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What Is Protected Health Information Or PHI?

Having a good understanding of what is Protected Health Information or PHI can help you protect it from unauthorized use. PHI is health information that is associated with a particular person. Some examples of PHI include health insurance information, billing information, health insurance records, and medical history.



Protected Health Information is defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law provides federal protections for PHI. The law also outlines regulations for how organizations can protect PHI.


HIPAA is enforced by the Office of Civil Rights and the US Department of Health and Human Services. The law also covers privacy and security rules that govern how hospitals, physicians, and health plan administrators use data.


PHI is a confidential record of healthcare. Protected health information can be created or received electronically, or stored in physical records. PHI is used to identify individuals, make appropriate healthcare decisions, and pay for health care. It is also used in research studies.

PHI can be found in a wide variety of documents, including prescriptions, blood tests, doctor's appointments, and medical records. Keeping PHI secure is important for the health of patients.


The Privacy Rule requires covered entities to limit the use and disclosure of PHI to the minimum necessary. To do this, organizations must enact technical and administrative safeguards to protect the privacy of their patients.


HIPAA also limits the circumstances in which PHI can be disclosed. It permits employers to use PHI as part of the job, but requires a subject to give his or her consent before the information is disclosed.



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