Protecting Your Privacy

Advantaged Benefits Consultants (ABC) strives to protect the personal financial information of current and former customers.

We want you to know that the information you provide is safe and used responsibly. To maintain the level of service you expect from ABC, we may need to share limited personal financial information within our family of companies with selected business partners.

You can be certain that protection of your personal financial information is one of our priorities.

Safeguards in Place at ABC

Most of our companies use data encryption and storage technology that protect your sensitive personal information. At ABC, we use companies that have administrative, technical, and physical safeguards in place to ensure privacy. These include:

• Policies and procedures for handling information.
• Limited access to facilities where information is stored.
• Requirements for third parties to contractually comply with privacy laws.
• Continuous review of company security practices.

Our companies provide training on confidentiality and customer privacy to ensure employees are dedicated to keeping your personal information safe and secure.

Your Protection on the Internet

We collect limited data from our Internet site, such as the date, time and areas of our site that are visited. This general information helps us improve our site and makes it easier and more convenient for you to use.

Some of our companies provide added security by:

• A secure server using 128-bit encryption and authentication technologies, verified by Verisign, Inc. (a leading provider of secure, online certificates).
• Site design to limit display of customer information to only what is necessary.
• Specific user names and passwords to protect sensitive information.

Types of Information We Gather and Use

In administering health benefit plans, our companies gather and maintain information that may include nonpublic personal information:

• From applications, supporting documents, and other forms (for example, phone/Social Security/account numbers, income, and employment history).
• About your transactions with us or our affiliates (for example, payment history and other account information).
• From business partners, vendors, and service companies (for example, payment processing center or credit union).
• From health-care providers, insurance companies, and third-party administrators (for example, medical records, claim payment information).

At times, we need to disclose your nonpublic, personal information to our business partners as necessary to affect, administer, or enforce our transactions with you. We may also share all of this information with companies that perform services on our behalf, provided they contractually agree to keep the information confidential.

You May Access and Correct Personal Information

You have the right to access and correct personal information we have collected about you. Personal information includes information that can identify you (e.g., your name, address, Social Security number, etc.)

Our Commitment to You

You're a valued customer, and the information you provide to us is safe and used responsibly. We'll continue to maintain your privacy and provide you with information about how we share your nonpublic personal financial information.

If you have questions about our privacy guidelines, please call us toll-free at (800)924-4392. Contact us or visit the web site at www.abc4ins.net and click on Contact Us.

Protecting Your Health Information

This notice describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.

Advantaged Benefits Consultants (ABC), its affiliates and companies, responsibly use your individually identifiable health information (referred to as "confidential information"). Confidential information includes information that is created or received by a health-care provider, health plan, employer, or health-care clearing-house. It also includes information related to your past, present, or future physical/mental health and payment for the provision of your health care.

ABC and its companies may use and/or disclose your confidential information without your authorization for the following purposes:

• Rating and other activities relating to the placement or renewal of health benefits.
• Billing, claims payment, review of health-care services, and the management of health-care and related services by health-care providers.
• Providing appointment reminders or information about treatment alternatives, other health-related benefits, and services.
• Providing information for treatment (coordination and management of health-care related services), payment, or health-care operations.

We may also use and/or disclose your confidential information without your authorization as permitted or required by law (e.g., public health authority or Food and Drug Administration matters; public health intervention or investigation purposes; evaluation relating to the medical surveillance of the work place; work-related illnesses or injuries; civil, administrative, or criminal investigations and/or inspections; judicial and administrative proceedings; local, state, and federal law enforcement purposes). We may also use it for disclosures to the sponsor of a group's health plan, health insurance issuer, or HMO.

Your authorization is required for ABC and its companies to use your confidential information to determine eligibility for enrollment and continued eligibility under your health plan. An authorization must also be submitted if you choose to appoint individuals, other than those allowed by law, to receive information about you. You may revoke the authorization in writing at any time unless we are acting or have acted in reliance on an existing authorization from you.

You have the right to:

• Request an alternate address or other method of contact if you believe that sending your confidential information to its original location may endanger you.
• Inspect and copy your confidential information.
• Request restriction on certain uses or disclosures; however, these restrictions are subject to agreement by ABC.
• Receive an accounting of the disclosures we make involving your confidential information.
• Amend your confidential information (in limited situations).

ABC will maintain the privacy of confidential information as required by law and by the notice currently in effect. ABC is also required to provide this notice of our legal duties and privacy practices related to protected health information. This notice is effective April 1, 2004. We reserve the right to make changes or revisions to the terms of this notice and will update this notice if any material changes are made.

If you believe your rights have been violated, you may contact ABC or the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be penalized for filing a complaint. You may send information to ABC at the address listed below:

Advantaged Benefits Consultants
P.O. Box 4483
Shreveport, LA 71134

If you wish to contact one of our companies or the Department of Health and Human Services, please call us and we'll provide you with the appropriate address.

You have the right to receive another paper or electronic copy of this notice. To request another copy or to get more information, you may call ABC at:

(800)924-4392
Or visit the Web site at:
www.abc4ins.net

Customer service representatives are available to assist you.