HIPAA Privacy Rule - Basic Principle for Uses and Disclosures

A major purpose of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is to define and limit the circumstances in which an individual’s protected heath information may be used or disclosed by covered entities.

A covered entity may not use or disclose protected health information, except either:

• as the Privacy Rule permits or requires; or
• as the individual who is the subject of the information (or the individual's personal representative) authorizes in writing.