Which regulatory requirements govern Care Everywhere when sharing PHI?

• A. HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, breach notification requirements, and applicable state laws; Business Associate Agreements apply.
• B. Only HIPAA Privacy Rule.
• C. FERPA and COPPA.
• D. PCI-DSS.

Answer: (A)

When PHI is shared through Care Everywhere, HIPAA sets the overall protections for how that information can be used, disclosed, and safeguarded. Specifically, the Privacy Rule defines what counts as permissible uses and disclosures and gives patients rights over their information. The Security Rule requires appropriate technical and physical safeguards to protect electronic PHI during transmission and storage. The Breach Notification Rule then dictates what must be done if a breach occurs, including notifying patients and, in many cases, the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, some states impose their own requirements that can add to HIPAA protections, so state laws may apply as well.

Because Care Everywhere involves sharing PHI with other entities or service providers, a Business Associate Agreement is required to ensure that those partners also safeguard PHI and comply with HIPAA.

FERPA and COPPA relate to education records and children's online privacy, not to healthcare PHI in this context, and PCI-DSS covers payment card data security, not health information.