Kidney Strong, Terms of Use
1. Acceptance of These Terms
These Terms of Use ("Terms") form a binding agreement between you and Kidney Strong, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company ("Kidney Strong," "we," "us," or "our"). They govern your access to and use of the KidneyStronger Companion mobile application, the website at kidneystronger.com, and all related content, tools, downloads, and services (together, the "Service").
Effective date: September 19, 2026
By downloading, installing, accessing, or using the Service, or by purchasing a subscription, you agree to these Terms, to our Privacy Policy, and to our Medical Disclaimer, each incorporated here by reference. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
If you use the Service on behalf of another person, for example, as a care partner for a family member, you confirm you have authority to accept these Terms on their behalf, and "you" includes both of you.
2. What the Service Is
The Service provides educational material about chronic kidney disease and related conditions, organized into learning modules with written content, audio narration, downloadable companion materials, and interactive reference tools.
Some modules are available at no cost. Access to the full library requires a paid membership as described in Section 5.
We may add, change, or remove content, modules, features, or tools at any time. We aim to keep material current with medical evidence, but we do not promise that any particular content will remain available for the duration of your membership.
3. The Service Is Education, Not Medical Care
This is the most important section of these Terms. Read it carefully.
All content in the Service is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for individualized evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed healthcare professional who knows your history.
No physician-patient relationship is created. Using the Service, subscribing to it, or communicating with us does not create a physician-patient relationship between you and Kidney Strong, LLC, Andrew Kowalski, MD, or any other contributor, regardless of whether any contributor is a licensed physician, and regardless of any clinical relationship you may separately have with them outside the Service.
Content is general and cannot account for your specific laboratory values, medications, comorbid conditions, allergies, transplant or dialysis status, pregnancy, or other circumstances. Kidney disease management is highly individual. What is appropriate for one person may be harmful for another.
Always consult your own physician or qualified healthcare professional before making any medical decision, changing or stopping any medication, starting any supplement, or altering your diet, fluid intake, or exercise. Never disregard professional medical advice, or delay seeking it, because of something you read, heard, or saw in the Service.
In an emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. Do not use the Service to seek help for a medical emergency.
4. Eligibility and Your Account
You must be at least 18 years old to purchase a membership. If you are under 18, you may use free content only with the involvement of a parent or guardian.
The Service is intended for use in the United States. We make no representation that the content is appropriate or available elsewhere, and clinical practice, medication availability, and treatment options differ by country.
If the Service offers accounts, you agree to provide accurate information, to keep your credentials confidential, and to notify us promptly of any unauthorized use. You are responsible for activity under your account.
5. Membership, Pricing, and Automatic Renewal
Paid memberships are offered as auto-renewing subscriptions:
Plan Price Billing period
Monthly $14.99 Every 1 month
Annual $129.99 Every 12 months
Prices are in U.S. dollars and may vary by region. Applicable taxes may be added.
Purchases are made through Apple. When you subscribe through the iOS app, payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Apple, not Kidney Strong, processes the transaction and holds the billing relationship with you.
Your subscription renews automatically. It continues until you cancel. Your Apple Account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period, at the then-current price for your plan. This happens without further action by you.
Free content remains free. Selected modules are available without a membership and will remain accessible whether or not you subscribe.
6. Cancellation, Refunds, and Price Changes
How to cancel. You may cancel at any time in your Apple Account settings, under Subscriptions. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, and you keep access until then. We cannot cancel your subscription for you, because Apple holds the billing relationship.
To avoid being charged for the next period, cancel at least 24 hours before the current period ends.
Refunds. Purchases made through Apple are subject to Apple's refund policy, and refund requests go to Apple rather than to us. We do not control whether Apple grants a refund. Partial periods are not refunded, and we do not provide prorated refunds for unused time.
Price changes. We may change subscription pricing. Changes apply only to billing periods beginning after notice is given, and Apple will notify you and seek your consent where required. If you do not accept a price increase, you may cancel before it takes effect.
Restoring purchases. If you reinstall the app or move to a new device, use the Restore Purchases option in the app to recover an active membership.
