What is Protected Health Information?
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Protected Health Information (PHI) refers to any individually identifiable health information that is created, received, or maintained by a covered entity or business associate. In the context of medical coding, PHI includes all the sensitive and private information about a patient's health condition, medical history, treatment, or payment for healthcare services.
Protected Health Information (PHI) encompasses a wide range of information, such as:
1. Patient's name, address, and contact details
2. Social Security number or other identification numbers
3. Medical record numbers or patient account numbers
4. Health insurance information
5. Diagnosis codes (ICD codes)
6. Procedure codes (CPT codes)
7. Treatment information
8. Laboratory and imaging results
9. Physician's notes and progress reports
10. Any other information that can be used to identify an individual's health condition
The protection of PHI is mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and similar data protection regulations in other countries. Medical coders and healthcare providers are required to follow strict privacy and security measures to safeguard PHI and ensure it is only accessed or disclosed for authorized purposes, such as patient care, billing, or healthcare operations. Unauthorized disclosure or mishandling of PHI can result in severe penalties and legal consequences.
