What is considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?

Protected Health Information (PHI) refers specifically to any information about an individual's health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare that can be used to identify the individual. This includes, but is not limited to, names, addresses, birth dates, social security numbers, and any other data that could lead to identifying a patient in relation to their health. Since choice B directly addresses the need for both patient identification and health-related information, it accurately reflects the definition of PHI as outlined by laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

In contrast, general health and wellness advice, public health statistics, and data on healthcare provider performance do not meet the criteria for PHI as they are either too broad, do not identify individuals, or pertain to aggregated data rather than specific patient information. Thus, the focus on identifiable health-related information in choice B makes it the accurate representation of what constitutes PHI.