Which regulation allows a medical office to release information to an insurance company without written authorization?

The HIPAA Privacy Rule is the regulation that allows a medical office to release certain information to an insurance company without requiring written authorization from the patient. Under HIPAA, healthcare providers are permitted to disclose protected health information (PHI) for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations without patient consent. This means that when a medical office needs to communicate with an insurance company for billing or payment purposes, it can share relevant information necessary for those activities without obtaining explicit permission from the patient each time.

In contrast, the Patient Bill of Rights emphasizes patients' rights to privacy and the protection of their health information but does not specifically address the conditions under which information can be released. The Health Insurance Accountability Act is not a formally recognized regulation as it combines aspects of HIPAA and other healthcare laws but does not independently exist. Medical Record Confidentiality refers generally to the concept of protecting patient information, but it does not outline specific guidelines for releasing information to payers like insurance companies.