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NEDA TOOLKIT for Parents Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) A federal law enacted in 1996 with a number of provisions intended to ensure certain consumer health insurance protections for working Americans and their families and standards for electronic health information and protect privacy of individuals’ health information. HIPAA applies to three types of health insurance coverage: group health plans, individual health insurance, and comparable coverage through a high-risk pool. HIPAA may lower a person’s chance of losing existing coverage, ease the ability to switch health plans, and/or help a person buy coverage on his/her own if a person loses employer coverage and has no other coverage available. Hypoglycemia An abnormally low concentration of glucose in the blood. Health Insurance Reform for Consumers Federal law has provided to consumers some valuable–though limited–protections when obtaining, changing, or continuing health insurance. Understanding these protections, as well as laws in the state in which one resides, can help with making more informed choices when work situations change or when changing health coverage or accessing care. Three important federal laws that can affect coverage and access to care for people with eating disorders are listed below. More information is available at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HealthInsReformforConsum e/01_Overview.asp#TopOfPage Independent Living Services Services for a person with a medical or mental health-related problem who is living on his/ her own. Services include therapeutic group homes, supervised apartment living, monitoring the person’s compliance with prescribed mental and medical treatment plans, and job placement. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 (MHPA). Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) A health plan that employs or contracts with primary care physicians to write referrals for all care that covered patients obtain from specialists in a network of healthcare providers with whom the HMO contracts. The patient’s choice of treatment providers is usually limited. Hematemesis The vomiting of blood. Hypno-behavioral Therapy A type of behavioral therapy that uses a combination of behavioral techniques such as self-monitoring to change maladaptive eating disorders and hypnotic techniques intended to reinforce and encourage behavior change. In-network benefits Health insurance benefits that a beneficiary is entitled to receive from a designated group (network) of healthcare providers. The “network” is established by the health insurer that contracts with certain providers to provide care for beneficiaries within that network. Indemnity Insurance A health insurance plan that reimburses the member or healthcare provider on a fee-for-service basis, usually at a rate lower than the actual charges for services rendered, and often after a deductible has been satisfied by the insured. Intake Screening An interview conducted by health service providers when a patient is admitted to a hospital or treatment program. International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) The World Health Organization lists international standards used to diagnose and classify diseases. The listing is used by the healthcare system so clinicians can assign an ICD code to submit claims to insurers for reimbursement for services for treating various medical and mental health conditions in patients. The code is periodically updated to reflect changes in classifications of disease or to add new disorders. Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) IPT (also called interpersonal psychotherapy) is designed to help people identify and address their interpersonal problems, specifically those involving grief, interpersonal role conflicts, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits. In this therapy, no emphasis is placed directly on modifying eating habits. Instead, the expectation is that the therapy will enable people to change as their interpersonal functioning improves. IPT usually involves 16 to 20 hour-long, one-on-one treatment sessions over a period of 4 to 5 months. Page | 90