Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a violation of HIPAA?

1. Unrestricted access to health information

2. Properly encrypted emails containing PHI

3. Failure to implement staff training

4. Breaches due to inadequate software security

The correct answer is: Properly encrypted emails containing PHI

The assertion that properly encrypted emails containing protected health information (PHI) are not a violation of HIPAA is accurate because encryption is a recommended practice under the HIPAA Security Rule. By employing encryption, covered entities are taking proactive measures to safeguard PHI during transmission, ensuring that unauthorized parties cannot access sensitive information even if the data is intercepted. This aligns with HIPAA’s goals of protecting patient privacy and maintaining the confidentiality of health information. The other options represent scenarios that are in violation of HIPAA. Unrestricted access to health information undermines the principle of minimum necessary access, which is fundamental to HIPAA compliance. Failure to implement staff training neglects the need for employees to understand HIPAA requirements and proper handling of PHI, increasing the risk of unintentional violations. Similarly, inadequate software security could lead to data breaches, representing a failure to protect electronic PHI as mandated by HIPAA.