Mary's PHI was breached by her physician office when it was disclosed in error to another patient. Which of the following breach notification statements is correct regarding the physician office's required action?

When a patient's protected health information (PHI) is breached, the covered entity, such as a physician office, is required to respond according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. In this scenario, the accurate course of action is to report the breach to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within 60 days of the breach occurring.

This requirement is grounded in the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, which mandates that any breach of unsecured PHI must be reported promptly to HHS, with specific timelines based on the nature and scope of the breach. Reporting within 60 days provides a timely approach for the department to monitor compliance and safeguard patient information effectively.

Local media notifications are typically required only for breaches that affect a significant number of individuals, so not all breaches necessitate such wide outreach. Additionally, regardless of whether the breach affects one person or many, the covered entity has a responsibility to report the breach in a defined timeframe. Thus, the proper notification ensures that appropriate measures can be taken to mitigate any potential harm resulting from the breach.