SMS Terms & Messaging Policy

1. Program Description

• Program name: Beacon Health SMS Program
• Program description: Text messaging between healthcare practices and their patients regarding preventive screenings, care reminders, appointment scheduling, and related care communications.
• Message frequency: Varies depending on your care needs and your Practice's outreach.
• Message and data rates: Msg & data rates may apply.
• To opt out: Reply STOP to any message.
• For help: Reply HELP to any message, or contact your Practice directly.

The Beacon Health messaging program enables Practices to text Patients for purposes including:

• Preventive screening reminders (for example, mammograms, diabetic eye exams, or lab work)
• Annual wellness visit and appointment reminders
• Requests to confirm a screening that was completed elsewhere
• Appointment scheduling and rescheduling follow-ups
• Care gap outreach initiated by the Practice
• Replies to messages a Patient sends to the Practice

Messages are sent by Beacon Health on behalf of your healthcare practice. Your Practice authorizes the outreach and determines which patients it applies to; Beacon Health operates the messaging on the Practice's behalf, including when messages are sent and how follow-ups are sequenced. Messages may be sent automatically and some replies may be handled with automated assistance; you can ask to speak with a person at any time by contacting your Practice directly.

2. Consent Requirements

2.1 Patient consent

Practices using Beacon Health are required to obtain consent from each Patient before sending text messages. Consent must be obtained by the Practice in compliance with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and all applicable federal and state laws.

Consent must be obtained in written or electronic form through one of the following methods:

• A signed or initialed intake or registration form that includes consent language
• An electronic acknowledgment recorded by the Practice in its own patient portal or intake system at the time the Patient's mobile number is collected
• A written consent form provided at the time of service
• The Beacon Health online opt-in form, where the Practice directs its Patients to it

The consent language presented to Patients must clearly state that by providing their mobile number the Patient agrees to receive text messages about their care from the Practice. It must also disclose that message and data rates may apply, that message frequency may vary, and that the Patient may opt out at any time by replying STOP.

Where a Practice directs its Patients to the Beacon Health online opt-in form, Beacon Health records the submission and makes that record available to the Practice. Beacon Health provides the form as a mechanism only: it does not decide which Patients are asked to opt in, and it does not independently verify a Patient's identity or authority to consent.

Each Practice remains responsible for ensuring that valid consent exists for every Patient it messages — whether collected through its own intake process or through the online opt-in form — for retaining documentation of that consent, and for ensuring its consent process complies with the TCPA and all applicable federal and state laws before initiating any text message communications.

2.2 Consent is not a condition of care

Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of receiving care or services from your Practice or from Beacon Health.

2.3 Opting in online

If your Practice has asked you to opt in online, you can do so on our SMS opt-in page. Submitting that form records your agreement to receive text messages about your care, and the record is shared with your Practice. If you would rather not use the form, contact your Practice and they can record your consent directly.

3. Message Frequency

Message frequency varies based on your Practice's outreach and your care needs. You may receive messages related to:

• Screenings or lab work that are due or overdue
• Upcoming or missed appointments
• Confirmation of care you have already completed elsewhere
• Replies to messages you send to your Practice

Frequency varies. Outreach is tied to specific care needs rather than a fixed schedule, and you will not receive recurring marketing messages.

4. Opt-Out Instructions

You can opt out of receiving text messages at any time by:

• Replying STOP to any message you receive from your Practice through Beacon Health
• Contacting your Practice directly and asking to be removed from text communications

After you reply STOP you will receive a single confirmation message, and no further text messages will be sent to your number by that Practice through Beacon Health. Opting out of text messages does not affect your care, and your Practice can still reach you by phone or mail.

5. Help

For help with text messaging:

• Reply HELP to any message for assistance
• Contact your Practice directly for questions about your care
• Contact Beacon Health at support@beaconhealth.ai for questions about the messaging platform

6. Message and Data Rates

Message and data rates may apply. Standard messaging rates from your mobile carrier apply to messages sent and received. Beacon Health does not charge Patients for receiving text messages, but your wireless carrier's standard messaging fees may apply. Contact your carrier for details about your messaging plan.

7. Supported Carriers

SMS messaging is available on all major U.S. wireless carriers, including but not limited to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Carrier support for messaging features may vary. Beacon Health is not responsible for delayed or undelivered messages caused by carrier issues.

8. Privacy and Data Protection

We take your privacy seriously. Regarding SMS data:

• We do not sell your phone number or message data to third parties
• We do not use your phone number or SMS data for marketing purposes
• We do not share your phone number, message content, or opt-in data with third parties for their own marketing or promotional purposes
• Phone numbers and message data are shared with our messaging service providers solely for the purpose of delivering messages
• Message content and metadata are stored securely using encryption in transit and at rest
• Access to messaging data is restricted to the Practice that sent or received the messages and to authorized Beacon Health personnel for support and operational purposes

Text messages exchanged with your Practice may contain information about your health and are handled as Protected Health Information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), consistent with the Business Associate Agreement between Beacon Health and your Practice. For full details on how we handle your information, see our Privacy Policy.

9. Practice Responsibilities

Practices using the Beacon Health SMS feature agree to:

• Obtain proper Patient consent before sending any text messages, in compliance with the TCPA and all applicable laws
• Maintain documentation of Patient consent
• Honor all opt-out requests immediately
• Authorize messaging only for legitimate care, screening, and appointment communications
• Not send unsolicited marketing or promotional messages
• Not share, sell, or distribute Patient phone numbers or messaging data
• Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding electronic communications

10. Limitations

• SMS messaging may not be available in all areas or on all carriers
• Message delivery is subject to carrier network availability and is not guaranteed
• Beacon Health is not responsible for messages that are delayed, undelivered, or misdirected due to carrier or network issues
• The messaging feature is available only in the United States
• Text messaging is not a channel for medical emergencies. If you have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

11. Changes to These Terms

We may update these SMS Terms from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued receipt of text messages after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about these SMS Terms or our messaging practices, contact us at support@beaconhealth.ai. For questions about your own care or to be removed from text communications, contact your Practice directly.