Table 1 List of HIPAA identifiers.

1

Names

Full names or any part of a patient’s name that could identify the individual.

2

Geographic subdivisions smaller than a state

All geographic data smaller than a state, such as street address, city, county, and zip code (except for the first three digits in certain situations).

3

All elements of dates

Dates directly related to an individual, including birth date, admission date, discharge date, and date of death; except year.

4

Telephone numbers

Any telephone numbers that could be used to contact the individual.

5

Fax numbers

Any fax numbers associated with the individual.

6

Email addresses

Any email addresses.

7

Social security numbers

Social security numbers.

8

Medical record numbers

Any medical record numbers or other unique identifiers used in medical records.

9

Health plan beneficiary numbers

Any numbers that identify an individual under a particular health plan.

10

Account numbers

Any account numbers linked to an individual’s financial or health records.

11

Certificate/license numbers

Any type of certificate or license numbers that could identify the individual.

12

Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers

Vehicle identification numbers and serial numbers, including license plates.

13

Device identifiers and serial numbers

Any identifiers and serial numbers associated with device implants or usage.

14

Web Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)

Any URLs that might lead to identifying personal information.

15

Internet protocol (IP) addresses

Any computer IP addresses.

16

Biometric identifiers

Fingerprints, voiceprints, and other biometric identifiers.

17

Full face photographic images and any comparable images

Photographs of the full face or similar images that can identify the individual.

18

Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code

Any unique identifier not already listed that could identify the individual.