Privacy Policy

VelaMD

Privacy Policy

Last revision: December 1st, 2022

Your information privacy is extremely important to us. VelaMD, LLC (“VelaMD”, “Company”, “we,” or “us”) operates a website, mobile application and other messaging platforms that are operated by us directly or through our vendors, on behalf of certain medical practices and providers (the “Platform”). We have prepared this Privacy Policy to explain how we collect, use, protect, and disclose information and data when you use the Platform. This Privacy Policy also explains your choices for managing your information preferences, including opting out of certain uses of your Personal Information (defined below). This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the Platform. The terms “you” and “yours” refer to the person using the Platform.

BY USING THE PLATFORM, YOU ARE CONSENTING TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY. PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY.

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We collect information that personally identifies you, such as your name, phone number, e-mail, mailing address, date of birth, credit or debit card number for payment purposes, and other personally identifiable information that you choose to provide to us. We also collect your medical information, including but not limited to health assessment responses and consultation and treatment notes (all such information, “Personal Information”). We collect this Personal Information directly from you when you create an account or interact with us and through the services we offer.

Usage Data and Platform Activity

We automatically collect information regarding the actions you take on the Platform (“Usage Data”). For example, each time you use the Platform we automatically collect the type of Web browser you use, your operating system, your Internet Service Provider, your IP address, the pages you view, and the time and duration of your visits to the Platform. We use this information to help us understand how people use the Platform, and to enhance the services we offer.

Cookies and Anonymous Identifiers

We use cookies (a small text file placed on your computer to identify your computer and web browser) and may use anonymous identifiers (a random string of characters that is used for the same purposes as a cookie). We use cookies and other anonymous identifiers to analyze your use of the Platform and improve the Platform. Most web browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You can reset your web browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, certain features of the Platform may not work if you delete or disable cookies.

Third Party Analytics

We may use third party analytics such as Google Analytics (“Analytics Services”) to collect data about our Services via cookies and anonymous identifiers. We do not facilitate the merging of Personal Information with other non-personal information collected through these Analytics Services. Any data collected will be used in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

2. How We Use Your Personal Information

We may use your Personal Information to: (i) contact and interact with you, including to respond to your requests (for instance in case you applied for employment); (ii) provide important notices and updates, such as changes to our terms and policies, security alerts and administrative messages; (iii) operate our business, comply with applicable laws, regulations and guidance, including federal, state, and local public health reporting; comply with demands or requests made by regulators, governments, courts and law enforcement authorities; and investigate and take action against illegal or harmful behavior of users; and (iv) improve our day-to-day operations.

3. How We Share Your Personal Information

We may establish a business relationship with other businesses whom we believe trustworthy and who provide services on our behalf (“Service Providers”). For example, we may contract with Service Providers to provide services, such as hosting and maintenance, data storage and management, analytics, customer service, and marketing and promotions. We only provide our Service Providers with the Personal Information necessary for them to perform these services on our behalf. Each Service Provider must agree to use reasonable security procedures and practices, appropriate to the nature of the information involved, in order to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Service Providers are prohibited from using Personal Information other than as specified by us.

4. Other Transfers

We may share Personal Information and Usage Data with businesses controlling, controlled by, or under common control with our Company. If our Company is merged, acquired, or sold, or in the event of a transfer of some or all of our assets, we may disclose or transfer Personal Information and Usage Data in connection with such transactions. You will have the opportunity to opt out of any such transfer if, in our discretion, it will result in the handling of your Personal Information in a way that differs materially from this Privacy Policy.

5. Compliance with Laws and Law Enforcement

We cooperate with government and law enforcement officials and private parties to enforce and comply with the law. We may disclose Personal Information and any other information about you to government or law enforcement officials or private parties if, in our discretion, we believe it is necessary or appropriate in order to respond to legal requests (including court orders and subpoenas), to protect the safety, property, or rights of our company or of any third party, to prevent or stop any illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity, or to comply with the law.

6. Your California Privacy Rights

California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine The Light” law, permits our users who are California residents to request and obtain from us, once a year and free of charge, information about categories of Personal Information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared Personal Information in the immediately preceding calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please submit your request in writing to us at support@velamd.com.

