Health Coaching Agreement

1. No Physician-Patient Relationship

Hillary Lin, MD is a licensed physician in the states of New York, California, Illinois, Utah, Florida, Texas, Michigan, and Washington. HOWEVER, the health coaching services offered through hillarylinmd.com coaching programs do NOT constitute the practice of medicine and do NOT create a physician-patient relationship.

By engaging in health coaching services, you acknowledge and agree that:

• No physician-patient relationship is established
• You are not Hillary Lin's patient
• Hillary Lin is acting in the capacity of a health and wellness coach, not as your physician
• No medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or referral is being provided
• Despite Hillary Lin's medical credentials, this relationship is explicitly coaching, not medicine

2. What Health Coaching IS

Health coaching is an educational and supportive service designed to help you set and achieve health and wellness goals. Coaching services may include:

• General health education and wellness information
• Lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, and stress management guidance
• Accountability and behavior change support
• Goal-setting and self-directed wellness strategies
• Sharing publicly available, evidence-based health research in educational terms
• Frameworks for tracking and improving general well-being

3. What Health Coaching IS NOT

Health coaching does NOT include, and you should NOT expect, receive, or rely on the following from coaching services:

• Medical diagnosis of any condition, symptom, or disease
• Medical treatment, prescription, or therapy recommendations
• Interpretation of laboratory tests, imaging, or medical records
• Recommendations for specific medications or dosages
• Management of any diagnosed medical condition
• Second opinions on diagnoses made by other physicians
• Emergency medical care
• Services that would constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, physical therapy, or any other licensed healthcare profession

If you have questions that require a medical answer, Dr. Lin will redirect you to your treating physician. Coaching content will never be framed as medical advice, even when touching on health topics.

4. You Must Have a Treating Physician

Health coaching does not replace medical care. By engaging in coaching services, you acknowledge and agree that:

• You have, or will obtain, a primary care physician or appropriate specialist to address your medical needs
• You will consult a licensed healthcare provider for any medical condition, symptom, concern, or question
• Coaching services are complementary to, not a substitute for, medical care
• You will not use coaching services as a reason to delay or avoid necessary medical evaluation or treatment

If Dr. Lin identifies during a coaching session that a situation appears to require medical evaluation, she will direct you to seek care from a licensed provider. In some cases, coaching services may be paused until you have received appropriate medical evaluation.

5. California Disclosure (SB-577)

Note: Dr. Lin is licensed to practice medicine in California. California residents will typically be placed on the Medical Track and receive telemedicine services, not coaching. This disclosure is included for completeness per Business and Professions Code Section 2053.6 and applies only in the event a California resident elects coaching services:

Hillary Lin, MD is a licensed physician in California but is NOT providing licensed physician services through this coaching program. The coaching services offered here are alternative or complementary to healing arts services licensed by the State of California. The coaching services offered here are not licensed by the State of California.

If you are a California resident engaging in coaching services, you also acknowledge the nature of services being provided, the approach upon which services are based, and that Hillary Lin's coaching services derive from her background in internal medicine, longevity science, and health education rather than constituting licensed medical practice through this program.

6. Privacy of Coaching Information

6.1 No HIPAA Obligation for Coaching

Because this is a non-medical coaching relationship, Hillary Lin is NOT acting as a HIPAA-covered entity with respect to coaching clients. Health information you share in the context of coaching is not legally classified as Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA.

6.2 How Your Coaching Data Is Protected

Your coaching information is protected by our Privacy Policy, which governs how we collect, use, store, and protect information you share through the coaching program. We use reasonable security measures to protect your coaching data. Coaching records are maintained separately from any medical records.

6.3 What We Do Not Do

• We do not sell your personal information to third parties
• We do not store coaching information in any medical EHR system
• We do not share your coaching information with insurers or employers without your consent

7. Emergency Protocol

If Hillary Lin reasonably believes you are experiencing a medical emergency during a coaching session, she will:

• Direct you to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room
• Ask you to confirm your physical location
• Terminate the coaching session
• Not attempt to medically manage the situation, as coaching sessions are not medical encounters

For mental health crises, including suicidal ideation or self-harm, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) or go to the nearest emergency room. Dr. Lin will immediately terminate any coaching session in which a mental health crisis is disclosed and will direct you to crisis services.

If you disclose during coaching that you have an active medical condition that appears to be unmanaged or deteriorating, Dr. Lin may decline to continue coaching until you have obtained appropriate medical care.

8. No Guarantee of Results

Health outcomes vary significantly by individual. No specific outcome, result, cure, weight loss, improvement, or health benefit is guaranteed by participation in health coaching services.

Testimonials from prior clients, if displayed, represent individual experiences and may not be typical. Results depend on many factors including but not limited to: individual biology, adherence to lifestyle practices, underlying health conditions, and environmental factors outside our control.

Coaching provides education and support. What you do with that information is your decision, and your outcomes are your responsibility.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Hillary Lin, MD and any related coaching entity shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your participation in coaching services or your use of any information provided through coaching.

Our liability is limited to the fees paid for the specific coaching session or program at issue. Health coaching services are not medical services and are not subject to medical malpractice standards or damages frameworks.

You acknowledge that you are making voluntary choices about your health and wellness and that you assume responsibility for those decisions.