What fees charged to a patient for copies of PHI under HIPAA cannot include?

Under HIPAA, when a patient requests copies of their protected health information (PHI), covered entities can only charge for specific types of fees related to the copying of those records. The law allows for charges that are directly related to the costs of providing those copies, which can include actual copying costs and postage.

The correct answer highlights that retrieval or handling fees cannot be charged to the patient. This is because HIPAA stipulates that fees for copies of PHI are limited strictly to the costs associated with the copying itself and any necessary shipping, if applicable. The reasoning behind this regulation is to prevent excessive charges that could act as a barrier for individuals seeking access to their own health information.

In contrast, actual copying costs, which may involve labor and materials for creating the copies, as well as postage to send the records to the patient, are permissible charges under HIPAA regulations. These guidelines help ensure that patients have affordable access to their medical records while preventing overcharging for the obtaining of their own health information.