Terms of Service

Healthcare Consumer First, LLC

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the websites, mobile applications, products, and services operated by Healthcare Consumer First, LLC ("Healthcare Consumer First," "we," "us," or "our"), including services offered under the HCC FIRST name (collectively, the "Service").

By creating an account, submitting information or documents, signing an authorization, or using the Service, you agree to these Terms and our Privacy Policy.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement to create an account or use the Service.

A parent, legal guardian, personal representative, or other legally authorized person may use the Service on behalf of another individual. By doing so, you represent that you have the legal authority and required consent to act on that person's behalf and to provide their personal, health, insurance, and billing information.

The Service is currently intended for users located in the United States.

2. Accounts and Sign-In

You may be required to create an account or verify your identity using a password, one-time code, email address, telephone number, or another authentication method.

You agree to:

• Provide accurate and complete information.
• Keep your contact and account information current.
• Maintain the security of your devices and account credentials.
• Promptly notify us if you believe your account has been accessed without authorization.
• Accept responsibility for activity conducted through your account unless caused by our failure to use reasonable security measures.

We may require additional identity verification before releasing information, processing a request, communicating with another party, or making account changes.

3. The Service

Healthcare Consumer First provides services that may include:

• Receiving and organizing medical bills, itemized statements, explanations of benefits, insurance correspondence, denial notices, and related documents.
• Reviewing submitted documents for apparent inconsistencies, billing issues, insurance discrepancies, or possible savings opportunities.
• Requesting additional documents or information from you.
• Comparing provider billing information with insurance information and other available records.
• Communicating with healthcare providers, insurers, billing companies, financial assistance programs, collection agencies, or other authorized parties.
• Assisting with medical bill negotiations, payment arrangements, or billing disputes.
• Providing educational information, status updates, payment guidance, and administrative support.

The specific services provided may depend on the documents, information, authorizations, and cooperation you provide.

4. Not Medical, Legal, Tax, or Insurance Advice

Healthcare Consumer First is not a healthcare provider, insurer, insurance producer, law firm, accounting firm, credit repair organization, or debt settlement company.

The Service does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment, clinical advice, legal advice, tax advice, or insurance coverage determinations.

Information provided through the Service is for administrative, educational, and medical billing assistance purposes. You should consult an appropriately licensed professional regarding medical, legal, tax, insurance, or financial decisions.

You remain responsible for obtaining medical care and following the advice of your healthcare providers. You should not delay or discontinue medical treatment based on information provided through the Service.

5. No Guarantee of Results

We do not guarantee that we will:

• Identify every billing error or discrepancy.
• Obtain a reduction, refund, adjustment, financial assistance award, or payment arrangement.
• Prevent a provider from pursuing payment or collection activity.
• Resolve an insurance claim or appeal.
• Complete a review or negotiation within a particular period.
• Obtain a specific savings amount or percentage.
• Confirm that a bill is legally valid, medically appropriate, or fully accurate.

Any estimate of possible savings is an estimate only. Actual results depend on the provider, insurer, account status, applicable policies, documentation, timing, and other circumstances outside our control.

A provider or insurer may reject, modify, or withdraw an offer or determination.

6. Your Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Provide complete, accurate, and current information.
• Upload complete and legible documents.
• Provide requested medical bills, itemized statements, explanations of benefits, insurance information, correspondence, and other relevant records.
• Inform us of payments, credits, refunds, adjustments, collection notices, lawsuits, or communications concerning the account.
• Review information and proposed actions before approving them.
• Respond to requests for information or authorization within a reasonable period.
• Maintain sufficient funds for payments you authorize.
• Comply with payment agreements you enter into with providers or other parties.
• Continue monitoring correspondence from providers, insurers, collection agencies, courts, and other parties.
• Seek legal advice when a bill is in litigation, subject to a judgment, or involves a legal deadline.

You are responsible for determining whether and when to pay a medical bill. Labels such as "do not pay yet," "okay to pay," or similar payment guidance reflect our administrative review and are not legal instructions or guarantees that collection activity will stop.

Unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing, we are not responsible for missed appeal deadlines, payment deadlines, collection activity, interest, late fees, credit reporting, legal proceedings, or other consequences associated with your account.

7. Authorizations and Communications with Third Parties

To perform certain services, we may require you to sign an authorization permitting us to communicate with healthcare providers, insurers, billing companies, collection agencies, or other parties.

By signing an authorization or directing us to communicate on your behalf, you authorize us to:

• Request and receive information concerning the relevant bill, account, claim, or service.
• Discuss billing, insurance, payment, financial assistance, and settlement matters.
• Submit requests, proposals, supporting documentation, or other communications.
• Receive offers, account statements, payment instructions, and related information.

