Privacy Policy
How we handle the information you share when you ask a physician to review your records.
Who we are
MD Merit (“MD Merit,” “we,” “us”) is operated by [MD Merit, LLC]. A board-certified physician – the Reviewing Physician – reviews medical records and provides a written merit assessment. MD Merit does not provide legal advice or medical treatment. This policy explains what information we collect when you contact us or submit an inquiry, how we use it, and the choices you have.
The information we collect
We collect only what you choose to give us. When you use the case-submission form or email us, that may include:
- Identity and contact details – the patient’s name and date of birth; your name and relationship to the patient if you are submitting on someone’s behalf; your phone number, email, and preferred way to be contacted.
- Your account of what happened – the narrative you provide about the care in question, the providers and facilities involved, dates, how you have been affected, and related details.
- Records-related information – what medical records you have, and, at the appropriate stage, the medical records themselves.
- Correspondence – the content of emails and messages you send us.
Some of this may be health information about the patient. We treat it as sensitive and handle it accordingly.
How your submission reaches us
Today, the case-submission form assembles your answers and lets you send them to us by email at intake@mdmerit.com. That mailbox is hosted on Google Workspace, which operates under a Business Associate Agreement with MD Merit for its covered services. Medical records should never be sent by email. When records are needed, we will give you separate instructions for a secure upload; a dedicated secure portal for forms, signatures, and records upload is being put in place.
How we use your information
- To evaluate your inquiry and decide whether a merit review is appropriate.
- To respond to you and communicate about your request, fees, and records.
- To allow the Reviewing Physician to review the records and prepare a merit assessment.
- To refer a matter, with your agreement, to an independent law firm if a case appears to have merit.
- To keep records of our work and meet legal, professional, and record-retention obligations.
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not sell it.
When we share information
We share your information only as needed to do the work you have asked us to do, or as required by law:
- The Reviewing Physician, who performs the review.
- An independent law firm, only if you choose a referral. You may instead take the merit assessment to any attorney you wish. MD Merit does not receive any referral fee or share of any recovery.
- Service providers that help us operate – such as our email host and, in the future, a secure intake and records portal – each under an agreement to protect the information, including a Business Associate Agreement where applicable.
- When required by law, such as a valid legal process, or to protect rights and safety.
How we protect and keep it
We limit access to your information to those who need it for the review. We use reputable providers with security and confidentiality protections. We keep your information for as long as needed for the review and for our record-retention schedule: [RETENTION SCHEDULE – to be set with counsel]. When information is no longer needed, we dispose of it appropriately.
No trackers
This is a health-related intake site. We do not place advertising trackers on it. If we ever add privacy-conscious, aggregate analytics, we will update this policy first.
A note on HIPAA
Whether particular information is governed by HIPAA depends on the circumstances and is [under review with counsel]. Regardless of how it is classified, MD Merit handles the medical information you share as confidential and protects it through its providers’ safeguards, including Business Associate Agreements where they apply.
Your choices
Submitting the form is voluntary and does not obligate you to purchase a review. You may ask us to access, correct, or delete the information you have given us by contacting us at intake@mdmerit.com. We will respond consistently with our legal and professional obligations. [State-specific rights language to be added.]
Children
Our site is intended for adults. A parent, guardian, or personal representative may submit an inquiry about a minor’s or another person’s care.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The effective date above shows when it last changed.
Contact us
Questions about this policy? Reach us at intake@mdmerit.com or through our contact page.