Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group is in full compliance with both the FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) and HIPAA, (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) including all related regulations on the state and federal levels. Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group collectors and staff are certified immediately on the FDCPA and HIPAA as they begin working with either our collection agency or law firm and are recertified on a yearly business. We want you to know that the laws that govern the disclosure of information concerning medical claims and all accounts receivable claims as well as the procedures used in the collection of such claims is of the highest priority to Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group. As we know there is no room for error on any client debt placed, we constantly monitor such areas of communication within our agency and law firm and can assure all clients that Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group and The Law Offices of Phillips, Harper & Harper understand and abide by all laws which regulate these critical areas.

FDCPA Compliance

Section 802 of the FDCPA states that the finding and purpose of the FDCPA by Congress:

(a) There is abundant evidence of the use of abusive, deceptive, and unfair debt collection practices by many debt collectors. Abusive debt collection practices contribute to the number of personal bankruptcies, to marital instability, to the loss of jobs, and to invasions of individual privacy.

(b) Existing laws and procedures for redressing these injuries are inadequate to protect consumers.

(c) Means other than misrepresentation or other abusive debt collection practices are available for the effective collection of debts.

(d) Abusive debt collection practices are carried on to a substantial extent in interstate commerce and through means and instrumentalities of such commerce. Even where abusive debt collection practices are purely intrastate in character, they nevertheless directly affect interstate commerce.

(e) It is the purpose of this title to eliminate abusive debt collection practices by debt collectors, to insure that those debt collectors who refrain from using abusive debt collection practices are not competitively disadvantaged, and to promote consistent State action to protect consumers against debt collection abuses.

Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group is licensed and bonded as a collection agency in all states in which it is required by law. We have taken added many precautions and security measures to our facility as you can plainly see by viewing our "Security" page, in the protection of our client's sensitive data, revenue and our personnel. We utilize every possible means available to ensure full compliance with the FDCPA in all communications by our staff members whether via telephone, letter, email or any other communicable venue. 

HIPAA Compliance

Each healthcare organization served by Sierra Nevada Adjustment Groupis a "covered entity" as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and the Electronic Transaction, Security and Privacy Standards (the "Standards"). Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group is a "business associate," as defined by HIPAA and the Standards, who shall provide collection services to healthcare organizations in accordance with HIPAA and the Standards as follows:

Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group, as a business associate, may use Protected Health Information ("PHI") for the proper management and administration of its daily business activities. However, Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group shall not use nor disclose any PHI received from a client or obtained or developed in connection with fulfillment of our client agreement, other than as permitted by such agreement or as required by law.

Our Privacy Policy Notice

Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group knows that you care how information about you is used and shared, and we appreciate your expectation that we will do so carefully and sensibly. This notice describes our privacy policy. By visiting the Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group Web site (the "Site") or by otherwise interacting with Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group, you agree to accept the practices described in this Privacy Notice.

What Information Does Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group Collect?
We receive and store any information you enter on our Site or give us in any other way, such as via telephone, electronic mail or online form. For example, this information may be collected when you register your practice with Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group or when you contact us for customer support.

The following information is gathered from clients by Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group:

• Practice Information: Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group requires all practices to provide information about the practice including the number of physicians, specialty, address, and phone numbers.

• Physician Information: We require that one physician provide a facsimile of his or her applicable, valid medical license to reduce the likelihood of fraudulent and/or criminal usage of Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group. For the protection of our clients, their patients, and our employees, we want to ensure that any individual using Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group to submit accounts to Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group for collection truly represents a physician and/or physician practice. The license is kept on file with Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group / Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group as part of the client record.

As a collection agency, we adhere to the requirements of the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA), the federal law that regulates debt collectors, and to applicable state laws. Furthermore, in accordance with HIPAA requirements, Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group enters into a Business Associate Agreement (BA Agreement) with each of its creditor-clients. The BA Agreement specifies the responsibilities of Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group and its creditor-clients to protect individual privacy and provide for the security and confidentiality of protected health information.

Protection of Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group and Others

We may release account and other personal information when we are required to do so by law, court order or other government, law enforcement, or regulatory agency, including the Federal Trade Commission; to enforce or apply our client agreement or other agreements; or when we believe in good faith that disclosing this information is necessary or advisable, including, for example, to protect the rights, property, or safety of Sierra Nevada Adjustment Group, our clients, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.