In what circumstances can PHI be disclosed without patient consent?

Disclosing Protected Health Information (PHI) without patient consent is permissible under specific circumstances outlined by HIPAA regulations. One of these circumstances includes public health purposes and law enforcement situations.

For public health, this can involve reporting diseases that may pose a threat to public health, such as infectious diseases, or sharing data with health agencies to track and control health crises. Law enforcement situations may allow for the disclosure of PHI if it is necessary to comply with a legal requirement, such as responding to a court order or complying with a subpoena.

While the other options touch on various aspects of information sharing, they do not meet the regulatory criteria that allow for PHI disclosure without patient consent. Marketing with incentives generally requires patient authorization, requests from family members typically involve the need for patient consent unless specific exceptions apply, and employer-initiated health assessments usually require consent for any PHI that pertains to an employee's health status.