Final answer:
General Hospital can't charge Emily Carey for the first request of an accounting of disclosures under HIPAA. One free report is allowed every 12 months, with potential fees for additional requests.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), if Emily Carey requests an accounting of disclosures from General Hospital for the first time, the hospital could charge her no fee. It is their obligation to provide one free accounting to patients within a 12-month period. Charges may apply for subsequent requests if notified in advance.
An accounting of disclosures includes tracking disclosures of protected health information (PHI) that occur outside the usual course of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, unless the disclosures have been specifically exempted under HIPAA. General Hospital is required to provide a listing including certain details such as the date of the disclosure, to whom PHI was disclosed, a description of the disclosed information, and the purpose of the disclosure.