Final answer:
Title II of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that health care providers protect patients' Protected Health Information (PHI), which includes any information that can identify an individual and is related to health care services.
Step-by-step explanation:
Title II of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires that health care providers protect patients' Protected Health Information (PHI). The HIPAA sets the standards for the protection of patient information and maintains that the confidentiality of patient records must be strictly upheld by businesses such as insurance companies and healthcare providers. The act protects against unauthorized, nonconsensual release of individually identifiable health information to any entity not actively engaged in providing healthcare to a patient. PHI includes any information in a medical record that can be used to identify an individual and that was created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service, such as a diagnosis or treatment. This encompasses a wide range of information, including one's medical records, billing information, and any other data concerning health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual.