Notice of Privacy Practices
Your Information. Your Rights. Our Responsibilities.
Effective Date: February 19, 2026
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.
Appealio, Inc. ("Appealio," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your health information. We are required by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to maintain the privacy of your protected health information (PHI), to provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your PHI, and to abide by the terms of this Notice.
1. How We Use and Disclose Your Health Information
We may use and disclose your PHI for the following purposes without your written authorization:
For Treatment
We may use or disclose your PHI to coordinate your insurance appeal, including sharing relevant medical information with your healthcare providers and insurance companies as part of the appeal process.
For Payment
We may use or disclose your PHI to process payments for our services, including verifying insurance coverage and submitting claims-related information.
For Health Care Operations
We may use your PHI for our internal operations, such as quality improvement, auditing, and training, to the extent necessary to support your appeal and improve our services.
As Required by Law
We will disclose your PHI when required to do so by federal, state, or local law, including to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) if it requests your information to determine our compliance with federal privacy law.
To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety
We may use and disclose your PHI when necessary to prevent a serious threat to your health and safety or the health and safety of the public or another person.
Business Associates
We may disclose your PHI to our business associates that perform functions on our behalf or provide us with services if the information is necessary for those functions or services. All business associates are required to sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) and protect the privacy and security of your information in accordance with HIPAA.
2. Uses and Disclosures That Require Your Written Authorization
We will obtain your written authorization before using or disclosing your PHI for purposes other than those described above, including:
- ●Marketing purposes
- ●Sale of your PHI
- ●Most uses of psychotherapy notes (if applicable)
You may revoke any authorization you provide to us at any time by sending written notice to hello@appealio.co. We will not be able to take back any disclosures already made with your permission.
3. Your Rights Regarding Your Health Information
You have the following rights with respect to your PHI:
Right to Access
You have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI that we maintain, including medical records, billing records, and other records used to make decisions about you. To request access, email hello@appealio.co with the subject line "Data Access Request." We will respond within 30 days. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies.
Right to Amend
If you believe your PHI is incorrect or incomplete, you may request that we amend it. To request an amendment, email hello@appealio.co with the subject line "Amendment Request." We will respond within 60 days. We may deny your request under certain circumstances permitted by HIPAA, and if so, we will explain the reason in writing.
Right to an Accounting of Disclosures
You have the right to request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI. This accounting will not include disclosures made for treatment, payment, health care operations, or disclosures you authorized. To request an accounting, email hello@appealio.co with the subject line "Disclosure Accounting Request." One accounting per 12-month period is provided free of charge.
Right to Request Restrictions
You have the right to request that we limit how we use or disclose your PHI for treatment, payment, or health care operations. You may also request a limit on the information we disclose to someone involved in your care or the payment for your care. We are not required to agree to your request, except when you request a restriction on disclosures to your health plan for services you paid for entirely out of pocket. To request restrictions, email hello@appealio.co.
Right to Request Confidential Communications
You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information in a certain way or at a certain location. For example, you may ask that we contact you only by mail or at a specific address. We will accommodate reasonable requests. To make a request, email hello@appealio.co.
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 it electronically. To request a paper copy, email hello@appealio.co.
4. Information We Collect
We collect information you provide directly to us when you use our services, including:
- ●Personal Information: Name, address, email, phone number, and date of birth.
- ●Health Information (PHI): Medical records, insurance denial letters, claims data, and other documents related to your appeal.
- ●Payment Information: Credit card details (processed securely via Stripe; we do not store card numbers).
5. How We Protect Your Information
Appealio uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your PHI, including:
- ●TLS encryption for all data in transit
- ●AES-256 encryption for data at rest
- ●Role-based access controls limiting PHI access to authorized personnel
- ●Audit logging of all PHI access per HIPAA § 164.312(b)
- ●Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with all service providers who handle PHI
- ●Regular security assessments and workforce training
6. Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal data or PHI. We may share your information only with:
- ●Your Insurance Provider: To submit and pursue your appeal.
- ●Your Healthcare Providers: To obtain records necessary for your appeal.
- ●Service Providers (Business Associates): Who assist us in operating our platform (e.g., email delivery, fax transmission, cloud hosting), bound by BAAs and HIPAA requirements.
- ●Government Authorities: When required by law or regulation.
- ●Advocacy Recipients: If you choose to send advocacy packets to regulatory agencies or elected officials on your behalf (opt-in only).
7. Breach Notification
In the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI, we will notify you as required by HIPAA. We will provide notification without unreasonable delay and in no case later than 60 days after discovery of the breach.
8. Changes to This Notice
We reserve the right to change this Notice and to make the revised Notice effective for PHI we already have as well as any information we receive in the future. We will post the revised Notice on our website and update the effective date.
9. Filing a Complaint
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
File with Appealio
Subject: "Privacy Complaint"
Appealio, Inc.
1 Park Plaza, Ste. 260
Irvine, CA 92614
File with HHS Office for Civil Rights
We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
10. Contact Information
For questions about this Notice or to exercise any of your rights described above, contact our Privacy Officer:
Appealio, Inc.
Attn: Privacy Officer
1 Park Plaza, Ste. 260
Irvine, CA 92614
Email: hello@appealio.co