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HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. When I hear people talking about HIPAA, they are usually not talking about the original Act. They are talking about the Privacy Rule that was issued as a result of the HIPAA in the form of a Notice of Health Information Practices.The United States Department of Health & Human Services official Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is 25 pages long, and that is just a summary of the key elements. So as you can imagine, it covers a lot of ground. What I would like to offer you here is a summary of the basics of the Privacy Rule.When it was enacted in 1996, the Privacy Rule established guidelines for the protection of individuals’s health information. The guidelines are written such that they make sure that an individual’s health records are protected while at the same time allowing needed information to be released in the course of providing health care and protecting the public’s health and well being. In other words, not just anyone can see a person’s health records. But, if you want someone such as a health provider to see your records, you can sign a release giving them access to your records.So just what is your health information and where does it come from? Your health information is held or transmitted by health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. These are called covered entities in the wording of the rule.These guidelines also apply to what are called business associates of any health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. Business associates are those entities that offer legal, actuarial, accounting, consulting, data aggregation, management, administrative, accreditation, or financial services.So, what does a typical Privacy Notice include?
The type of information collected by your health plan.
A description of what your health record/information includes.
A summary of your health information rights.
The responsibilities of the group health plan.

Let’s look at these one at a time:Information Collected by Your Health Plan:The group healthcare plan collects the following types of information in order to provide benefits:Information that you provide to the plan to enroll in the plan, including personal information such as your address, telephone number, date of birth, and Social Security number.Plan contributions and account balance information.The fact that you are or have been enrolled in the plans.Health-related information received from any of your physicians or other healthcare providers.Information regarding your health status, including diagnosis and claims payment information.Changes in plan enrollment (e.g., adding a participant or dropping a participant, adding or dropping a benefit.)Payment of plan benefits.Claims adjudication.Case or medical management.Other information about you that is necessary for us to provide you with health benefits.Understanding Your Health Record/Information:Each time you visit a hospital, physician, or other healthcare provider, a record of your visit is made. Typically, this record contains your symptoms, examination and test results, diagnoses, treatment, and a plan for future care or treatment.This information, often referred to as your health or medical record, serves as a:Basis for planning your care and treatment.Means of communication among the many health professionals who contribute to your care.Legal document describing the care you received.Means by which you or a third-party payer can verify that services billed were actually provided.Tool in educating health professionals.Source of data for medical research.Source of information for public health officials charged with improving the health of the nation.Source of data for facility planning and marketing.Tool with which the plan sponsor can assess and continually work to improve the benefits offered by the group healthcare plan. Understanding what is in your record and how your health information is used helps you to:Ensure its accuracy.Better understand who, what, when, where, and why others may access your health information.Make more informed decisions when authorizing disclosure to others.Your Health Information Rights:Although your health record is the physical property of the plan, the healthcare practitioner, or the facility that compiled it, the information belongs to you. You have the right to:Request a restriction on otherwise permitted uses and disclosures of your information for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations purposes and disclosures to family members for care purposes.Obtain a paper copy of this notice of information practices upon request, even if you agreed to receive the notice electronically.Inspect and obtain a copy of your health records by making a written request to the plan privacy officer.Amend your health record by making a written request to the plan privacy officer that includes a reason to support the request.Obtain an accounting of disclosures of your health information made during the previous six years by making a written request to the plan privacy officer.Request communications of your health information by alternative means or at alternative locations.Revoke your authorization to use or disclose health information except to the extent that action has already been taken.Group Health Plan Responsibilities:The group healthcare plan is required to:Maintain the privacy of your health information.Provide you with this notice as to the planâEUR(TM)s legal duties and privacy practices with respect to information that is collected and maintained about you.Abide by the terms of this notice.Notify you if the plan is unable to agree to a requested restriction.Accommodate reasonable requests you may have to communicate health information by alternative means or at alternative locations. The plan will restrict access to personal information about you only to those individuals who need to know that information to manage the plan and its benefits. The plan will maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your personal information. Under the privacy standards, individuals with access to plan information are required to:Safeguard and secure the confidential personal financial information and health information as required by law. The plan will only use or disclose your confidential health information without your authorization for purposes of treatment, payment, or healthcare operations. The plan will only disclose your confidential health information to the plan sponsor for plan administration purposes.Limit the collection, disclosure, and use of participant’s healthcare information to the minimum necessary to administer the plan.Permit only trained, authorized individuals to have access to confidential information.Other items that may be addressed include:Communication with family. Under the plan provisions, the company may disclose to an employee’s family member, guardian, or any other person you identify, health information relevant to that person’s involvement in your obtaining healthcare benefits or payment related to your healthcare benefits.Notification. The plan may use or disclose information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, personal representative, or another person responsible for your care, your location, general condition, plan benefits, or plan enrollment.Business associates. There are some services provided to the plan through business associates. Examples include accountants, attorneys, actuaries, medical consultants, and financial consultants, as well as those who provide managed care, quality assurance, claims processing, claims auditing, claims monitoring, rehabilitation, and copy services. When these services are contracted, it may be necessary to disclose your health information to our business associates in order for them to perform the job we have asked them to do. To protect employee’s health information, however, the company will require the business associate to appropriately safeguard this information.Benefit coordination. The plan may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with plan benefit coordination.Workers compensation. The plan may disclose health information to the extent authorized by and to the extent necessary to comply with laws relating to workers compensation or other similar programs established by law.Law enforcement. The plan may disclose health information for law enforcement purposes as required by law or in response to a valid subpoena.Sale of business. If the plan sponsor’s business is being sold, then medical information may be disclosed. The plan reserves the right to change its practices and to make the new provisions effective for all protected health information it maintains. Should the company’s information practices change, it will mail a revised notice to the address supplied by each employee.The plan will not use or disclose employee’s health information without their authorization, except as described in this notice.In Summary:As an employee, you should be aware of your rights and feel confident that your employer is abiding by the guidelines of the Privacy Rule.As an employer offering group insurance health care benefits, you should make your employees aware of their rights and should give them an avenue to obtain more information or to report a problem.When you get your health insurance coverage through a broker that specializes in employee benefits, they should provide you with all of the necessary information and Privacy Notice to make sure you comply with the HIPAA guidelines.

