Effective Date: September 18, 2026

MDs By The Sea, Inc.
Doing business as Telehealth Urgent Care at MDs By The Sea

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed, how we protect your information, and how you can access your information and exercise your privacy rights.

Please review it carefully.

MDs By The Sea, Inc. is a physician-owned telehealth urgent care practice providing medical services to patients physically located in California.

This Privacy Policy and Notice of Privacy Practices applies to MDs By The Sea, Inc., its physicians, workforce members, and others who are authorized to assist in providing or administering your care.

Our website is:

www.MDsByTheSea.com

Our primary contact information is:

Phone: 888-632-9732
Email: admin@mdsbythesea.com
Address: 1200 N Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024

We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal and health information.

Federal and California laws regulate how health information may be used and disclosed. These laws include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as HIPAA, and applicable California privacy and medical confidentiality laws.

We are required by law to:

• Maintain the privacy and security of protected health information. 
• Provide you with notice of our legal duties and privacy practices. 
• Follow the terms of the privacy notice currently in effect. 
• Notify affected individuals when required if a breach compromises the privacy or security of protected health information. 

Where California law provides greater privacy protection than federal law, we will follow the more protective requirement when applicable.

Depending on how you interact with MDs By The Sea, we may collect information including:

• Name 
• Date of birth 
• Mailing or residential address 
• Email address 
• Telephone number 
• Government-issued identification 
• Emergency contact information 

• Medical history 
• Current symptoms 
• Diagnoses 
• Allergies 
• Medications 
• Treatment information 
• Physician notes 
• Laboratory and imaging information 
• Prescriptions 
• Referrals and orders 
• Follow-up communications 

• Insurance company 
• Member or subscriber information 
• Insurance identification information 
• Copies of insurance cards 
• Eligibility information 
• Claims information 
• Copayments and other payment information 

When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, such as:

• Internet Protocol address 
• Browser type 
• Device type 
• Pages visited 
• Date and time of access 
• Website security information 
• Cookies or similar technologies 

We may use this information to operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve our website and services.

MDs By The Sea provides telehealth care through live video visits.

Before receiving telehealth care, patients complete an intake process and provide information necessary for the physician to evaluate and treat them.

Patients are required to confirm that they are physically located in California at the time of the telehealth encounter.

Telehealth encounters may involve information transmitted through electronic systems used for patient intake, video communications, medical records, prescriptions, billing, and related healthcare operations.

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards intended to protect this information.

HIPAA permits us to use or disclose protected health information for certain purposes without obtaining a separate authorization from you.

We may use and disclose your health information to provide, coordinate, or manage your healthcare.

For example, we may share relevant information with:

• Another physician 
• A pharmacy you select 
• A laboratory 
• An imaging facility 
• A specialist or other healthcare provider involved in your care 

We may use and disclose information to obtain payment for healthcare services.

This may include:

• Verifying insurance eligibility 
• Submitting claims 
• Responding to insurance inquiries 
• Processing copayments or self-pay charges 
• Resolving billing issues 

We may use and disclose information as necessary to operate our medical practice.

Examples include:

• Quality improvement 
• Credentialing 
• Compliance activities 
• Staff training 
• Auditing 
• Healthcare administration 
• Business planning 
• Technology and security operations 

We may use outside companies to perform services on our behalf, including services involving:

• Electronic health records 
• Telehealth technology 
• Patient intake 
• Electronic prescribing 
• Billing 
• Insurance eligibility 
• Payment processing 
• Communications 
• Website hosting 
• Information technology 
• Security 
• Professional services 

When a third party qualifies as a HIPAA business associate, we require appropriate contractual protections as required by law.

These service providers may access information only as permitted to perform their services and as otherwise permitted or required by law.

We may use or disclose your information without your written authorization when permitted or required by law, including for certain:

Such as:

• Preventing or controlling disease 
• Reporting certain diseases or conditions 
• Reporting adverse medication reactions 
• Product recalls 
• Other legally authorized public-health activities 

We may disclose information to authorized government agencies for activities such as:

• Licensing 
• Audits 
• Investigations 
• Inspections 
• Regulatory oversight 

We may make disclosures when required or authorized by applicable law.