7. Content Ownership and Your License
All content in the Service, text, module materials, audio narration, illustrations, diagrams, downloadable workbooks and guides, interactive tools, design, and the Kidney Strong and KidneyStronger names and logos, is owned by Kidney Strong, LLC or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws.
Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the content for your own health education and that of your immediate household. Downloadable materials may be printed for that same personal use.
You may not: copy, redistribute, publish, sell, sublicense, or share the content beyond your household; share account credentials; use the content in clinical practice, a class, a program, or a workplace without a separate written license from us; upload the content to any AI system, database, or platform for training or redistribution; remove attribution or copyright notices; or create derivative works.
Organizations seeking to use the material with patients or staff should contact us about licensing. This license is for individuals and does not extend to institutional use.
8. Acceptable Use
You agree not to: use the Service for any unlawful purpose; attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its systems; scrape, crawl, or bulk-download content by automated means; interfere with or disrupt the Service; reverse engineer the application except where that right cannot be waived by law; or use the Service to provide medical advice to others or to hold yourself out as qualified to do so on the basis of this content.
We may suspend or terminate access for conduct that violates these Terms.
9. Privacy and Your Information
Our Privacy Policy describes what we collect and how we use it.
Two points deserve emphasis here.
1. We are not a HIPAA-covered entity in this context. Kidney Strong, LLC operates the Service as a consumer education product, not as a healthcare provider delivering treatment. Information you enter into the Service is not protected health information subject to HIPAA, and the Service is not part of any medical record. Your separate relationship with any clinician, including any clinician affiliated with Kidney Strong, is governed by that provider's own privacy practices, not by these Terms.
2. Do not send us personal health information. Please do not send us laboratory results, medication lists, imaging, or clinical details through the Service, email, or any messaging feature. We cannot review individual medical information, cannot respond to clinical questions, and cannot guarantee secure transmission. Direct clinical questions to your own care team.
10. Third-Party Services and Links
The Service may reference or link to third-party websites, studies, organizations, products, or services. These are provided for convenience and do not constitute endorsement. We do not control them and are not responsible for their content, accuracy, privacy practices, or availability.
The Service relies on third-party providers for payment processing, content delivery, and analytics. Your use of the iOS application is also subject to Apple's own terms.
Any mention of a medication, supplement, device, test, or commercial product is descriptive and educational. It is not a recommendation that you use it.
11. Disclaimer of Warranties and Limitation of Liability
Disclaimer.
The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that content is complete, current, or applicable to your situation. Medical knowledge changes, and content accurate when published may later be superseded.
Limitation of liability. To the fullest extent permitted by law, Kidney Strong, LLC and its members, officers, employees, contributors, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising out of or relating to your use of or inability to use the Service, including any decision you make, or decline to make, about your health.
Cap. To the fullest extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid us for the Service in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties or the limitation of certain damages. In those jurisdictions, the above applies to the fullest extent permitted, and nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.
12. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Kidney Strong, LLC and its members, officers, employees, contributors, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, your violation of any law or third-party right, or any use of the content beyond the license granted in Section 7.
13. Changes and Termination
Changes to these Terms. We may revise these Terms. The revised version takes effect when posted, and we will update the effective date. Where changes are material, we will provide reasonable notice through the Service. Continuing to use the Service after changes take effect means you accept them. If you do not accept them, stop using the Service and cancel any subscription.
Changes to the Service. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service or any part of it. If we discontinue the Service entirely during a paid period, we will make a reasonable effort to arrange a prorated refund through Apple, though we cannot guarantee Apple will process one.
Termination. We may suspend or terminate your access if you breach these Terms. You may stop using the Service at any time; cancellation of billing is handled as described in Section 6. Sections 3, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 14 survive termination.
14. Governing Law and Disputes
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
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Courts: Any dispute will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in DuPage County, Illinois, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there.
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Severability: If any provision is held unenforceable, it will be limited or severed to the minimum extent necessary, and the rest remains in force.
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Entire agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and Medical Disclaimer, are the entire agreement between you and Kidney Strong, LLC regarding the Service.
No waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it.
15. Contact
Kidney Strong, LLC
980 N MICHIGAN AVE STE 1085, CHICAGO, IL 60611-4525
support@kidneystronger.com