Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC) Exam
2025 | HIPAA Focused Actual Test and a study
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1. Which of the following is considered Protected Health Information (PHI)
under HIPAA?
A. A patient's Social Security Number
B. The medical history of a patient who is deceased
C. The name of a patient in a public directory
D. Information that has been de-identified
Answer: A
Rationale: PHI is any information about health status, healthcare, or payment for
healthcare that can be linked to a specific individual.
2. What is the main purpose of HIPAA?
A. To provide insurance coverage for patients
B. To ensure the confidentiality of PHI
C. To regulate billing and payment for healthcare services
D. To make medical records public
,Answer: B
Rationale: HIPAA primarily aims to protect patient privacy by ensuring that PHI is
kept confidential and secure.
3. Which rule governs the protection of electronic health information under
HIPAA?
A. Privacy Rule
B. Security Rule
C. Breach Notification Rule
D. Enforcement Rule
Answer: B
Rationale: The Security Rule sets standards for safeguarding electronic protected
health information (ePHI).
4. What must a healthcare organization do to comply with HIPAA’s Privacy
Rule?
A. Encrypt all patient records
B. Ensure the confidentiality of all PHI, whether spoken, written, or electronic
C. Provide full access to all patient records to employees
D. Only protect patient information during business hours
Answer: B
Rationale: The Privacy Rule applies to PHI in any form and requires healthcare
organizations to protect its confidentiality.
5. Which of the following is an example of a permissible disclosure of PHI
without patient authorization?
A. To an employer for employment purposes
B. To a family member for billing inquiries
C. For public health activities, such as reporting diseases
D. To a marketing company for promotional purposes
,Answer: C
Rationale: HIPAA permits disclosures for public health activities, such as reporting
diseases to public health authorities.
6. What is required in a HIPAA breach notification?
A. The patient’s home address
B. A description of what occurred and the potential harm
C. A statement about how the healthcare provider handled the breach
D. The patient's full medical history
Answer: B
Rationale: Breach notifications must include a description of what occurred,
including the date of the breach, and what steps individuals can take to protect
themselves.
7. Which of the following is a safeguard under the HIPAA Security Rule?
A. Providing regular training on patient privacy
B. Ensuring that all employees wear badges
C. Implementing password protections for access to electronic records
D. Allowing patients to access their medical records online
Answer: C
Rationale: The Security Rule requires technical safeguards, such as password
protection, to ensure the security of ePHI.
8. A healthcare provider can disclose PHI without patient consent under which
of the following circumstances?
A. If the disclosure is required for treatment
B. If the patient verbally agrees to the disclosure
C. If the patient is a public figure
D. If the disclosure is for marketing purposes
, Answer: A
Rationale: PHI may be disclosed without consent for treatment purposes, such as
sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in the patient's care.
9. Which of the following statements about HIPAA’s "Minimum Necessary"
Standard is true?
A. The "Minimum Necessary" Standard limits how much PHI is disclosed based on
the purpose of the disclosure.
B. PHI can always be shared without limitations for any purpose.
C. Only healthcare providers need to follow this rule, not other entities.
D. It applies only to paper records, not electronic ones.
Answer: A
Rationale: The "Minimum Necessary" Standard requires that only the minimum
amount of PHI necessary for the intended purpose be disclosed.
10. What action is required by a healthcare provider if an employee accesses a
patient’s PHI without authorization?
A. The provider must report the unauthorized access immediately to the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
B. The provider must terminate the employee’s access to PHI
C. The provider must inform the patient immediately
D. The provider must document the unauthorized access and may take
disciplinary action
Answer: D
Rationale: Healthcare organizations must document the unauthorized access and
may take corrective action, including disciplinary measures.
11. Which of the following is NOT a technical safeguard required under the
HIPAA Security Rule?
2025 | HIPAA Focused Actual Test and a study
guide Questions and Answers with
Rationales | Verified for Guaranteed pass
latest update
1. Which of the following is considered Protected Health Information (PHI)
under HIPAA?
A. A patient's Social Security Number
B. The medical history of a patient who is deceased
C. The name of a patient in a public directory
D. Information that has been de-identified
Answer: A
Rationale: PHI is any information about health status, healthcare, or payment for
healthcare that can be linked to a specific individual.
2. What is the main purpose of HIPAA?
A. To provide insurance coverage for patients
B. To ensure the confidentiality of PHI
C. To regulate billing and payment for healthcare services
D. To make medical records public
,Answer: B
Rationale: HIPAA primarily aims to protect patient privacy by ensuring that PHI is
kept confidential and secure.
3. Which rule governs the protection of electronic health information under
HIPAA?
A. Privacy Rule
B. Security Rule
C. Breach Notification Rule
D. Enforcement Rule
Answer: B
Rationale: The Security Rule sets standards for safeguarding electronic protected
health information (ePHI).
4. What must a healthcare organization do to comply with HIPAA’s Privacy
Rule?
A. Encrypt all patient records
B. Ensure the confidentiality of all PHI, whether spoken, written, or electronic
C. Provide full access to all patient records to employees
D. Only protect patient information during business hours
Answer: B
Rationale: The Privacy Rule applies to PHI in any form and requires healthcare
organizations to protect its confidentiality.
5. Which of the following is an example of a permissible disclosure of PHI
without patient authorization?
A. To an employer for employment purposes
B. To a family member for billing inquiries
C. For public health activities, such as reporting diseases
D. To a marketing company for promotional purposes
,Answer: C
Rationale: HIPAA permits disclosures for public health activities, such as reporting
diseases to public health authorities.
6. What is required in a HIPAA breach notification?
A. The patient’s home address
B. A description of what occurred and the potential harm
C. A statement about how the healthcare provider handled the breach
D. The patient's full medical history
Answer: B
Rationale: Breach notifications must include a description of what occurred,
including the date of the breach, and what steps individuals can take to protect
themselves.
7. Which of the following is a safeguard under the HIPAA Security Rule?
A. Providing regular training on patient privacy
B. Ensuring that all employees wear badges
C. Implementing password protections for access to electronic records
D. Allowing patients to access their medical records online
Answer: C
Rationale: The Security Rule requires technical safeguards, such as password
protection, to ensure the security of ePHI.
8. A healthcare provider can disclose PHI without patient consent under which
of the following circumstances?
A. If the disclosure is required for treatment
B. If the patient verbally agrees to the disclosure
C. If the patient is a public figure
D. If the disclosure is for marketing purposes
, Answer: A
Rationale: PHI may be disclosed without consent for treatment purposes, such as
sharing information with other healthcare providers involved in the patient's care.
9. Which of the following statements about HIPAA’s "Minimum Necessary"
Standard is true?
A. The "Minimum Necessary" Standard limits how much PHI is disclosed based on
the purpose of the disclosure.
B. PHI can always be shared without limitations for any purpose.
C. Only healthcare providers need to follow this rule, not other entities.
D. It applies only to paper records, not electronic ones.
Answer: A
Rationale: The "Minimum Necessary" Standard requires that only the minimum
amount of PHI necessary for the intended purpose be disclosed.
10. What action is required by a healthcare provider if an employee accesses a
patient’s PHI without authorization?
A. The provider must report the unauthorized access immediately to the
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
B. The provider must terminate the employee’s access to PHI
C. The provider must inform the patient immediately
D. The provider must document the unauthorized access and may take
disciplinary action
Answer: D
Rationale: Healthcare organizations must document the unauthorized access and
may take corrective action, including disciplinary measures.
11. Which of the following is NOT a technical safeguard required under the
HIPAA Security Rule?
