Accounting of disclosures must be kept for how long?

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Under HIPAA, the accounting of disclosures of protected health information must be kept for six years. This requirement means covered entities and business associates maintain a record of disclosures to others (excluding certain internal or direct-to-patient disclosures) for at least six years from the date of each disclosure, and they must be able to provide the patient with an accounting of disclosures upon request. The accounting should include details such as the date of disclosure, to whom the PHI was disclosed, a description of what was disclosed, and the purpose of the disclosure, with the request generally fulfilled within 60 days (possible one 30-day extension). This policy helps ensure accountability and transparency, enabling patients to see how their PHI has been shared. The other options don’t address the retention duration, as they refer to types of disclosures rather than how long records must be kept.