Unless separately and expressly authorized, Healthcare Consumer First does not have authority to:

• Make medical decisions.
• Change insurance coverage.
• Admit liability on your behalf.
• Sign a settlement agreement in your name.
• Initiate a payment from your bank account or payment card.
• Accept a binding settlement without your approval.

You may revoke an authorization as permitted by its terms and applicable law. Revocation may prevent us from completing the Service.

8. Your Documents and Information

You retain any ownership rights you have in documents, messages, images, and other materials you submit to the Service.

You grant Healthcare Consumer First a limited, nonexclusive license to receive, store, copy, process, analyze, transmit, and display submitted materials as reasonably necessary to:

• Provide the Service.
• Communicate with you and authorized third parties.
• Maintain security and business records.
• Comply with legal and contractual obligations.
• Improve our systems using aggregated or de-identified information.

You represent that you have the legal right and authority to submit the information and documents you provide.

You may not submit information concerning another person unless you have permission or legal authority to do so.

9. Fees, Payment, and Settlement

The Service offers a free tier and paid subscription tiers. Current subscription pricing and plan details are disclosed in the app at the time you enroll or upgrade. No credit card is required to use the free tier.

Bill negotiation and advocacy are included in your paid membership. If we obtain a reduction on a bill and you approve the settlement, a success fee applies. The success-fee rate and any cap are disclosed in the app and in your Bill Negotiation Agreement before you authorize us to begin. We charge a success fee only when our work produces documented savings that you approve; if we do not reduce a bill, no success fee is owed for that bill.

We negotiate on a per-visit basis and present each negotiation as an offer you must expressly opt into before we begin. We do not accept or finalize any settlement on your behalf without your explicit approval in your HCC FIRST account or in writing. Before any success fee is charged, we provide a written Case Summary showing the original balance, the negotiated balance, your savings, and the exact fee; your approval of the Case Summary authorizes both your reduced payment to the provider and the success fee.

You are responsible for deciding whether to accept any proposed resolution, for meeting any payment deadline, and for retaining written confirmation and proof of payment. We are not responsible if an offer expires, changes, or is withdrawn because you do not respond or pay within the required period.

You authorize us and our payment processor to maintain and charge your selected payment method for fees you owe under the applicable fee agreement. You are responsible for keeping your payment information current. Provider payments are separate from fees owed to Healthcare Consumer First; unless expressly stated otherwise, money paid to us does not satisfy your obligation to a provider, insurer, collection agency, or other party. Taxes may be added where required by law.

10. Acceptable Use

You may not:

• Use the Service for unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive, or abusive purposes.
• Provide false information or altered documents.
• Impersonate another person.
• Submit information without proper consent or authority.
• Attempt to access another user's account or information.
• Interfere with the security or operation of the Service.
• Reverse engineer, copy, scrape, or exploit the Service except as permitted by law.
• Upload malicious software or harmful code.
• Use automated systems to access the Service without our written permission.
• Violate intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, or other rights.

We may investigate suspected violations and may suspend or terminate access when reasonably necessary to protect users, third parties, or the Service.

11. Messaging Consent

By providing your email address or telephone number and giving any required consent, you authorize us to send account, security, document, billing, negotiation, payment, and Service-related communications by email, telephone, or SMS.

Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary.

You may:

• Reply STOP to opt out of promotional SMS messages.
• Reply HELP for SMS assistance.
• Use the unsubscribe link in promotional emails.
• Update available communication preferences through your account.
• Contact info@hccfirst.com.

You may continue to receive transactional messages that are necessary to provide the Service, protect your account, or respond to your requests.

Email and SMS may not be secure. We seek to limit sensitive health or billing information included directly in ordinary email or SMS messages.

12. Third-Party Services

The Service may use or link to third-party services, including healthcare provider portals, insurer systems, payment processors, electronic signature providers, cloud storage providers, analytics services, communication platforms, and other vendors.

Third-party services are governed by their own terms and privacy practices. We are not responsible for the availability, accuracy, security, content, or conduct of third-party services.

A link or integration does not constitute an endorsement.

13. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its software, design, text, graphics, trademarks, logos, processes, and other materials, is owned by or licensed to Healthcare Consumer First and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, revocable, nonexclusive, nontransferable license to use the Service for your personal, noncommercial use.

No rights are granted except those expressly stated in these Terms.

14. Account Suspension and Termination

You may stop using the Service or request account deletion at any time.

We may suspend or terminate your access if:

• You violate these Terms.
• You engage in fraud, abuse, or unlawful activity.
• You fail to pay amounts owed.
• Your conduct creates a security, legal, or operational risk.
• We are required to do so by law.
• We discontinue all or part of the Service.

