Under HIPAA, which concept requires that the minimum necessary information be used or disclosed?

• A. Minimum Necessary Standard
• B. Business Associate Agreement
• C. Permissible Disclosure
• D. De-identification Requirement

Answer: (A)

The minimum necessary standard is the rule that uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI) must be limited to the smallest amount needed to accomplish the purpose. In practice, this means staff should access only the portions of a record necessary for their task and share only the data required for the specific transaction or need. There are important exceptions, such as disclosures for treatment or disclosures to the patient about their own records, and certain required disclosures; in those cases the standard does not apply in the same way. Other HIPAA concepts—like establishing a Business Associate Agreement, de-identifying data, or simply stating what is permissible to disclose—address different obligations and do not themselves impose the minimum-necessary limit on PHI use or disclosure.