Starting up a business is an easy job to do, but making it successful is challenging, especially when you’re competing against several business rivals. In that case, targeting a niche market is perhaps the most successful idea you can work on.To succeed in your business, you first need to determine the market and identify the customers you’re going to target. This is what all the businessmen do. Usually, they target a large group of people with various demographics.However, a niche market is a defined group of people that have ‘particular’ needs. By keeping in view those specific needs, you operate your business to render the products or services that meet their demands. You deal in those special products or services which mainstream businesses have overlooked.For instance, many shoe brands provide a vast variety of shoes. But, if your business deals in providing shoes for people with plantar fasciitis, you are targeting a niche; a specific segment of the market. This is what a niche market is.Coming to the niche business marketing, it is specializing in one area of business while targeting a specific segment of the market.You Must Know Your Target Niche Market Inside OutDetermining your niche market is crucial for operating your business. It not only helps you to set and expand your marketing budget but also give you a clear insight into where to advertise. Further, it makes you stand out above your competitors.For selecting a niche, you need to think about what you are best at. So, you will have enough knowledge regarding the product or service you will be dealing in. To make it clearer, let’s take some ideas you can work on to run your niche business.Today, many people demand diet foods such as gluten-free, low-calorie, organic or vegans. However, they rarely find it in eateries. If they find their diet food online, they prefer to buy it online rather than preparing it at home. This is because it is more convenient for them.Similarly, certain people hardly get their size in apparel stores. Therefore, offering plus-sized and petite clothing to these potential customers will not be a bad idea for your niche business.Niche MarketingBefore getting down to the nitty-gritty of niche marketing, let’s talk about some businesses dealing in niche markets. Lefty’s, based in San Francisco, is a store that sells school stationery, gardening tools, kitchen goods and a lot more. What’s the best part? All their products are specialized for left-handers! Furthermore, they also offer customized gifts for the lefties in your life.Furthermore, Vermont Wooden Toys are known to offer their specialty; handcrafted toys. Based in the Green Mountain State, the business is owned by a proprietor Ron Voake. People buy his products because of certain values- dedication, love, and craftsmanship. They place their orders on the website or over phone calls.In the same way, you need to practice several marketing strategies to make the best use of your business. Take a look for a few niche business marketing tips here.User-Generated ContentThe era when company ads would persuade people to buy a product is long gone. Today, they usually look for experiences. They go online and search for user-generated content before purchasing a particular product.User-generated content works in two ways; advertises your brand for free, and increases your credibility. And what’s more? It brings new customers to you. To have a better understanding, you can study previous success stories of other brands that implemented the UGC strategy.Advertising Platforms You Need To LeverageAs niche marketing isn’t regular marketing, you need to pinpoint specific platforms for advertising your product. Promoting your niche business on social platforms such as Facebook or Twitter isn’t a bad idea. However, the thing is these platforms are already over-populated with other business rivals hence leading to high-competition.In that case, you can limit your promotion and brand visibility to specific demographics on these platforms to reach out to your targeted customers. No matter what tactic you choose, make sure to reach your niche market cost-effectively.Partnering With Other ServicesTo reach out your business goals, develop a kind of service that not only offers a great product to your customers but also give them a fantastic experience. You can do this by providing additional services such as product delivery.However, niche businesses are small, and therefore it can be costly for you to offer extra services to your customers. For this, you can team up with other service providers to cater to your customers in a better way.Marketing OfflineIt is crucial to determine your customers’ preferences and priorities to run your business. Well, you are required to market your product offline for two reasons. First, your targeted segment may not be tech-savvy enough to leverage internet access. Second, your customers might want to make their orders offline, depending on your product nature.Furthermore, there are many ideas to market your product offline while adopting cost-effective methods. For instance, you can distribute your brand’s promotional materials such as business cards, coupons or pamphlets in any local events. This will boost the physical connection between potential customers and your brand.Leveraging InfluencersTo operate a niche business, you must first figure out your customers’ niche interests. Once you are done with it, look for the Instagram influencers who appeal your target segment and have a large number of followers. Approach them. Send a few of your products for free and ask for a shoutout in return. This won’t only help you in increasing your audience but also builds trust about your brand.Segmented MarketingWell, targeting a specific segment of the market for your niche business isn’t enough. You’ll have to gather and evaluate data on their demographics, values, and interests. Then, you further segment it and approach each group within your targeted niche. In this way, you’re able to engage with your niche market. Doing so will help you to maximize your business.ConclusionAs compared to other businesses that target a wide audience with unspecific interests, a niche business focuses on the particular needs of a determined group of people. However, if you want your business to be flourished, you need to identify your niche market first.While focusing on your specific customers, there are plenty of strategies you can adopt to achieve your business goals. By implementing the tactics mentioned above, you’ll be able to maintain your budgets and maximize your business.In addition to that, you can also employ other strategies or new ways to promote your business. No matter what strategies you’re working in with, the main thing you have to keep in focus is your customers’ interests. It will surely help you adopt the right tactics for your business, increase profits and raise brand awareness.

