AANA Professional And Legal Aspects Practice Test

Under HIPAA, permissible disclosure of PHI without patient authorization is allowed for which purposes?

PHI may be disclosed for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations without explicit patient authorization, provided safeguards exist. PHI may be disclosed for marketing purposes without patient authorization. PHI can be disclosed to any third party as long as approved by the facility. PHI cannot be disclosed under any circumstance without explicit patient authorization.

Correct Answer:

PHI may be disclosed for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations without explicit patient authorization, provided safeguards exist.

Explanation:

Under HIPAA, PHI can be disclosed without patient authorization for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations, as long as safeguards are in place and the disclosure is limited to the minimum necessary information. This allows a provider to coordinate care with another clinician, bill a payer, or run essential business operations without a signed release. Marketing, on the other hand, generally requires patient authorization, so disclosure without authorization isn’t appropriate. The idea that PHI can be disclosed to any third party with facility approval is too broad and ignores required safeguards and the minimum-necessary rule. And saying PHI can never be disclosed without explicit authorization is false because TPO disclosures are allowed without authorization.

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