DEFINITION OF HEALTH INFORMATION

Health (patient) Information, which is defined at 45 C.F.R. 160.103, is "any information, whether oral or recorded in any form or medium, that:

(1) Is created or received by a health care provider, health plan, public health authority, employer, life insurer, school or university, or health care clearinghouse; and

(2) Relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care in an individual."

In addition, HIPAA Regulations define "individually identifiable health (patient) information" (IIHI), which is defined at 45 C.F.R. 164.501, as “information that is a subset of health (patient) information, including demographic information collected from an individual (patient)." IIHI includes the definition at 45 C.F.R. 160.13 and, in addition information: "(i) That identifies the individual; or (ii) With respect to which there is a reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify the individual".