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Is SeniorThrive HIPAA compliant?

HIPAA governs doctors, hospitals, and health insurers, not consumer apps like SeniorThrive, so it does not apply to us. Here is what that means and how we protect your information anyway.

Written by Brian Fluhr

It is a fair question, and we want to answer it plainly.

The short answer

HIPAA does not apply to SeniorThrive. Here is what that means, and why your information is still protected.

What HIPAA actually is

HIPAA is a U.S. law that governs how certain organizations handle medical records: doctors, hospitals, clinics, health insurers, and the companies that work directly for them. It applies to those "covered entities" and their partners.

Why it does not apply to us

SeniorThrive is a consumer wellness app. We are not a doctor, hospital, clinic, or health insurer, and we do not bill insurance or handle medical records on behalf of any of them. That means we are not a "covered entity" under HIPAA, so HIPAA does not govern us. In fact, any company that tells you a consumer app is "HIPAA compliant" is stretching the truth, because there is no such certification for a product like ours.

What that does not mean

It does not mean your information is unprotected, or that no rules apply to us. Other privacy and data-security laws do apply to SeniorThrive, and we follow them. Our Privacy Policy is the document that governs how we handle your information.

How we actually protect your information

  • You decide who sees what. Through Who Can See What, you control, area by area, what each person in your circle can see. Nothing about your health is shared beyond what you choose.

  • Your data is encrypted. Information is encrypted in transit, as it travels, and at rest, where it is stored.

  • Access is limited. Access to your information is restricted to what is needed to run the service.

  • We will tell you if something goes wrong. If there were ever a breach affecting your health information, we will notify you, as the law requires.

The honest bottom line

HIPAA is not really the right yardstick for a consumer app like SeniorThrive, because it was written for hospitals and insurers. What matters for you is simpler: you control your information, we protect it, and we are straight with you about how it works. If you have a specific privacy question, tap Avery, or read our Privacy Policy.

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