Records Custodian Notice
What we hold, what we don't, and your rights.
Sunset Billing Archive is operated by The Buckson Group, LLC as the records custodian for physician practices that have closed or retired their billing systems. This notice explains our role, the records we hold, how to request them, and how we protect them.
Our role
We hold billing and account records on behalf of the practices that entrust them to us, for the retention period required by law, and we respond to requests for copies of those records. We do not provide medical care, we do not create new clinical records, and we are not a healthcare provider. For each practice, we act as a HIPAA business associate under a written agreement with that practice.
Practices whose billing records we currently hold include Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, P.C. (closed). If you are not sure whether we hold records for a practice, email us the practice name and city and we will tell you whether we hold them or who does.
What we hold
Billing and account records from the practice's billing system: patient account ledgers, payment and adjustment history, insurance and patient balances, appointment history, anything posted to the ledger after the records came to us, and limited reconstructed claim forms where the practice supplied the data. Clinical records (chart notes, imaging, test results), original claims, claim submission history, explanations of benefits, remittances, and documents created before the archive date are not part of this archive. They remain with the practice or its medical records custodian; we will tell you who that is for your practice.
Your rights
Under HIPAA, patients (or their personal representatives) have the right to request a copy of their billing records. We will respond to a complete request within 30 days. If we need more time, we will tell you why and when to expect a response. We may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies as permitted by federal law and the law of the state where the practice operated; current fees are listed on the Request Records page.
Third-party requests
Requests from attorneys, insurers, employers, or anyone other than the patient or personal representative require a HIPAA authorization signed by the patient, or a valid subpoena or court order. Requests without this documentation cannot be processed. Every release is limited to the dates of service, payer, and condition named in the authorization.
How we protect your information
Requests are collected through an encrypted form and secure upload, stored in a HIPAA-covered Microsoft 365 environment, and accessed only by authorized personnel using multi-factor authentication. Records are delivered by U.S. mail to the address on file, by fax to verified healthcare and legal offices, or by encrypted email when the recipient's address has been confirmed.
Accuracy of records
Records are provided as received from the practice's billing system. The archive is only as complete and accurate as the data released to it; blank fields and source-system errors carry over, and every release states this.
Questions or complaints
Contact: Privacy Officer, The Buckson Group, LLC, 2624 Timber Dr, Suite 151, Garner, NC 27529. Fax 888-518-4948. Email [email protected] (do not include patient details in email). You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights at hhs.gov/ocr. We will not retaliate against you for filing a complaint.
Effective [DATE]. This notice may be updated; the current version is always posted here.