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Privacy Policy

Introduction

Physician’s Surrogacy respects your privacy and promises to safeguard your privacy while interacting with Physician’s Surrogacy website (https://physicianssurrogacy.com/) and/or all of its services/applications. We encourage both intended parents and gestational surrogates to read this policy to better understand how we treat your personal information. By using our website and its services, you agree to our policy towards collecting, storing, using and disclosing your personal information and other information as specified here. Please note that we may change these policies as deemed necessary. So please check back from time to time.

General

Types of Information Collected by Us

  1. Personal Information: Personal information is the type of information that can be used to contact or identify you or individuals about whom you enter information. Examples can be first name, last name, phone number, street address, comments, company name and address, title, photograph, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, username and/or email address etc.
  2. Aggregated Information: These are the information that we collect about other users and combine them with the information about you after discarding any information that can directly identify you from the personal information.
  3. Session Cookies (expires once you close web browser), Persistent Cookies (stays on your device until you delete them) and Third-party Cookies (placed by a website from a domain other than ours) data are stored to enable a more personal and interactive experience.
  4. 4. Like most websites, https://physicianssurrogacy.com passively collects certain information from your device, such as IP address, browser information, unique device identifier or UDID and/or your mobile operating system
  5. We collect information that you provide to us when engaging in these activities:
  • Registering for our newsletters
  • Engaging with or participating in our services, products, or other offerings, including:
    • Account registration through your healthcare provider
    • Completing questionnaires
    • Registering as an intended parent or a gestational surrogate
  • Communicating with us via email, telephone, video conference, text message, and/or other methods
  • Communicating or engaging with us through our social media accounts
  • Inquiring about, applying for, and/or initiating employment with Physician’s Surrogacy
  • Working for Physician’s Surrogacy

Email Services

We collect email lists and information that are related to our marketing services. While using the website, you may be provided the option to subscribe to or to be added to our email list. You may opt-out or unsubscribe from the email lists as desired.

Device Information

We may collect various information regarding the device you use to interact with our website and utilize our services. Such information may include your hardware model, browser type, operating system, Internet Protocol (IP) address and domain name, through the use of cookies and/or other technologies. If you are using a mobile device to use or interact with our website, we may also collect details of your UDID, other unique identifier, and mobile operating system.

Payment Processing Information

We only collect the payment processing information outlined in the personal information section. We may use a third party provided method for payment processing.

Geolocation

The website may collect and store geo-location data during your interaction with the site.

Third-Parties

We may obtain information from other sources and combine them with information that we collect directly. Examples include information provided by your healthcare provider, identity verification services, fraud detection service providers, credit bureaus, mailing list providers and publicly available sources, information based on your interaction with our social media networks.

Information Usage

Personal Information

  • To review and process your questionnaire responses
  • For a gestational surrogate, your personal information will be used to create a gestational surrogate profile, which is made available to our partnered healthcare providers and prospective parents.
  • For send emails to you
  • To satisfy our contractual obligations to you
  • To send you promotional/marketing information
  • To personalize and tailor the features, performance and support
  • To analyze, benchmark and conduct research
  • To communicate with you by email, video conferencing, telephone, text message, app notifications, or other means
  • To provide others with your personal information for limited purposes
  • To send you transactional, administrative or relationship notices

Aggregated Information

  • To perform internal operations
  • To improve the website and customize features
  • To use in statistical analysis

Share and Disclosure of Personal Information

Physician’s Surrogacy does not sell your information to any third party corporation or individual at any instance. However, we may share or distribute certain information with our partnering organizations to complete your requested service. We ensure that these outside companies agree to keep all information shared with them confidential and to use the information only to perform their obligations to us. We may disclose your personal information if obliged by law or if we, in our sole discretion, determine that disclosure is reasonable to
  1. Satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or a governmental request
  2. Enforce this privacy policy and our terms of services, including investigation of potential violations
  3. Detect, prevent, and/or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues
  4. Respond to user support requests
  5. Protect our rights, properties, safety, our users and the public.

