A patient presents chest pain; the provider talks to a cardiologist prior to obtaining consent due to HIPAA provisions. Which portion of HIPAA is cited?

• A. Title II
• B. Privacy Rule
• C. Security Rule
• D. Breach Notification

Answer: (A)

Title II provides the framework under which protected health information (PHI) is protected and disclosed. Within this framework, the Privacy Rule governs how PHI can be shared for treatment purposes without obtaining patient authorization. In your scenario, discussing the patient’s chest pain with a cardiologist to coordinate care is a permitted treatment disclosure, so citing the broader HIPAA section that houses these rules—Title II—is appropriate. The Privacy Rule is the specific provision that actually permits such treatment disclosures, while the Security Rule deals with safeguarding electronic PHI and Breach Notification covers reporting breaches.