Compliance Glossary

The HIPAA Medical Privacy Law Rule sets guidelines for using and disclosing individuals’ health information, also known as  PHI. This purview extends to covered entities, including individuals and organizations involved in healthcare.

The Privacy Rule upholds individuals’ rights to control and understand how their medical information is used. It strives to protect health information while balancing the necessity of sharing it for quality healthcare, augmented public health, and well-being.

De-identified health data is exempt from this as it cannot be used to identify individuals independently. Similarly, employment and education records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act are not covered.

A fundamental aspect of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is the “minimum necessary” requirement, which limits the disclosure of PHI to prevent unnecessary sharing of sensitive health information.

The minimum necessary standard under HIPAA requires covered entities to use or share PHI in a way that limits it to what’s reasonably needed for the intended purpose. However, there are exceptions to this rule:

• Disclosures to or requests by a healthcare provider for treatment purposes
• Sharing with the individual who is the subject of the information
• Uses or disclosures made with the individual’s authorization
• Sharing is necessary for compliance with HIPAA Administrative Simplification Rules
• Disclosures to the HHS for enforcement purposes as required by the Privacy Rule
• Uses or disclosures mandated by other applicable laws