Privacy Policy

Medicare Battle Buddy ("we," "us," or "our"), operated by Jeff Selan, is an independent licensed insurance sales agent serving residents of West Virginia and Southern Ohio. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights — with specific attention to Medicare-related information governed by applicable federal and state law.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information when you contact us, submit a form, or request Medicare assistance:

• Personal Identifiers: Name, address, phone number, and email address.
• Medicare Information: Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI), plan enrollment status, coverage preferences, and eligibility details you voluntarily share.
• Health-Related Information: General health circumstances relevant to plan selection (e.g., chronic conditions, prescription drug needs), shared only at your discretion.
• Financial Information: Income or subsidy eligibility details relevant to Low Income Subsidy (LIS/Extra Help) or Medicaid coordination, only when necessary.
• Usage Data: Basic website analytics (page views, browser type, referring URL) collected through standard web server logs. We do not use invasive tracking or advertising pixels.

We collect this information only to the extent necessary to assist you with Medicare plan selection and enrollment. We do not collect information without a legitimate reason to do so.

2. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used solely for the following purposes:

• To respond to your inquiries and schedule consultations.
• To review your Medicare coverage options and provide personalized plan recommendations.
• To assist with Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and ancillary product enrollment.
• To coordinate benefits between Medicare and VA healthcare when applicable.
• To comply with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements, including Scope of Appointment (SOA) documentation.
• To send appointment reminders, follow-up communications, and educational materials you have requested.
• To maintain records as required by state insurance regulations and CMS compliance obligations.

We will not use your information to send unsolicited marketing materials, and we will never contact you via unsolicited telephone calls, texts, or door-to-door visits in violation of CMS marketing guidelines.

3. Health Information & HIPAA Notice

As an independent Medicare insurance agent, we may receive non-public health information you share during the plan selection process. We treat all health-related information with strict confidentiality. While independent insurance agents are not always directly covered by HIPAA as "covered entities," we adopt HIPAA-consistent standards for handling any health information you share:

• Health information is used only to help identify the most suitable Medicare plan for your needs.
• We do not sell, rent, or disclose your health information to third parties except as required to complete a plan enrollment with a licensed carrier on your behalf, or as required by law.
• Any insurance carrier you choose to enroll with will have its own HIPAA-compliant privacy practices, which will be disclosed at enrollment.

4. CMS Marketing Compliance

We operate in full compliance with CMS Medicare Communications and Marketing Guidelines (MCMG). Specifically:

• We do not engage in unsolicited door-to-door solicitation or cold-calling Medicare beneficiaries.
• We do not conduct sales activities at educational events or health fairs.
• We require a completed Scope of Appointment (SOA) form before any individual sales meeting.
• We do not use your personal information to cross-sell non-health related products without your explicit consent.
• Any marketing we conduct (including digital advertising) follows CMS-required disclosures identifying us as an independent agent not affiliated with Medicare or any government agency.

For complete information on all Medicare options available to you, please contact Medicare.gov, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).

5. Sharing of Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Insurance Carriers: With your consent, we share enrollment information with the insurance carrier(s) you choose for plan enrollment.
• Legal Compliance: When required by law, court order, or government regulation (including CMS audit requirements).
• Business Operations: With trusted service providers (e.g., scheduling software, secure document storage) who are contractually obligated to protect your information and may not use it for their own purposes.

We will never share your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) or health information beyond what is necessary for your requested enrollment or legal compliance.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal and Medicare-related information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, and as required by state insurance regulations and CMS record-keeping requirements (typically a minimum of 10 years for Medicare-related records). When information is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or destroyed.

7. Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. While no method of data transmission or storage is 100% secure, we are committed to using industry-standard protections for all information we handle. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations.
• Opt-Out: Opt out of any marketing communications at any time by contacting us directly.
• Complaints: File a complaint with your state insurance commissioner or the CMS if you believe your information has been misused in connection with Medicare marketing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information in Section 10 below.

9. Cookies & Website Tracking

Our website may use basic session cookies necessary for site functionality (e.g., form submissions). We do not use advertising cookies, behavioral tracking, or third-party retargeting pixels. Basic website analytics (page views, traffic sources) may be collected to help us understand how visitors use the site. You may disable cookies in your browser settings; doing so will not affect your ability to access our content or contact us.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact:

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or CMS guidelines. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any revisions. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Independent Agent Disclosure: I am an independent licensed sales agent. I do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Not affiliated with Medicare, the Federal Government, or any State Government.