How important is our health? Pretty important right! Your health is actually by far the most valuable asset in your life, you can have all the material possessions in the world, an abundance of wealth and shiny object’s yet it will mean little to nothing if you’re in poor health.In fact I can assure you there are people out there who have wealth and material possessions in abundance who are in poor health and they’d more than likely happily trade their wealth and possessions for optimal health.Many people often over-look this important fact when applying the Law of Attraction. Just because you may be in good health doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to maintain and improve your health. Far to many people become absorbed by the material riches that the Law of Attraction can offer and neglect both their physical and mental health.If you’re in good health physically then you operate better on a mental level and the same rule applies in reverse. If you want the Law of Attraction to improve your quality of life then you need to focus on your health, if you’re feeling fit and well your mind will be a lot clearer and thus your manifestation efforts will improve.So how can we improve our health through the Law of Attraction?Firstly you need to remove yourself from the mindset of being deserving of optimal health and understand that thought manifestation alone won’t bring you the results you desire. The Law of Attraction is an aide for re-programming your subconscious not a miracle worker!If you’re to experience the health you desire then you must commit to educating yourself on maintaining a proper diet and invoke certain lifestyle changes. The underlying principle of maintaining good health is to ensure the body gets the nutritional requirements it needs and to engage in exercise.So simple isn’t it! Yet most people become a victim of society and corporate advertising believing they can ruin their bodies (literally) and then take some wonder pill or go on some absurd crash course diet to restore their health. WRONG!This is where the Law of Attraction fits in. You need to understand that as with EVERYTHING your mind is the key. If you truly want to be fit and healthy then you’ll need to want for this in your life and want it with a passion. This will mean you’re so set on your end goal that with continued effort it will manifest this into reality!How can I boost my manifestation efforts?Apart from the obvious such as diet and exercise you can adopt certain lifestyle changes that will have a positive impact on your health and more importantly will help you develop a more positive mindset. Try to think outside the box, refrain from over-priced pills your doctor recommends, resort to spiritual practices such as meditation and yoga, these are great for improving both your mental and physical state of being.Yoga actually integrates nicely when using the Law of Attraction and is great for improving your physical health as well as mental well-being. It involves strict disciplines which few actually master, I am constantly working on my Yoga practices, it’s an art not a science!Practicing Yoga though can add clarity to your thoughts and help you keep the positive frame of mind required to get the desired results you long for when applying the Law of Attraction.What if my health is poor? If you’re in poor health and focusing your thoughts towards being in poor health and not being in good health then you’re only dampening your manifestation efforts for improved health!Let’s say for instance you get a crippling headache (I get migraines a lot), ever notice how if you concentrate on how bad the headache is it will only worsen yet if you take your mind away from it seems to get better. These are your thoughts influencing this process.The same as secret service personnel may be able to stand pain beyond most people’s recognition (yes this stuff does go on in the real world)! Why can they? Did they kill the nerves in their body? NO! They learned through training that “pain” is controllable, it’s your brains way of saying that hurts, that isn’t good, stop doing that. They simply shut out pain through their mind.Basically if you’re focusing your thoughts and energy towards your poor health then you’re only fueling it! Instead focus on having improved health, there are a number of tools and techniques for doing so which go beyond the scope of this article but commit to change, certify the fact in your mind, visualize yourself as the healthy, energetic and vibrant person you desire and take continued action to making these thoughts a reality.Whether you’re using the law of attraction for wealth, health or love the same rules apply. Remove yourself from the mentality of being deserving and life’s not fair. Focus your thoughts and energy towards being grateful for the many things you do have in abundance.Whilst we are complaining about being over-weight through (a majority of the time) self-neglect there’s a starving child in the world who literally died whilst you passed that thought through your head. This starving child had no other option due to corruption at the highest levels.You do have a choice, use it wisely.