Privacy

This policy explains the what, how, and why of the information we collect when you use this site. It also explains the specific ways we use and disclose that information.

In this document, the terms ‘our’ or ‘us’ or ‘we’ or ‘your’ refer to the user or viewer of this website.

Cookies

A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. We use cookies to help us identify and track visitors, their usage of this website, and their website access preferences.

We also use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information you’ve provided to them or they’ve collected from your use of their services.

Visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using this website.

For more information, See How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps.

Analytics

  1. Based on our legitimate interests (i.e., interest in the analysis, optimization, and economic operation of our online offer within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) lit. DSGVO), we use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC (“Google”). Google uses cookies. The information generated by the cookie about the use of the online offer by the users are usually transmitted to a Google server in the USA and stored there.
  2. Google is certified under the Privacy Shield Agreement, which provides a guarantee to comply with European privacy legislation (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI&status=Active).
  3. Google will use this information on our behalf to evaluate the use of our online offer by users to compile reports on the activities within this online offer and to provide us with further services related to the use of this online offer and the internet usage. In this case, pseudonymous usage profiles of the users can be created from the processed data.
  4. We only use Google Analytics with activated IP anonymization. This means that the IP address of the users will be shortened by Google within member states of the European Union or in other contracting states of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be sent to a Google server in the USA and shortened there.
  5. The IP address submitted by the user’s browser will not be merged with other data provided by Google. Users can prevent the storage of cookies by setting their browser software accordingly; Users may also prevent the collection by Google of the data generated by the cookie and related to their use of the online offer as well as the processing of this data by Google by downloading and installing the browser plug-in available under the following link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en.
  6. For more information about Google’s data usage, settings and opt-out options, please visit Google’s websites: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/partners (“Google’s use of your data when you use websites or apps of our partners”), https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads (“Advertising use of data”), https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated (“Managing information Google uses to show you ads”).
  7. Incidentally, the personal data will be anonymized or deleted after a lapse of 26 months.

If you don’t want your visit data reported by Google Analytics, you can install the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. This add-on instructs the Google Analytics JavaScript to prohibit sending visit information to Google Analytics. For more details on installing and uninstalling the add-on, please see the relevant help resources for your specific browser.

The Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on does not prevent information from being sent to the website itself or in other ways to web analytics services.

SubSplash

This site uses embedded content from Subsplash, including events listings. For more information, contact Subsplash, Inc. 3257 16th Ave W, Seattle, Washington, USA 98119 or privacy@subsplash.com.

Mailing List

If you choose to enroll in our mailing list, we will collect your email address and first name (if you provide it) for the purpose of sending you an informational email newsletter from time-to-time. We will not sell your email address to any third party other than the email list provider.

The email list is run by Mail Chimp, which has access to the information you provide, including your email address. Mail Chimp’s privacy policy will cover how they handle your information.

Social Media Widgets

Our Websites include social media features, like the Facebook Like buttons. These features may collect information about your IP address and which page you’re visiting on our site, and they may set a cookie to make sure the feature functions properly. Social media features and widgets are either hosted by a third party or hosted directly on our site. Your interactions with those features are governed by the privacy policies of the companies that provide them.

Embedded Content From Other Websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracing your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Privacy Policy Changes

We may change our Privacy Policy from time to time, and at our sole discretion. We encourage visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.

If you’d like more information, please contact us.

Cost of Health Services—Machine Readable Files

Seeking to improve transparency in the cost of health services, federal actions in the past few years have led to new federal rules and regulations for health systems, benefit administrators, and health plan sponsors. A final rule is being enacted which requires group plans to disclose their rates for in and out of network billable services by the means of Machine-Readable Files, MRFs. These files can be located HERE.