What is individually identifiable information?
_{August 10, 2018}

The HIPAA privacy rule sets forth policies to protect all individually identifiable health information that is held or transmitted.
When personally identifiable information is used in along with a physical or mental health or condition, health care, or one’s payment for that health care, it becomes Protected Health Information (PHI).

Individually Identifiable Information elements are protected by HIPAA Laws.

These are the 18 HIPAA Identifiers that are considered personally identifiable information and can be used to identify, contact, or locate a single person or can be used with other sources to identify a single individual.

• Name
• Address (all geographic subdivisions smaller than the state, including street address, city-county, and zip code)
• All elements (except years) of dates related to an individual (including birth date, admission date, discharge date, date of death, and exact age if over 89)
• Telephone numbers
• Fax number
• Email address
• Social Security Number
• Medical record number
• Health plan beneficiary number
• Account number
• Certificate or license number
• Any vehicle or other devices serial number
• Web URL
• Internet Protocol (IP) Address
• Finger or voice print
• Photographic image – Photographic images are not limited to images of the face.
• Any other characteristic that could uniquely identify the individual.

These identifiers must be treated with special care.

Source: https://www.luc.edu/its/itspoliciesguidelines/hipaainformation/18hipaaidentifiers/