We do not provide your information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

We may collect information about your usage and activity through cookies. Some web browsers or smartphones have the ability to set “Do Not Track” requests to block user activity from being tracked across web pages or devices. Our Platform does not recognize “Do Not Track” browser signals.

7. Restriction of Your Personal Information

Where you are given the option to share your Personal Information with us, you can always choose not to do so. If you have provided your Personal Information for our use, and you later choose to withdraw it, we will respect that choice in accordance with our legal obligations. This could mean that we may not be able to perform the actions necessary to achieve the purposes as set out in the section “How We Use Your Personal Information” above or that you are unable to make use of the services and products offered by us.

8. Be Careful When You Share Information with Others

Please be aware that whenever you share information on any public area of the Platform, that information may be accessed by others. In addition, please remember that when you share information in any other communications with third parties, that information may be passed along or made public by others. This means that anyone with access to such information can potentially use it for any purpose, including sending unsolicited communications.

9. Security

We maintain reasonable physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect the confidentiality and security of information transmitted to us. However, no data transmission over the Internet or other network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect information transmitted on or through the Platform, we cannot and do not guarantee the security of any information you transmit on or through the Platform, and you do so at your own risk.

10. Links

Our Platform may contain links to other websites or allow others to send you such links. A link to a third party’s website does not mean that we endorse it or that we are affiliated with it. We do not exercise control over third-party websites. You access such third-party websites or content at your own risk. You should always read the privacy policy of a third-party website before providing any information to the website.

11. Children’s Privacy

The Platform and our Service is generally intended for use by individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age or such older age as may be required by applicable state laws in the jurisdiction in which an individual utilizes the Services. Individuals who are between the ages of thirteen (13) and eighteen (18) (or such older age of majority) may use the Services for the sole purpose of obtaining a medical consultation (to the extent made available) in accordance with the requirements set forth in our Terms of Use and Conditions. The Services are not designed or intended to attract, and is not directed to, children under thirteen (13) years of age. If we obtain actual knowledge that we have collected personal information through the Platform from a person under thirteen (13) years of age, we will use reasonable efforts to refrain from further using such personal information or maintaining it in retrievable form. Furthermore, if you are under sixteen (16) years of age, then you (or your parent or legal guardian if you are under age 13) may at any time request that we remove content or information about you that is posted on the Platform. Please submit any such request ("Request for Removal of Minor Information") to support@velamd.com. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information directly from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received Personal Information from a child under the age of 13, we will delete such information from our records. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us at support@velamd.com.

Please note that we are not required to erase or otherwise eliminate, or enable erasure or elimination of such content or information in certain circumstances, such as, for example, when an international, federal, state, or local law, rule or regulation requires us to maintain the content or information; when we maintain the content or information on behalf of your Providers (as defined in our Terms of Use) as part of your electronic medical record; when the content or information is stored on or posted to the Site by a third party other than you (including any content or information posted by you that was stored, republished or reposted by the third party); when we anonymizes the content or information, so that you cannot be individually identified; when you do not follow the aforementioned instructions for requesting the removal of the content or information; and when you have received compensation or other consideration for providing the content or information.The foregoing is a description of our voluntary practices concerning the collection of Personal Information through the Services from certain minors, and is not intended to be an admission that we are subject to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, the Federal Trade Commission's Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule(s), or any similar international, federal, state, or local laws, rules, or regulations.

12. Retention and Destruction

To the extent permitted by applicable law, we will retain your Personal Information only for as long as we believe it is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purpose of meeting any legal, accounting, or other reporting requirements or obligations. After such time, we will destroy your Personal Information in accordance with state and federal laws.

13. Privacy Policy Changes

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we decide to change this Privacy Policy, we will inform you by posting the revised Privacy Policy on the Platform. Those changes will go into effect on the “Revised” date shown in the revised Privacy Policy. By continuing to use the Platform, you are consenting to the revised Privacy Policy.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your Personal Information, please contact us at: admin@velamd.com.

PLEASE PRINT A COPY OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY FOR YOU RECORDS AND PLEASE CHECK THE PLATFORM FREQUENTLY FOR ANY CHANGES.