Retention of Information

We will retain your personal information for as long as it is deemed necessary for the purposes furnished in this privacy policy unless a longer period
  • Is needed under applicable law
  • Is needed to resolve disputes
  • Protect our legal rights or otherwise to comply with legal obligations

Opting-Out or Unsubscribe from Services

At any point of time, you are allowed to opt out of receiving email communications by clicking the “unsubscribe” button at the bottom of emails we sent you. You may opt out of accepting cookies or disable them from your browser.

Basis for Continued Use of Your Personal Information

Please remember that, in certain circumstances, we may continue to process your personal information after you have withdrawn consent and requested that we delete your personal information, if we have a legal basis to do so. Moreover, if we have already disclosed your personal information to third-party organizations, we will not be responsible for the storage, usage, modification or retention of that data.

Do Not Track Feature

Some web browsers may have an option for you to enable the “do not track” feature that sends signals to the websites you visit, indicating that you do not want your online activities tracked. However, note that the browsers with a “do not track” feature enabled may still accept cookies. Since there is currently no industry standard for how companies should respond to a “do not track” request, we do not respond to “do not track” requests or signals at this time.

Information Regarding Children

https://physicianssurrogacy.com/ is not directed to or intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly solicit, collect or maintain information from those we actually know are under 13, and no part of our website is targeted to attract anyone under 13. Furthermore, we do not send email communication to anyone who advises or indicates that they are under the age of 13. If we ever unknowingly collect information about a user under 13 years of age, we will take necessary steps to remove that user’s personal information from our systems upon immediate knowledge. If you are the parent or guardian of a child whom you believe has disclosed personal information to us, then please contact us at info@physicianssurrogacy.com/ so we can take necessary steps to remove the information. 

Compliance to Existing Data Protection Laws and Regulations

HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) offers specific protections for the privacy and security of PHI (Protected Health Information) and restricts how PHI is used and disclosed. We may only use and disclose your PHI in compliance with HIPAA and as permitted pursuant to the agreements between us and the Healthcare Providers that we work with.

GDPR Compliance

We completely adhere to the GDPR regulations and the users of our website and services may exercise furnished rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition by contacting us.

CCPA Compliance

We completely adhere to CCPA regulations and California residents using our website or services may exercise furnished rights of access, rectification, cancellation and opposition by contacting us.

Anonymity

Physician’s Surrogacy cannot ensure your full anonymity and may disclose your identity to certain parties (intended parents, gestational surrogates, healthcare providers) to complete requested service (such as matching intended parents and gestational surrogates) that may be used to contact you directly.  

Security

We employ all commercially reasonable physical, electronic and administrative steps to maintain the security of your personal information collected and stored in our systems. However, despite our best efforts and best policies, the transmission of data over the internet cannot be 100% guaranteed. In a scenario where your personal information is intercepted by unauthorized third-parties, we shall not be liable for any breach of the security of your personal information resulting from causes or events that are beyond our control.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

Physician’s Surrogacy reserves the full right to change, modify, add or remove portions of this privacy policy at any time and without any prior notice, and any changes will become effective immediately upon being posted on this website (https://physicianssurrogacy.com/).

Contact Us

For any questions regarding our privacy policy and our treatment towards your personal information, please contact us at the below furnished details.

Address

3661 Valley Centre Dr., Suite 160
San Diego, CA 92130

Communications

858-951-1868
info@PhysiciansSurrogacy.com

HIPAA Privacy Statement

Physician’s Surrogacy and Affiliated Entities – 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.

Physician’s Surrogacy and its affiliated entities use health information about you for treatment, to obtain payment for treatment, to evaluate the quality of care you receive, and for other administrative and operational purposes.  Your health information is contained in a medical record that is the physical property and responsibility of Physician’s Surrogacy.  Physician’s Surrogacy is required by law to maintain the privacy of health information about you and provide you with this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices with respect to your health information (“Notice of Privacy Practices” or “Notice”).  We must abide by the terms of this Notice currently in effect.  Physician’s Surrogacy reserves the right to change the terms of this Notice, our privacy practices, and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information we maintain.  You may contact us at the address or phone listed below to obtain a revised notice of privacy practices.

