Explanation
PHI stands for Protected Health info. The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides federal protections for private health info held by lined entities and provides patients an array of rights with regard to that info. under HIPAA phi is considered to be any identifiable health info that's used, maintained, stored, or transmitted by a HIPAA-covered entity - a healthcare provider, health plan or health insurer, or a aid clearinghouse - or a business associate of a HIPAA-covered entity, in relation to the availability of aid or payment for aid services.
It is not only past and current medical info that's considered letter under HIPAA Rules, however also future info concerning medical conditions or physical and mental health related to the provision of care or payment for care. phi is health info in any kind, together with physical records, electronic records, or spoken info.
Therefore, letter includes health records, medical histories, lab check results, and medical bills. basically, all health info is considered letter once it includes individual identifiers. Demographic info is additionally thought of phi underneath HIPAA Rules, as square measure several common identifiers like patient names, Social Security numbers, Driver's license numbers, insurance details, and birth dates, once they square measure connected with health info.
The eighteen identifiers that create health info letter are:
* Names
* Dates, except year
* phonephone numbers
* Geographic information
* FAX numbers
* Social Security numbers
* Email addresses
* case history numbers
* Account numbers
* Health arrange beneficiary numbers
* Certificate/license numbers
* Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers together with license plates
* Web URLs
* Device identifiers and serial numbers
* net protocol addresses
* Full face photos and comparable pictures
* Biometric identifiers (i.e. retinal scan, fingerprints)
* Any distinctive identifying variety or code
One or a lot of of those identifiers turns health info into letter, and phi HIPAA Privacy Rule restrictions can then apply that limit uses and disclosures of the data. HIPAA lined entities and their business associates will ought to guarantee applicable technical, physical, and body safeguards are enforced to make sure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of phi as stipulated within the HIPAA Security Rule.