Question

According to the HIPAA privacy rule, protected health information includes:

a. non-individuially identifiable health information in any format stored by a health care provider.
b. individually identifiable health information in any format stored by a health care provider or business associate.
c. only electronic individually identifiable health information.
d. only paper individually identifiable health information.

Answer 1

The HIPAA privacy rule defines protected health information as individually identifiable health information in any format stored by a health care provider or business associate, covering all forms, not just electronic or paper.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the HIPAA privacy rule, protected health information (PHI) includes individually identifiable health information in any format stored by a health care provider or business associate. This would encompass medical records, insurance information, and any other details that could be used to identify an individual and is connected to their health care. The correct answer is b. individually identifiable health information in any format stored by a health care provider or business associate. PHI is not restricted to electronic formats; it also includes information in written, oral, or any other form as long as it can be linked to an individual.