Under HIPAA, is it permissible to disclose PHI about a patient with mental illness to a third party who is not a health care provider for case management or social services?

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Multiple Choice

Under HIPAA, is it permissible to disclose PHI about a patient with mental illness to a third party who is not a health care provider for case management or social services?

Disclosures to those involved in a patient’s care or in paying for care are allowed under HIPAA, even if the recipient isn’t a health care provider. When case management or social services (like housing, income support, or job training) are part of the patient’s plan, sharing the minimum amount of PHI needed for those services to perform their role is permitted. This helps coordinate care and address social determinants that affect health outcomes. Because the goal is care coordination, patient authorization isn’t required here as long as the information shared is limited to what’s necessary for the social services entity to help with the patient’s treatment plan.

Disclosures to those involved in a patient’s care or in paying for care are allowed under HIPAA, even if the recipient isn’t a health care provider. When case management or social services (like housing, income support, or job training) are part of the patient’s plan, sharing the minimum amount of PHI needed for those services to perform their role is permitted. This helps coordinate care and address social determinants that affect health outcomes. Because the goal is care coordination, patient authorization isn’t required here as long as the information shared is limited to what’s necessary for the social services entity to help with the patient’s treatment plan.

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