Termination does not eliminate obligations that arose before termination, including payment obligations.

Provisions that by their nature should survive termination will remain in effect, including provisions concerning fees, ownership, disclaimers, limitations of liability, indemnification, dispute resolution, and record retention.

15. Data Access and Account Deletion

You may request access to, correction of, export of, or deletion of certain information by using available account settings or contacting info@hccfirst.com.

Deletion may be subject to a limited recovery period before permanent removal.

We may retain information when required or permitted for legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, contractual, security, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, or recordkeeping purposes.

Deleting your account or revoking an authorization may prevent us from completing an active review, negotiation, payment arrangement, or other service.

16. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE."

HEALTHCARE CONSUMER FIRST DISCLAIMS ALL EXPRESS, IMPLIED, AND STATUTORY WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AVAILABILITY, AND RESULTS.

WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, COMPLETELY SECURE, OR THAT ALL BILLING ERRORS, SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES, OR OTHER ISSUES WILL BE IDENTIFIED.

SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN WARRANTY DISCLAIMERS, SO SOME OF THESE DISCLAIMERS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

17. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, HEALTHCARE CONSUMER FIRST AND ITS OWNERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, LOSS OF GOODWILL, CREDIT DAMAGE, COLLECTION COSTS, MISSED SAVINGS, OR LOSS OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE OR THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF:

• The amount you paid to Healthcare Consumer First during the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim, or
• One hundred dollars ($100).

These limitations apply regardless of the legal theory asserted and even if we were advised that damages were possible.

Some jurisdictions do not permit certain limitations of liability, so these limitations may not apply to you.

18. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Healthcare Consumer First and its owners, officers, employees, contractors, agents, and affiliates from claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising from:

• Information or documents you submit.
• Your lack of authority or consent to submit information.
• Your violation of these Terms.
• Your violation of applicable law.
• Your infringement of another person's rights.
• Fraudulent, deceptive, or abusive conduct involving your account.

This obligation does not apply to the extent a claim results from Healthcare Consumer First's own negligence, willful misconduct, or violation of law.

19. Informal Dispute Resolution

Before filing a formal claim, you agree to contact us at info@hccfirst.com and provide:

• Your name and account contact information.
• A description of the dispute.
• The relevant dates and transactions.
• The resolution you are requesting.

You and Healthcare Consumer First agree to attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least sixty (60) days after receiving the notice.

20. Arbitration and Class Action Waiver

If a dispute is not resolved informally, you and Healthcare Consumer First agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved through binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its applicable Consumer Arbitration Rules.

The Federal Arbitration Act governs this section.

Either party may:

• Bring an eligible individual claim in small claims court.
• Seek temporary or injunctive relief in court concerning intellectual property infringement, unauthorized system access, data misuse, or threats to safety or security.

YOU AND HEALTHCARE CONSUMER FIRST EACH WAIVE THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL.

YOU AND HEALTHCARE CONSUMER FIRST EACH AGREE THAT CLAIMS MAY BE BROUGHT ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF, CLAIMANT, OR CLASS MEMBER IN A CLASS, COLLECTIVE, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.

The arbitrator may not consolidate the claims of multiple individuals or preside over a class, collective, or representative proceeding.

You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by emailing info@hccfirst.com within thirty (30) days after first accepting these Terms. Your notice must include:

• Your full name.
• The email address or telephone number associated with your account.
• A clear statement that you are opting out of the arbitration agreement.

Opting out of arbitration does not affect any other provision of these Terms.

21. Changes to the Service or Terms

We may change, suspend, or discontinue all or part of the Service.

We may update these Terms to reflect changes in the Service, our business practices, technology, or applicable law.

When we make changes, we will update the effective date and post the revised Terms through the Service. We may provide additional notice of material changes through email, the Service, or another appropriate method.

Your continued use of the Service after revised Terms become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

22. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Alabama, without regard to its conflict-of-law principles.

To the extent a dispute is not subject to arbitration, you and Healthcare Consumer First consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in Jefferson County, Alabama.

23. General Provisions

These Terms and any applicable service agreement, authorization, fee disclosure, and Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and Healthcare Consumer First concerning the Service.

If a provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary or severed, and the remaining provisions will remain in effect.

Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of that provision.

You may not assign your rights or obligations under these Terms without our written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, sale of assets, or similar transaction.

Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.

24. Contact Us

Questions or notices concerning these Terms may be sent to:

Healthcare Consumer First, LLC

Email: info@hccfirst.com

Mailing Address: 1500 1st Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203