What type of information is considered protected health information (PHI)?

Protected Health Information (PHI) encompasses any health-related data that can be used to identify an individual. This includes a wide range of personal identifiers such as names, addresses, social security numbers, and detailed medical histories. The definition of PHI extends to any information that relates to an individual’s health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare that can be matched to that individual.

Health information is considered sensitive and requires stringent protection under laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was designed to ensure that personal health information is kept confidential and secure. This highlights the importance of maintaining privacy and protecting individuals from potential discrimination or unauthorized access to their health information.

In contrast, publicly available information does not fall under PHI because it is not protected and does not require the same level of confidentiality. Statistical data regarding patient populations does not identify specific individuals and is often aggregated, thus it is not classified as PHI. Furthermore, while billing information and payment histories are part of the range of health information that may fall under PHI, they do not encompass the entire scope of what is considered protected; therefore, this option is too narrow to fully represent PHI.