Ch. 125: Health Care Information that Directly Identifies an Individual

SUMMARY: This chapter defines health care information that directly identifies an individual. 1. Applicability. This rule is applicable to all activities and processes described under 22 M.R.S.A. §1711-C, Confidentiality of health care information. 2. Definitions A. Address. “Address” includes street addresses, post office box numbers, apartment numbers, E-911 addresses, E-mail addresses, web universal resource locator (URL) and Internet protocol (IP) address number. B. Bank Account. “Bank account” means any checking, savings, certificate of deposit, or any account utilized for the payment of third parties. C. Direct Identifier. “Direct identifier” means any information that discloses the identity of an individual. A case or code number used to create anonymous or encrypted medical data for research purposes is not a direct identifier. D. Family. “Family” means spouse, children, parents, siblings, and legal guardian. E. Insured. “Insured” means an individual in whose name an insurance policy is carried. F. Operator. “Operator” means an individual who uses a vehicle. G. Vehicle. “Vehicle” means a piece of mechanized equipment for transporting passengers or goods including, but not limited to: automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, all-terrain-vehicles, snowmobiles, aircraft, and water craft. 3. Identifying Information Data elements determined to be direct identifiers of individuals include the following: A. Patient’s Name; B. Names of Patient’s Family Members; C. Insured’s Name; D. Patient’s or Insured’s Address; E. Patient’s or Insured’s Telephone or FAX Numbers. Includes both home and work numbers; F. Patient Control Number. A unique alphanumeric number assigned by a health care provider to facilitate retrieval of individual financial records and posting of payment; G. Medical Record Number. A number assigned to the patient’s medical/health record by the provider; H. Patient’s Account Number

s; E. Patient’s or Insured’s Telephone or FAX Numbers. Includes both home and work numbers; F. Patient Control Number. A unique alphanumeric number assigned by a health care provider to facilitate retrieval of individual financial records and posting of payment; G. Medical Record Number. A number assigned to the patient’s medical/health record by the provider; H. Patient’s Account Number. A unique number used by a health care provider or supplier to identify an individual’s case records and for posting payment; I. Patient’s or Insured’s Social Security Number; J. Insured’s Unique Health Insurance Identification Number; K. Insured’s Unique Health Insurance Certificate Number; L. Patient’s Medicare/Medicaid Health Insurance Identification Number; M. Patient’s Federal Employees Compensation Act Number; N. Patient’s or Insured’s Credit Card Number; O. Patient’s or Insured’s Bank Account Number; P. Patient’s or Insured’s Operator’s License Number; Q. Patient’s or Insured’s Vehicle Registration Number; R. Patient’s or Insured’s Vehicle License Plate Number; S. Patient’s or Insured’s Vehicle Identification Number; T. Patient’s or Insured’s Finger or Voice Prints; U. Patient’s or Insured’s Photographic Images; V. Patient’s Pilot Medical Certificate Number; W. Patient’s Maine Department of Corrections Inmate Identification Number; X. Patient’s or Insured’s Medical Device Identifiers and Serial Numbers; and Y. Any other unique number, characteristic, code or information that is a direct identifier.