Information may be disclosed when permitted by law to help prevent or reduce a serious and imminent threat to a person or the public.

Information may be used or disclosed as authorized by workers' compensation laws.

We may disclose health information in response to certain lawful court orders, subpoenas, or other legal processes as permitted or required by law.

We may disclose information to law enforcement in circumstances specifically permitted or required by law.

Information may be disclosed as permitted by law to coroners, medical examiners, or funeral directors.

We may disclose information to appropriate organizations for organ or tissue donation when applicable.

Information may be disclosed for legally authorized government functions, including certain military, veterans, national-security, or protective-service purposes.

Certain substance use disorder records may receive additional protection under federal law.

To the extent MDs By The Sea possesses records protected by 42 CFR Part 2, those records will not be used or disclosed in a civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative investigation or proceeding against you unless the disclosure is permitted by applicable law, such as with your written consent or an appropriate court order and subpoena.

Additional restrictions may apply to these records.

This provision reflects the current federal Notice of Privacy Practices requirements effective in 2026. 

Except where otherwise permitted or required by law, we generally will obtain your written authorization before:

• Using your information for certain marketing purposes. 
• Selling your protected health information. 
• Disclosing most psychotherapy notes, if we maintain such notes. 
• Making other uses or disclosures that require authorization under applicable law. 

If you give us written authorization, you may generally revoke it in writing at any time.

Your revocation will not affect actions already taken in reliance on your authorization.

With your agreement, or when otherwise permitted by law, we may share relevant health information with:

• A family member 
• A close friend 
• A caregiver 
• Another person involved in your healthcare 
• A person involved in payment for your healthcare 

If you are unable to express your preference, we may disclose information when permitted by law and when we reasonably determine that doing so is in your best interest.

You have the right to request access to medical and billing information that we maintain about you, subject to certain exceptions provided by law.

You may request:

• An electronic copy 
• A paper copy 
• Inspection of your record 

We will respond within the time required by applicable law.

A reasonable, legally permitted cost-based fee may apply to certain requests.

To request records, contact:

admin@mdsbythesea.com
888-632-9732

If you believe information in your medical record is incorrect or incomplete, you may ask us to amend or correct it.

We may deny certain requests when permitted by law.

If a request is denied, we will provide information regarding the denial and any rights you may have to submit a statement of disagreement.

You may ask us to contact you in a particular way or at a particular location.

For example, you may request that we:

• Call a particular telephone number. 
• Avoid leaving detailed voicemail messages. 
• Communicate through a particular email address. 
• Send correspondence to a particular address. 

We will accommodate reasonable requests as required by law.

You may ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures of your health information.

We are not required to agree to every requested restriction.

However, if you pay for a healthcare service completely out of pocket and ask us not to disclose information about that service to your health plan for payment or healthcare operations, we will honor that request when required by law unless disclosure is otherwise legally required.

You may request a list of certain disclosures of your health information made during the period permitted by law.

The accounting generally does not include disclosures for:

• Treatment 
• Payment 
• Healthcare operations 
• Certain disclosures authorized by you 
• Certain other disclosures excluded by law 

We will provide one accounting without charge within the applicable period required by law. Additional requests may result in a reasonable cost-based fee where permitted.

You may request a paper copy of this Notice at any time, even if you previously agreed to receive it electronically.

You may also access the current version on our website.

You may designate another individual to act on your behalf when authorized by law.

This may include:

• A legal guardian 
• An authorized parent 
• A person holding an appropriate healthcare power of attorney 
• Another legally authorized personal representative 

We may verify the individual's authority before allowing them to exercise rights regarding your health information.

Privacy rights involving minors vary depending on:

• The patient's age 
• The type of healthcare provided 
• Who legally consented to treatment 
• California and federal law 

Parents or guardians generally may exercise privacy rights on behalf of a minor when legally authorized to do so.

