Legal framework to promote high standards of health and safety at work. It sets out general duties employers have towards employees, customers and the general public. It also sets out the duties that employees have towards themselves and their colleagues. The duties are based on the ideal of ‘so far as is reasonably practicable’ meaning the time, cost and difficulty to avoid or reduce a risk have to be balanced against the degree of risk itself. Persons with five or more employees must have a written safety policy. The law is enforced by HSE inspectors or environmental health officers. Where problems exist they may issue improvement notices or prohibition notices. Criminal prosecutions can be against companies and individuals. See HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMISSION; HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE.
Insurance Encyclopedia
Health and Safety Commission
The HSC and the Health and Safety Executive administer the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974 and are a focus of initiative for all matters relating to health and safety at work. HSC consists of representatives of both sides of industry and the local authorities. It is responsible for developing policies in the health and safety field, and for making proposals to the appropriate minister. When HSC takes action it can: (a) issue guidance on specific industries or processes; (b) publish an Approved Code of Practice; (c) propose statutory regulations or changes in existing regulations.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
A separate statutory body appointed by the Health and Safety Commission that works in accordance with the advice and guidance given by the Commission. The Executive also enforces legal requirements and provides an advisory service to both sides of industry. The major inspectorates in the health and safety field are within the Executive.
health benefits advisor (HBA)
Government employee (primary care coordinator) responsible for helping all military health system beneficiaries in the TRICARE program obtain medical care.
Health benefits package
See: benefit package .
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The coverage offered by a Health Insurance plan to an individual or group.
Health benefits package (Health Insurance)
The benefits offered to the policyholders of a health plan.
Health care
1. Attention given to individuals or communities by representatives of the health services for the purpose of promoting, maintaining, monitoring, or restoring health. The phrase health care has the intent of a broader scope of meaning when compared with the phrase medical care . When one hears medical care, it infers treatment by or under the supervision of a physician. 2. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), care, services, or supplies related to the health of an individual. This includes preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitative, maintenance, or palliative care, and counseling, service, assessment, or procedure involving physical or mental conditions, or functional status. It also involves the sale or dispensing of a drug, device, equipment, or other item relating to a prescription.
Health care advance directive
See: advance directive .
Health care center
Central location in which medical services are provided to group model health maintenance organization (HMO) members.
Health care clearinghouse
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a third-party administrator (TPA) who receives insurance claims from the physician’s office in a nonstandard format or with nonstandard data and puts it into standard data elements or a standard transaction, or that receives a standard transaction and processes or assists processing the data into nonstandard format for a receiving entity. The TPA performs software edits and redistributes the claims electronically to various insurance carriers.