In 1978, Francis Richard created a company that would one day become a leader in the insurance services industry by providing exceptional insurance services to carriers, self-insured companies and groups, and government entities. F. A. Richard & Associates, Inc., was born.

We carry out that legacy by providing our clients with the very best service and the highest level of attention.

FARA recognized how important information technology would become and invested in the company by adapting and integrating new technologies into service operations. This approach is what drives us today and have developed various online applications that range from claims management to medicare reporting compliance.

With over 30 years of industry experience, FARA has become a premier provider of insurance services to both the public and private sectors - nationwide.

Spirit of Partnership

FARA is firmly committed to the individual success of each of our clients. We are focused on our client's long term goals and are committed to being a value-added, long term business partner.

Our solutions-driven management team is focused on working with each client, providing them with creative insight and innovative solutions to today's market challenges.

Our technologies provide efficiencies that create competitive advantages for our clients. Successful partnerships are driven by results and our corporate commitment to successful relationships drive every employee of our organization.

We want to be more than just another vendor, but rather a business partner that is committed to your success.

Our Mission

FARA's mission is to provide valuable insurance and risk management related services to insurance companies, self-insured corporations, and governmental entities throughout the United States. We will accomplish this by providing our clients with an experience superior to our competition and to protect their assets, while achieving the lowest possible claim costs.

Our Vision

FARA's vision is to be recognized nationally as the premiere insurance service provider. We will maintain our valued reputation while growing our revenues 200% over the next five years. FARA will continue to attract the best professionals available and will strive to be considered a very desirable employer.

We will increase our revenues per associate by utilizing the latest cost effective technologies, while continually improving our work product. FARA will play a role in improving technology within the insurance industry, including extensive use of the Internet to offer web-based applications for claims administration, reporting, medical case management, cost containment, risk control, underwriting, policy management, premium audits, and medicare reporting compliance.

At F. A. Richard & Associates, Inc. ("FARA"), protecting the privacy of our clients is very important to us. It is our goal to ensure your personal, non-public information remains secure and private. Thus, FARA treats your personal, non-public information with respect and in accordance with our privacy policy.

This statement is designed to inform you of the information that FARA collects about you, the source of that information, the information FARA discloses to others, and the circumstances under which FARA discloses your information to others. FARA applies the same privacy rules to both existing and former clients. FARA may amend our privacy policy periodically and will send existing clients our most recent privacy policy at least annually, or as required by law.

FARA.s subsidiaries and affiliates to which this policy applies includes: FARA Security Services, Inc, FARA Adjusting Services, Inc., Alternative Risk and Insurance Concepts Company, Inc. (ARIC), and ARIC Benefit Underwriters, Inc. ("Affiliates").

While this policy may change from time to time, you can always review our current policy on-line at http://www.fara.com.

Privacy Policy

• FARA will safeguard any information our clients share with us in accordance with strict guidelines of confidentiality and security.
• FARA will not share its clients. personal, non-public information with others unless it has provided you with an opportunity to opt out of the sharing of personal information.
• FARA will honor an opt out request at any time and will remind existing clients of this at least annually.
• FARA will require any company that provides support services to adhere to FARA.s privacy policy.
• FARA will keep nonpublic personal health information confidential. FARA will not disclose such information without your authorization, except as required by law.
• FARA will make every effort to keep your files complete and accurate and we will tell you how to access your information and how to notify us about errors.

Information We May Collect

FARA collects non-public, personal information about you where it is helpful and useful in providing services, and as necessary to determine your eligibility for products or services. FARA may collect information regarding your transactions or experience from applications with us and others and from outside companies. FARA may collect information from:

• applications, registration forms or other forms, containing your name, address, telephone number, social security number, tax identification number, email address, income, assets, policies and accounts with other companies;
• your transactions or experiences with us, such as insurance information, claims history and prominent information;
• credit reporting agencies and other companies regarding your obligations, driving record, medical claims, social security number and/or tax identification number;
• others regarding your employment, insurance coverage, finances, credit and other personal characteristics;
• hospitals, doctors, laboratories and other companies and/or professionals that provide information of your past and/or present health condition. Health information is collected as appropriate to determine eligibility for coverage, to process claims, prevent fraud, as authorized by you, or as permitted or required by law.

Information We May Disclose And To Whom

We may disclose the personal information we collect as follows:

Disclosure to Subsidiaries and Affiliates

We may disclose the personal information we collect to our affiliates for such purposes as:

• offering products and services to you that we feel may be of interest to you; and
• to comply with your requests.

Disclosure to Service Providers

We may disclose the personal information we collect to companies such as banks, financial service brokers and insurance agents that provide services to you on our behalf. Such services include:

• administrative services, customer assistance, or other such services;
• preparing, printing, and delivering statements and other documents;
• anti-fraud services; and
• software maintenance and development services.

Disclosure to Marketing Firms

We may disclose the personal information we collect to other companies with whom we have marketing arrangements to help market our products and services, and to other financial institutions with whom we have joint marketing arrangements to offer or endorse financial products.

Disclosure to Other Companies

We may disclose the personal information we collect to other companies for marketing purposes. These other companies are non-FARA affiliates who may want to offer their products and services to you.

Other Disclosures

We may disclose personal health information we collect to determine eligibility, process claims, prevent fraud, and as authorized by you or as otherwise allowed or required by law. We may disclose the personal information we collect as authorized by you or as allowed or required by law.

Information this WEB Site Gathers/Tracks

As you browse the site, our servers collect information about your visit, not about you personally. Via Web server logs, we monitor statistics such as:

• How many visits our site logs
• Which pages are visited on our site
• From which domains our visitors come from (e.g., "yahoo.com" or "aol.com")
• Which browsers people use to visit our site

While we gather this information, none of it is associated with you as an individual. We use these statistics to improve our Web site, to monitor its performance, and to make it easier for you and other visitors to use.

Organizational and Personal information you knowingly give us

Within www.fara.com, you may be asked to give us personal or organizational information in order to or receive information about a product or service. This information may range from your generic zip code, to your specific phone number, e-mail address, organization URL and mailing address.

Use of the Information this Site Gathers/Tracks

• Your IP Address and Host Name
• Our Web sites log Host Names (and IP addresses when the Host Name is not available) for systems administration and security purposes. These logs are monitored and analyzed to maintain systems and information security and allow us to constantly improve the value and the availability of the Web content.
  
• Forms
• The registration forms require users to give us accurate contact information (like name and email address) and references that help us better serve you. Your name and email address may be used to send you information about our company, updates, and newsletters. You may always remove your name entirely from databases.
• Cookies
• A cookie is a small, encrypted data string our server writes to your hard drive that contains information about your interaction with a web server. We presently DO NOT use cookies.

Sharing of the Information this Site Gathers/Tracks

The information you submit to us via this web server is never shared with any third parties unless it is necessary to complete your request, or as required by law.

• Information Security
• We have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of information under our control.
• Links to Other Sites
• Our Web site contains links to other Web sites. Please be aware that our privacy policy does not apply to these other sites.

Correcting/Update Policy

If you would like to correct and/or update information we have about you, please contact us.

For more information or questions regarding our Privacy Policy, please contact us at 1-800-259-8388 or you can write to us at:

    F. A. Richard & Associates, Inc. (FARA)
    Attn: Privacy Practices
    1625 West Causeway Approach
    Mandeville, LA 70471