Final answer:
Insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) should not be recycled if they contain Protected Health Information (PHI) due to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. This applies to digital versions of these documents called Electronic Remittance Advices (ERAs).
Step-by-step explanation:
Insurance Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) are documents provided by insurance companies detailing what services were paid for by the insurance company on behalf of the insured. In some instances these documents comes in Electronic Remittance Advices (ERAs), e-versions of EOBs. Even with the digitization of these documents, it is imperative to understand that not all insurance EOBs or ERAs should be recycled. Protected Health Information (PHI), those EOBs revealing patients' personal and medical information need to be kept confidential due to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. Therefore, ERAs containing PHI are not recycled to protect patients' privacy and to stay in compliance with federal laws.
Learn more about Insurance EOBs recycling