In some circumstances, California or federal law may permit or require a minor patient's information to remain confidential from a parent or guardian.

If you provide your telephone number and consent to receive text messages, MDs By The Sea may send communications such as:

• Check-in information 
• Appointment or visit notifications 
• Follow-up communications 
• Billing information 
• Insurance communications 
• Prescription-related communications 
• Laboratory or imaging information 
• Other healthcare-related notifications 

Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply.

You may reply:

STOP to opt out of text messages.

HELP for assistance.

You may also contact us at:

888-632-9732
admin@mdsbythesea.com

Opting out of text messaging does not prevent us from communicating with you through another legally permitted method when necessary.

Consent to promotional text messaging, if any promotional messaging is offered, is not a condition of receiving healthcare services.

Email may be used for administrative or healthcare-related communications when appropriate.

Standard email may present privacy and security risks.

By choosing to communicate with us through email, you acknowledge that no method of electronic communication can guarantee absolute confidentiality or security.

You may request an alternative method of communication.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies for purposes such as:

• Website functionality 
• Security 
• Fraud prevention 
• Remembering preferences 
• Website performance 
• Understanding website traffic 

Third-party services used on the site may also process limited technical information in accordance with their own privacy policies.

Our website currently uses services such as Google reCAPTCHA to help prevent automated abuse and protect website forms. Google's applicable privacy terms may apply to information processed through that service. Your current contact page publicly identifies reCAPTCHA as being used. 

We do not use website analytics or advertising technologies to intentionally disclose protected health information in violation of HIPAA.

We do not sell protected health information.

We do not permit advertisers to use your medical record or protected health information for targeted advertising without authorization where authorization is legally required.

Information you provide as part of seeking medical treatment is handled according to applicable healthcare privacy requirements.

California residents may have additional rights under California privacy laws.

Medical information governed by HIPAA or California medical-privacy laws may be treated differently from other consumer personal information under California privacy statutes.

To the extent an applicable California privacy law provides you additional rights regarding information not governed by HIPAA, we will honor those rights as required by law.

These may include rights concerning access, correction, deletion, and information regarding the collection or disclosure of certain personal information when the law applies.

California's Attorney General notes that HIPAA and California law provide privacy protections for medical information and that commercial websites collecting personal information may also have separate website-privacy obligations. 

We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal and health information from:

• Unauthorized access 
• Improper use 
• Improper disclosure 
• Alteration 
• Loss 
• Destruction 

No electronic system or method of communication can guarantee absolute security.

We continuously work to maintain safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information we handle.

We retain medical records and other information for the periods required by applicable federal and California law and as reasonably necessary for:

• Patient care 
• Billing 
• Legal compliance 
• Recordkeeping 
• Dispute resolution 
• Healthcare operations 

Information is disposed of securely when retention is no longer required.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, pharmacies, laboratories, imaging facilities, insurers, government agencies, or other services.

MDs By The Sea does not control the privacy practices of independent third parties.

If you leave our website, the privacy policy of the third-party website or service will govern its collection and use of information.

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may contact MDs By The Sea.

Privacy Contact
MDs By The Sea, Inc.
1200 N Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024

Phone: 888-632-9732
Email: admin@mdsbythesea.com

You may also submit a complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights.

You will not be retaliated against for filing a privacy complaint.

HHS specifically requires the Notice of Privacy Practices to explain how patients can complain and prohibits retaliation for exercising HIPAA rights. 

We may revise this Privacy Policy and Notice of Privacy Practices when our practices, technology, services, or legal obligations change.

Any revised notice may apply to health information we already maintain as well as information received after the change, to the extent permitted by law.

The current version will be available on our website.

The effective date at the top of this page will identify the current version.

Questions about this Privacy Policy, your medical information, or your privacy rights may be directed to:

MDs By The Sea, Inc.
Telehealth Urgent Care at MDs By The Sea
1200 N Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, CA 92024

Phone: 888-632-9732
Email: admin@mdsbythesea.com
Website: www.MDsByTheSea.com