Which of the following is not a form of PHI?

Protected Health Information (PHI) is defined under HIPAA as any individually identifiable health information that is created, received, or maintained by a healthcare provider, health plan, employer, or healthcare clearinghouse. This information must relate to the past, present, or future physical or mental health of an individual, the provision of healthcare, or the payment for healthcare that can be linked to a specific individual.

The option indicating information that cannot be used to identify a patient accurately reflects the essence of what constitutes non-PHI. Since PHI is meant to include identifiable information, if the data cannot be used to identify an individual, it does not meet the criteria set forth by HIPAA for being considered PHI.

In contrast, the medical history of a patient, a patient’s social security number, and a patient’s treatment plan are all forms of PHI because they directly relate to identifiable information about an individual and their healthcare. These data can be linked back to an individual, thereby falling under the protections established by HIPAA.

Thus, the correct answer highlights a key distinction in understanding PHI: the identification capability of the information itself.