Is it legal for a covered entity to disclose PHI for treatment purposes?

Disclosing Protected Health Information (PHI) for treatment purposes is legal under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. This rule is designed to ensure that patient privacy is respected while allowing healthcare providers to communicate necessary information to facilitate patient care.

When healthcare providers share patient information to coordinate treatment, such as informing a specialist about a patient's medical history or medications, this is considered a routine part of treatment. The HIPAA Privacy Rule explicitly allows these types of disclosures without the need for patient authorization, as they are essential for delivering quality healthcare.

In contrast, the other options suggest restrictions that do not align with the HIPAA guidelines regarding treatment disclosures. For instance, requiring a patient's authorization for every treatment-related disclosure would impede efficient patient care and communication among providers, which is not the intention of the HIPAA regulations concerning treatment. Hence, the provision allowing for PHI disclosures for treatment purposes reflects the balance HIPAA seeks to strike between patient privacy and the necessity of sharing information for effective healthcare delivery.