security, or confidentiality of the IIHI/PII and other sensitive data and information contained therein or otherwise Processed in the ordinary course of our business operations and could ultimately harm our reputation and our business. In addition, any actual or perceived security incident or breach may cause us to incur increased expenses to improve our security controls and to remediate security vulnerabilities. We exercise limited control over our third-party service providers and, in the case of some third-party service providers, may not have evaluated the adequacy of their security measures, which increases our vulnerability to problems with services they provide.
A security breach, security incident, or privacy violation that leads to unauthorized use, disclosure, access, acquisition, loss or modification of, or that prevents access to or otherwise impacts the confidentiality, security, or integrity of, client or employee information, including IIHI/PII that we or our third-party service providers Process, could harm our reputation, compel us to comply with breach notification laws, cause us to incur significant costs for investigation, containment, remediation, mitigation, fines, penalties, settlements, notification to individuals, regulators, media, credit bureaus, and other third parties, complimentary credit monitoring, identity theft protection, training and similar services to clients and/or employees where required by law or otherwise appropriate, for measures intended to repair or replace systems or technology and to prevent future occurrences. We may also be subject to potential increases in insurance premiums, resulting in increased costs or loss of revenue.
If we or our third-party service providers are unable to prevent or mitigate security breaches, security incidents or privacy violations in the future, or if we or our third-party service providers are unable to implement satisfactory remedial measures with respect to known or future security incidents, or if it is perceived that we have been unable to do so, our operations could be disrupted, we may be unable to provide access to our systems, and we could suffer a loss of clients, loss of reputation, adverse impacts on client and investor confidence, financial loss, governmental investigations or other actions, regulatory or contractual penalties, and other claims and liability. In addition, security breaches and incidents and other compromise or inappropriate access to, or acquisition or processing of, IIHI/PII or other sensitive data or information can be difficult to detect, and any delay in identifying such breaches or incidents or in providing timely notification of such incidents may lead to increased harm and increased penalties.
Any such security breach or incident or interruption of our systems or those of any of our third-party service providers could compromise our networks or data security processes, and IIHI/PII or other sensitive data and information could be made inaccessible or could be compromised, used, accessed, or acquired by unauthorized parties, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such interruption in access, compromise, use, improper access, acquisition, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings and/or liability or penalties under laws and regulations that protect the privacy, confidentiality, or security of IIHI/PII, including, without limitation, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended (“HIPAA”), the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”), state IIHI/PII privacy, security, or consumer protection laws, and state breach notification laws. Unauthorized access, loss or dissemination of IIHI/PII could also disrupt our operations, including our ability to perform our services, access, collect, process, and prepare company financial information, provide information about our current and future services and engage in other client and clinician education and outreach efforts.
We are subject to extensive fraud, waste, and abuse laws that may give rise to federal and state audits, investigations, lawsuits and claims against us, the outcome of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows, or results of operations.
The U.S. healthcare industry is heavily regulated and closely scrutinized by federal, state and local governments. Comprehensive statutes and regulations govern the manner in which we provide and bill for services and collect reimbursement from governmental programs, commercial payors and patients, our contractual relationships and arrangements with healthcare providers and vendors, our marketing activities and other aspects of our operations. Of particular importance are:
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the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”), which prohibits the knowing and willful offer, payment, solicitation or receipt of any bribe, kickback, rebate or other remuneration for referring an individual, in return for ordering, leasing, purchasing or recommending or arranging for or to induce the referral of an individual or the ordering, purchasing or leasing of items or services covered,