HCCA CHPC Exam 2026/2027 | 500+ Practice Questions, Correct
Answers & Detailed Rationales | HIPAA, HITECH & Healthcare Privacy
Compliance
Questions 1–50
1. What is the primary purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Rule?
A. To regulate medical billing rates
B. To establish standards for protecting PHI and governing its use and
disclosure
C. To regulate hospital construction
D. To establish Medicare reimbursement rates
Answer: B
Rationale: The Privacy Rule establishes national standards governing
protected health information and individuals' privacy rights.
2. What does PHI stand for?
A. Personal Healthcare Insurance
B. Protected Health Information
C. Patient Health Identification
D. Protected Hospital Information
Answer: B
Rationale: PHI is individually identifiable health information protected
under HIPAA when maintained or transmitted by covered entities and
business associates in applicable circumstances.
3. Which organization is generally a HIPAA covered entity?
A. Health insurance company
B. Individual patient
,C. Restaurant
D. School student
Answer: A
Rationale: Health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and certain
healthcare providers conducting covered electronic transactions are
covered entities.
4. Which is an example of a covered healthcare provider?
A. A hospital conducting HIPAA-covered electronic transactions
B. A grocery store
C. A patient's neighbor
D. A construction company
Answer: A
Rationale: Healthcare providers that meet HIPAA's covered-entity
criteria are subject to HIPAA requirements.
5. Which information is most likely PHI?
A. Anonymous health statistics with no identifiers
B. A patient's name linked to a diagnosis
C. General medical textbook information
D. Public weather data
Answer: B
Rationale: Individually identifiable health information connected to
health information is generally PHI when handled by a covered entity or
business associate.
6. Which HIPAA rule primarily addresses electronic PHI security?
A. Privacy Rule
B. Security Rule
,C. Breach Notification Rule
D. Enforcement Rule
Answer: B
Rationale: The Security Rule establishes safeguards for electronic
protected health information.
7. Which three categories of safeguards are established by the HIPAA
Security Rule?
A. Financial, legal, and clinical
B. Administrative, physical, and technical
C. Clinical, financial, and operational
D. Administrative, billing, and clinical
Answer: B
Rationale: HIPAA Security Rule safeguards are administrative, physical,
and technical.
8. Which is an administrative safeguard?
A. Risk analysis
B. Door lock
C. Firewall
D. Screen privacy filter
Answer: A
Rationale: Risk analysis is an administrative safeguard activity.
9. Which is a physical safeguard?
A. Facility access control
B. Password policy
C. Security awareness training
D. Encryption algorithm
, Answer: A
Rationale: Facility access controls protect the physical environment
where systems containing ePHI are located.
10. Which is a technical safeguard?
A. Workforce training
B. Access control mechanisms
C. Visitor sign-in sheet
D. Contingency planning committee
Answer: B
Rationale: Technical safeguards use technology to protect ePHI,
including access-control mechanisms.
11. What is the minimum necessary standard intended to accomplish?
A. Eliminate all PHI disclosures
B. Limit certain PHI uses and disclosures to what is reasonably
necessary
C. Require authorization for treatment
D. Prohibit electronic records
Answer: B
Rationale: The standard seeks to limit certain uses, disclosures, and
requests of PHI to the minimum reasonably necessary for the purpose.
12. Which activity is generally permitted without patient authorization
under HIPAA?
A. Treatment
B. Selling PHI for marketing without required authorization
C. Any disclosure to a neighbor
D. Publishing identifiable PHI online
Answers & Detailed Rationales | HIPAA, HITECH & Healthcare Privacy
Compliance
Questions 1–50
1. What is the primary purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Rule?
A. To regulate medical billing rates
B. To establish standards for protecting PHI and governing its use and
disclosure
C. To regulate hospital construction
D. To establish Medicare reimbursement rates
Answer: B
Rationale: The Privacy Rule establishes national standards governing
protected health information and individuals' privacy rights.
2. What does PHI stand for?
A. Personal Healthcare Insurance
B. Protected Health Information
C. Patient Health Identification
D. Protected Hospital Information
Answer: B
Rationale: PHI is individually identifiable health information protected
under HIPAA when maintained or transmitted by covered entities and
business associates in applicable circumstances.
3. Which organization is generally a HIPAA covered entity?
A. Health insurance company
B. Individual patient
,C. Restaurant
D. School student
Answer: A
Rationale: Health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and certain
healthcare providers conducting covered electronic transactions are
covered entities.
4. Which is an example of a covered healthcare provider?
A. A hospital conducting HIPAA-covered electronic transactions
B. A grocery store
C. A patient's neighbor
D. A construction company
Answer: A
Rationale: Healthcare providers that meet HIPAA's covered-entity
criteria are subject to HIPAA requirements.
5. Which information is most likely PHI?
A. Anonymous health statistics with no identifiers
B. A patient's name linked to a diagnosis
C. General medical textbook information
D. Public weather data
Answer: B
Rationale: Individually identifiable health information connected to
health information is generally PHI when handled by a covered entity or
business associate.
6. Which HIPAA rule primarily addresses electronic PHI security?
A. Privacy Rule
B. Security Rule
,C. Breach Notification Rule
D. Enforcement Rule
Answer: B
Rationale: The Security Rule establishes safeguards for electronic
protected health information.
7. Which three categories of safeguards are established by the HIPAA
Security Rule?
A. Financial, legal, and clinical
B. Administrative, physical, and technical
C. Clinical, financial, and operational
D. Administrative, billing, and clinical
Answer: B
Rationale: HIPAA Security Rule safeguards are administrative, physical,
and technical.
8. Which is an administrative safeguard?
A. Risk analysis
B. Door lock
C. Firewall
D. Screen privacy filter
Answer: A
Rationale: Risk analysis is an administrative safeguard activity.
9. Which is a physical safeguard?
A. Facility access control
B. Password policy
C. Security awareness training
D. Encryption algorithm
, Answer: A
Rationale: Facility access controls protect the physical environment
where systems containing ePHI are located.
10. Which is a technical safeguard?
A. Workforce training
B. Access control mechanisms
C. Visitor sign-in sheet
D. Contingency planning committee
Answer: B
Rationale: Technical safeguards use technology to protect ePHI,
including access-control mechanisms.
11. What is the minimum necessary standard intended to accomplish?
A. Eliminate all PHI disclosures
B. Limit certain PHI uses and disclosures to what is reasonably
necessary
C. Require authorization for treatment
D. Prohibit electronic records
Answer: B
Rationale: The standard seeks to limit certain uses, disclosures, and
requests of PHI to the minimum reasonably necessary for the purpose.
12. Which activity is generally permitted without patient authorization
under HIPAA?
A. Treatment
B. Selling PHI for marketing without required authorization
C. Any disclosure to a neighbor
D. Publishing identifiable PHI online
