Question

A coach is hosting a group coaching session and has 8 clients in the room. The coach notices another client came in late to the room. The coach states to the late participant:

""Thank you for joining us. Can you stay on after this group session to reschedule your last appointment you missed so we can move forward on your goal to lose weight by your daughter's wedding?""
Which of the following HIPAA basic requirements did Coach violate?
A. Minimum Necessary Rule
B. Impermissible Uses Rule
C. Access Rule
D. Professional Code of Conduct

Answer 1

The coach violated the Impermissible Uses Rule of HIPAA by discussing a client's missed appointment and weight loss goals in a public setting without consent.

Step-by-step explanation:

The coach violated the Impermissible Uses Rule of HIPAA by publicly acknowledging that the late participant missed an appointment and discussing their goal to lose weight, which is a piece of Protected Health Information (PHI). The Impermissible Uses Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that PHI should only be shared with the individual themselves or those who have explicit permission to receive this information. The Minimum Necessary Rule requires healthcare professionals to only access and share the minimum necessary information to accomplish a task, and this may also have been violated. However, the direct disclosure of PHI to others without consent is a clearer violation of HIPAA rules. The coach should have waited to discuss the details of the client's health goals in a private setting rather than a group environment.