Author Archives: chedwards

Insurance scams account for upwards of $30 billion in total losses to the insurance industry each year, according to NICB.org.   In addition, one particular type of fraud–unsolicited repair provider scams–are on the rise.

 Some common subjects for these type of fraudsters include auto glass repair, cosmetic body work, house siding and roof repair, sinkhole damage, pest damage and many others.

The NICB recommends consumers take the following steps to avoid becoming victim to fraudsters:

·         Contact your insurance company first.

·         Get more than one estimate.

·         Get everything in writing. Cost, work to be done, time schedules, guarantees, payment schedules and other expectations should be detailed.

·         Demand references and check them out.

·         Ask to see the salesperson’s driver’s license and write down the license number and their vehicle’s license plate number.

·         Never sign a contract with blanks; unacceptable terms can be added later.

·         Never pay a contractor in full or sign a completion certificate until the work is finished and ensure reconstruction is up to current code.

·         Make sure you review and understand all documents sent to your insurance carrier.

·         Never let a contractor pressure you into hiring them.

·         Never let a contractor interpret the insurance policy language.

·         Never let a contractor discourage you from contacting your insurance company.

Remember that natural disasters are not the only threats. Danger can come from anywhere:

burglars, arsonists and vandals; a drunk driver who smashes his SUV into your living room;

dog bites, slip-and-fall accidents and other liability claims; or a grease fire that spreads into the

dining room.

So do not be tempted to reduce or cancel home insurance to save money in this recession. 

HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a law that protects a patient’s privacy.

 After understanding HIPAA’s definition and how it protects a patient’s privacy, one may be interested in learning about HIPAA’s privacy exceptions. HIPAA’s privacy exceptions give healthcare providers, and others who are required to follow HIPAA, an exception in some areas where they do not have to follow some privacy rules outlined by the HIPAA law. 

It is important for a patient to know about these HIPAA privacy exceptions so they can be aware of what information about them may be legally disclosed without the HIPAA protection. 

Top Three Most Common HIPAA Privacy Exceptions: 

Patient Treatment: A patient’s health information can be shared and viewed by different healthcare providers if it is for the purpose of treatment for a patient. An example would be when their primary doctor refers a patient to a specialist and the primary doctor gives the specialist a patient’s health information to facilitate treatment of the patient. 

Payment for Services: The healthcare information of a patient can also be shared with another healthcare organization without complying with the privacy rules of HIPAA if it is for the purpose of payment of services. An example would be when a doctor needs to file information with a patient’s health insurance provider for payment of services. 

Healthcare Operations: A patient’s healthcare information can also be used without consent of the patient for healthcare operations. Various healthcare operations include internal improvement, review of healthcare professionals, healthcare provider and doctor evaluations, training programs and business development. An example of the healthcare operations exemption would be if the doctor’s office were doing an internal review of how they handle patients in order to treat patients better and more quickly. The doctor’s office would not need to get the consent of a patient to do this type of internal review even if some of the internal review uses the patient’s healthcare information for the process.

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