Your Health Information Rights: You have the following rights with respect to health information about you.

Right to Copy of Notice of Privacy Practices.  You have the right to a paper copy of our Notice at any time.  Please contact us at the address or phone listed below to obtain a copy.

Right to Inspect and Copy.  You have the right to inspect and/or obtain a copy of the health information about you that we maintain.  Your request must be in writing.  We will charge you a fee to cover the costs of copying and mailing that are necessary to fulfill your request.  In very limited circumstances, we may deny your request.  If we deny your request, we will explain our reasons in writing. Under certain circumstances, you have the right to request that another person at Physician’s Surrogacy review the decision.  We will comply with the review outcome.

Right to Amend.  If you feel that health information about you that we maintain is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that we amend the information.  You may request an amendment as long as we maintain the information.  We may ask that you submit it in writing and include a reason supporting the request.  In certain circumstances, we may deny your request.  If your request is denied, we will explain our reasons in writing.  You may submit a statement explaining why you disagree with our decision to deny your amendment request.  We will share your statement when we disclose health information about you that we maintain in certain groups of records.

Right to an Accounting of Disclosures.  You have the right to request an accounting or detailed listing of certain disclosures of health information about you.  The time period covered by the accounting is limited to six years prior to the date of your request.  Your request must be in writing.  If you request an accounting more often than once every twelve (12) months, we may charge you a fee to cover the costs of preparing the accounting.

Right to Request Restrictions.  You have the right to request a restriction or limitation on the health information about you that we use or disclose.  Your request must be in writing.  We are not required to agree to your request.  However, we must agree not to disclose health information about you to your health plan if the disclosure is for payment or health care operations and relates to a health care item or service which you paid for in full out of pocket.  If we agree to your request, we will comply with it unless the information is needed for emergency treatment. We will notify you if we are unable to agree to a requested restriction.

Right to Revoke Authorization.  You have the right to revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information, except to the extent that action has been taken in reliance upon your authorization. Your request must be in writing

Right to Request Alternative Method of Communication.  You have the right to request that we communicate with you about medical matters in a certain way or at a certain location.  Your request must be in writing. We will accommodate all reasonable requests.

Right to Notification of Breach.  You have a right to be notified if you are affected by a breach of unsecured health information about you.

Right to Opt Out of Fundraising Communications.  We may contact you for fundraising purposes.  You have the right to opt out to receiving these communications.

Complaints:  If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may complain to Physician’s Surrogacy and to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.  You may make a complaint to us by contacting Physician’s Surrogacy’s Chief Medical Officer at the address or phone listed on this website.  You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Uses or Disclosures of Your Health Information That May Be Made Without Your Authorization

Treatment.  We may use and disclose health information about you to provide you with pharmacy care or other medical treatment or services.  For example, information related to your treatment may be communicated with and obtained by a health care provider, such as a pharmacist, nurse, or other person providing health services to you, and will be recorded in your medical record.  This information is necessary for health care providers to determine what treatment you should receive.

Payment.  We may disclose health information about you for payment related purposes.  For example we may contact your insurer, payor, or other entity, for purposes of receiving payment for treatment and services that you receive or to determine whether the entity will pay for the particular product or service.   The billing information may identify you, your diagnosis, and treatment or supplies used in the course of your treatment.

Health Care Operations.  We may use and disclose health information about you for administrative and operational purposes.  For example, members of the risk management or quality improvement teams may use health information about you to assess the care and outcomes in your case and others like it.  The results will be used internally to continually improve the quality of care for all patients.

Organized Health Care Arrangement.  An organized health care arrangement is a clinically integrated care setting in which individuals typically receive health care from more than one health care provider.  We may participate in organized health care arrangements with long-term care facilities, hospice, or other health care facilities in connection with the services we furnish to patients in such settings.  Health information may be shared between the participants in the organized health care arrangement for the health care operations of the arrangement.

