. If you are under 13 years old, you are prohibited from registering for or using the Services, and you should not submit any Personal Data to us. By using, accessing, or providing information through the Services, you affirm that you are at least 13 years of age. As specified in our Terms of Use, HelpMatch does not knowingly collect or request Personal Data from children under the age of 13. Should we become aware that we have inadvertently collected Personal Data from a child under the age of 13 without verified parental consent, we will only use such information to notify the child and their parent or legal guardian that they cannot use the Services. We will then take appropriate steps to delete the child’s information.

If you believe that a child under the age of 13 has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us at privacy@helpmatch.com, and we will take steps to remove them from our systems.

For individuals between the ages of 13 and the age of majority in their respective jurisdiction, the Services may only be accessed or used with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian. If you are a parent or legal guardian using the Services on behalf of a minor child, any information provided will be treated as Personal Data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

If you use the Services on behalf of another person, regardless of their age, you agree to forward or share any communication with the individual on whose behalf you are using the Service for, and you agree that HelpMatch may contact you for any communication related to providing the Services or required by law.

13. California Rights and Disclosures

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), California residents are entitled to specific rights regarding the collection, use, and sharing of their personal information. This section outlines those rights and explains how you can exercise them. Should you have any questions about your rights under the CCPA or if you are unsure if these rights apply to you, please contact us at privacy@helpmatch.com, including “California Rights” in the subject line of your message.

Data Sharing and Selling

HelpMatch may share certain types of Personal Data, such as cookies or web activity data, with our marketing and advertising partners, which could be classified as “selling” under the CCPA’s broad definition. We have shared Personal Data, including demographic data and web analytics, for marketing purposes within the past 12 months. You have the right to opt-out of this data sharing or selling. Please see the “Tracking Tools, Advertising, and Opt-Out” section of this policy for instructions on how to opt-out.

Access to Your Personal Data

You have the right to request information regarding how HelpMatch collects and uses your Personal Data. Upon request, we will provide you with details such as:

  • The categories of Personal Data we have collected.
  • The sources from which the data was gathered.
  • The business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling your Personal Data.
  • The categories of third parties with whom we have shared or sold your data.
  • Specific pieces of Personal Data we have collected about you.

If any Personal Data has been disclosed for a business purpose, we will provide the categories of information shared with each third-party recipient. Additionally, if your data has been sold within the past 12 months, we will disclose the categories of Personal Data sold to third parties.

Right to Correction

If you discover that any of the Personal Data we hold about you is inaccurate, you have the right to request corrections. However, if we determine that the data is correct after considering the circumstances, we may deny the request. In the event of a denial, we will inform you of the reasons for this decision.

Right to Deletion

California residents have the right to request that HelpMatch delete any Personal Data collected from them, subject to exceptions provided by the CCPA. For instance, if we need to retain your Personal Data to complete a transaction, provide services you have requested, or comply with legal obligations, your deletion request may be denied. We will inform you if any exceptions apply.

Sensitive Personal Information and Opt-Out

The CCPA provides California residents with the right to limit the use or sharing of Sensitive Personal Information for purposes beyond what is necessary for the requested services or goods. HelpMatch collects certain Sensitive Personal Information, and you may exercise your Right to Limit the processing of this information to the extent required by law.

Financial Incentives

HelpMatch may offer financial incentives in exchange for participation in research activities, such as surveys or user feedback forms. These incentives are based on the value we derive from the Personal Data you provide and are used solely to enhance our services and product offerings. Your Personal Data will never be shared or sold as part of these research activities.

Data collected through these incentives may include:

  • Identifiers such as your name, email, address, or online identifiers.
  • Commercial information such as purchase history.
  • Internet activity, including browsing and search history.
  • Geolocation data.
  • Professional or employment-related information.

Participation is entirely voluntary, and if you choose to accept a financial incentive, you acknowledge that some CCPA rights, such as deletion or access requests, may not apply to the data collected during the program. You can opt-out or withdraw at any time by contacting us at the email provided in your incentive notice.

Non-Discrimination for Exercising Your Rights

HelpMatch will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Exercising these rights will not affect the pricing, quality, or availability of our services. You will continue to have access to our services on the same terms as other users, regardless of whether you choose to exercise your rights under the CCPA.

Additional Rights for California Residents

California residents also have the right, under California Civil Code Sections 1798.83-1798.84, to request that HelpMatch not share their Personal Data with third parties for direct marketing purposes. To submit such a request, please contact us at privacy@helpmatch.com.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page with an updated effective date. Your continued use of our services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.

15. International Data Transfers

Our services are intended for users in the United States. If you access our services from outside the U.S., please be aware that your information may be transferred to and processed in the U.S., where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

16. Use of AI and Analytics Tools

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools to enhance our services, such as providing chat support or personalized recommendations. These tools process your Personal Data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

  • Email: privacy@helpmatch.com
  • Phone: 1-833-457-6824