Under HIPAA, which statement about sharing Protected Health Information (PHI) is true?

Under HIPAA, which statement about sharing Protected Health Information (PHI) is true?

• A. PHI can be shared only with individuals who must have it to provide care or process records
• B. PHI can be shared publicly without consent
• C. PHI can be shared with any coworker
• D. PHI includes only financial data

Answer: (A)

Under HIPAA, sharing Protected Health Information is allowed only with people who need it to provide care or to process records. PHI includes identifiable health information about a person’s health, treatment, or payment for care, such as diagnoses, test results, treatment plans, and also basic identifying details like name and contact information. The idea is to follow the minimum necessary standard, disclosing only what is needed for the job to the individuals who have a legitimate need to know. So PHI should not be shared publicly or with coworkers who don’t have a legitimate need to know, and it isn’t limited to financial data—it covers a broad range of health information.

Under HIPAA, sharing Protected Health Information is allowed only with people who need it to provide care or to process records. PHI includes identifiable health information about a person’s health, treatment, or payment for care, such as diagnoses, test results, treatment plans, and also basic identifying details like name and contact information. The idea is to follow the minimum necessary standard, disclosing only what is needed for the job to the individuals who have a legitimate need to know. So PHI should not be shared publicly or with coworkers who don’t have a legitimate need to know, and it isn’t limited to financial data—it covers a broad range of health information.