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Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Find Out How To Handle Family History Facts

Published on Fri Jun 21, 2024

Question: When our ophthalmologists get referrals for procedures, the referring physician sometimes includes information about the patient’s family medical history (FMH). Is that information protected by HIPAA? Can physicians share FMH, or do they need permission first? Pennsylvania Subscriber Answer: Yes, a patient’s family medical history constitutes protected health information (PHI) and sharing it with a consultant is considered an incidental sharing [...]
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