Individuals Involved in Your Care or Payment for Your Care.  We may disclose to a family member, other relative, close personal friend or any other person you identify, health information about you directly relevant to that person’s involvement in your care or payment related to your care.  In addition, we may disclose health information about you to a public or private entity assisting in a disaster relief effort (such as the Red Cross) so that your family can be notified about your condition, status, and location

Business Associates.  We provide some services through contracts with business associates, such as accountants, consultants, and attorneys so that they can perform the tasks that we have assigned to them.  To protect your health information, we require the business associate to appropriately safeguard health information about you.

Appointment Reminders.  We may use health information about you to provide you with appointment or prescription reminders.

Alternative Treatments.  We may use health information about you to provide you with information about alternative treatments or other health-related benefits and services that may be of interest to you.

Future Communications.  We may communicate with you via newsletters, mailings, or other means regarding treatment options, health-related information, disease-management programs, wellness programs, or other community-based initiatives or activities in which we are participating.

Required by Law.  We may use and disclose health information about you as required by federal, state, or local law.  For example, we may disclose health information for the following purposes: (1) for judicial or administrative proceedings pursuant to legal authority; (2) to report information related to victims of abuse, neglect, or domestic violence; and (3) to assist law enforcement officials in their law enforcement duties.

Public Health.  We may use or disclose health information about you for public health activities such as assisting public health authorities or other legal authorities to prevent or control disease, injury, or disability, or for other health oversight activities.

Health Care Oversight.  We may use or disclose health information about you to a health oversight agency for oversight activities authorized by law, such as audits, investigations, and inspections.

Research.  We may use or disclose health information about you to reserachers if an institutional review board or privacy board has reviewed and approved the research proposal, and established protocols to ensure the privacy of your health information.

Health and Safety.  We may use or disclose health information about you to avert a serious threat to your health or safety or any other person pursuant to applicable law.

Medical Examiners and Others.  We may use or disclose health information about you to medical examiners, coroners, or funeral directors to allow them to perform their lawful duties.  If you are an organ or tissue donor, we may disclose health information about you to organizations that help with organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  We may use or disclose health information for purposes of notifying the FDA of adverse events with respect to food, supplements, product, and product defects, or post marketing surveillance information to enable product recalls, repairs, or replacements.

Information Not Personally Identifiable. We may use or disclose health information about you in ways that do not personally identify you or reveal who you are.

Government Functions.  We may use or disclose health information about you for specialized government functions, such as protection of public officials, national security and intelligence activities, or reporting to various branches of the armed services.

Workers Compensation.  We may use or disclose health information about you to comply with laws and regulations related to workers compensation.

Correctional Institutions.  If you are an inmate of a correctional institution or under the custody of a law enforcement official, we may use or disclosure health information about you.  Such health information will be disclosed to the correctional institution or law enforcement official when necessary for the institution to provide you with health care and to protect the health and safety of others.

Affiliated Covered Entity.  We are part of an affiliated covered entity with other entities that are under common ownership or control.  The entity treats itself as a single entity for purposes of using and disclosing health information about you.

Uses or Disclosures of Your Health Information Based Upon Your Written Authorization 

Psychotherapy Notes.  We must obtain your written authorization for must uses and disclosures of psychotherapy notes.

Marketing.  We must obtain your written authorization to use and disclose health information about you for most marketing purposes.

Sale of Your Health Information.  We must obtain your written authorization for any disclosure of health information about you which constitutes a sale of such health information.

Other Uses.  Other uses and disclosures of health information about you, not described above, will be made only with your written authorization.  You may revoke your authorization, at any time, in writing, except to the extent that we have taken action in reliance on the authorization.

Other Applicable Laws

This Notice is provided to you as a requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”).  There are other laws that may apply and limit our ability to use and disclose health information about you beyond what we are allowed to do under HIPAA.

State Laws.   We will comply with your state’s laws if they provide you with greater rights over your health information or provide for more restrictions on the use or disclosure of your health information.

Contact Information:  If you have any questions, requests, or concerns about your Physician’s Surrogacy-related health information rights or our use and disclosure of health information, please contact us at the address and contact numbers listed on our website.

Updated Effective March 9, 2023