Question 1

Two of the reasons for patient identifiers are

Accepted Answer

Patient identifiers are used to enhance quality of care and coordination of medications to avoid adverse reactions. While HIPAA requirements may include the use of patient identifiers, it is not the primary reason for their use. Improvements in emergency care and reimbursement claims may also be benefits of patient identifiers, but they are not the primary reasons for their use.

Question 2

Which government department did Congress direct to write the HIPAA rule?

Accepted Answer

Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to write the HIPAA rule. Specifically, HHS's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing the privacy and security components of the rule.

Question 3

Congress passed HIPAA to focus on four main areas of our health care system. They are to

Accepted Answer

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) focuses on four main areas of the healthcare system, including keeping electronic information secure, keeping all information private, allowing continuation of health coverage, and standardizing the claims process. Option B correctly identifies these four main areas. Option A lists some relevant areas but misses out on allowing continuation of health coverage, and option C identifies some areas that are not directly related to HIPAA. Option D includes some relevant areas but also includes some incorrect statements, such as standardizing methods of treatment, which is not a focus of HIPAA. Therefore, option B is the best choice.

Question 4

Medical identity theft is

Accepted Answer

Medical identity theft is defined as obtaining personal medical information for use in submitting false claims or seeking medical care or goods. It includes using someone else's insurance information, medical records, or personal information to obtain medical services or payment for services not received. Options A and C are incorrect as they describe different types of fraudulent activities that do not specifically involve medical identity theft. Option B is a type of identity theft, but it does not relate to medical identity theft specifically.

Question 5

Administrative Simplification means that all

Accepted Answer

Administrative simplification aims to streamline administrative processes in the healthcare industry. One aspect of this is standardizing forms and processes, which would result in all health claims being submitted on the same form. This would reduce confusion and streamline the billing process for both healthcare providers and insurance companies. However, administrative simplification does not guarantee that health plans will always adjudicate in favor of healthcare providers or that office managers will not have to manage billing for services.

Question 6

Questions other people have asked about HIPAA law can be found by searching FAQ at

Accepted Answer

The answer of Questions other people have asked about HIPAA...

Question 7

Enforcement of the unique identifiers is under the direction of

Accepted Answer

The Office of HIPAA Standards is responsible for enforcing unique identifiers as part of the administrative simplification provisions of HIPAA.

Question 8

The Employer Identification Number (EIN) contains

Accepted Answer

The EIN contains nine digits with a hyphen separating the first two digits from the others. The number does not contain any intelligence or mix of letters and digits. This format is used to make it easier for OCR software to read and process the number accurately.

Question 9

Use of the EIN on a standard transaction is required

Accepted Answer

The use of the Employer Identification Number (EIN) is required on a standard transaction when the sponsor of the health plan is a self-insured employer. This is because the EIN is used to identify the employer responsible for providing the health coverage.

Question 10

Fraud and abuse investigation of HIPAA Privacy Rule is under the direction of

Accepted Answer

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which includes investigating complaints of violations and conducting compliance reviews.

Question 11

Health plan identifiers defined for HIPAA are

Accepted Answer

As of 2008, health plan identifiers were not mandated under HIPAA.

Question 12

Privacy of PHI includes

Accepted Answer

Privacy of PHI (Protected Health Information) includes both medical and financial records of patients. This includes information such as medical history, lab test results, insurance information, and payment records.

Question 13

Which federal government office is responsible to investigate nonprivacy complaints about HIPAA law?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which federal government office is responsible to...

Question 14

Funding to pay for oversight and compliance to HIPAA law is provided by

Accepted Answer

The answer of Funding to pay for oversight and compliance...

Question 15

Under HIPAA, members of the press can:

Accepted Answer

HIPAA permits covered entities to disclose limited information such as a patient's location in the facility and their general condition to individuals who ask for them by name. This applies to members of the press as well. However, any information beyond that requires the patient's explicit authorization or falls under the purview of permitted uses and disclosures under the law.

Question 16

When patients "opt-out" of the facility directory, it means

Accepted Answer

When patients "opt-out" of the facility directory, their name will not be disclosed on a published list of patients being treated at the facility. This is to ensure their privacy and confidentiality. It does not mean they will be discharged immediately, their name will not be posted outside their room, or that the facility will never reveal they are being treated there.

Question 17

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) has found that the problems of complying with HIPAA Privacy Rule are mainly those that

Accepted Answer

AHIMA found that the main problems of complying with HIPAA Privacy Rule are those that account for the release of PHI. This includes issues with obtaining proper patient consent, implementing security measures to protect PHI, and ensuring that only authorized individuals have access to PHI.

Question 18

When visiting a hospital, clergy members are

Accepted Answer

Clergy members visiting a hospital may receive a list of patients who have identified themselves as members of the same particular denomination. However, they are not treated similarly to physicians and cannot view the patient medical record due to the Privacy Rule.

Question 19

The source documents for original federal documents such as the Federal Register can be found at

Accepted Answer

The Government Printing Office (GPO) is responsible for printing and distributing official publications of the federal government, including the Federal Register. The GPO's website provides access to electronic versions of these publications as well as information about how to obtain print copies.

Question 20

In keeping with the "minimum necessary" policy, an office may leave

Accepted Answer

The answer of In keeping with the "minimum necessary" policy,...

Quiz 5: Unique Health Identifiers and Hipaa Myths