Amendment of PHI
The HIPAA right of an individual to request that a covered entity amend PHI in a designated record set.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- HIPAA & Privacy
- Primary sources
- 2
- Workspace handoff
- templates →
Where this comes up
Privacy officers and practice managers handle this — patient rights requests, accounting of disclosures, BAA reviews with new vendors, breach risk assessments after an incident, and OCR responses when a complaint lands. The 60-day breach-notification clock starts at discovery, not at investigation close.
Full definition
What it is in practice
45 CFR 164.526 requires covered entities to act on an amendment request within 60 days (with one 30-day extension). The entity may deny if the PHI was not created by the entity, is not in the DRS, is accurate and complete, or would not be available for inspection. Denials must be in writing and patients can submit a statement of disagreement.
How it shows up in your practice
Build a written amendment-request procedure. Track requests, decisions, and patient statements of disagreement in the chart so any future record release reflects the amendment history.
Sources
- 45 CFR 164.526 — Amendment of PHIhttps://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.526
- HHS — HIPAA Privacy Rulehttps://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/index.html
Pull the amendment-response template
Open templates →Related terms
- HIPAA & PrivacyPatient Right of AccessThe HIPAA right of an individual to inspect and obtain a copy of their PHI in a designated record set.
- HIPAA & PrivacyDesignated Record SetThe group of records maintained by or for a covered entity that contains PHI used to make decisions about individuals.
- HIPAA & PrivacyAccounting of DisclosuresThe HIPAA right of an individual to receive a list of disclosures of their PHI made by a covered entity over the prior six years.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryAccounting of DisclosuresThe HIPAA right of an individual to receive a list of disclosures of their PHI made by a covered entity over the prior six years.
- GlossaryDesignated Record SetThe group of records maintained by or for a covered entity that contains PHI used to make decisions about individuals.
- GlossaryPatient Right of AccessThe HIPAA right of an individual to inspect and obtain a copy of their PHI in a designated record set.
- GlossaryAuthorization for DisclosureA written authorization signed by the individual permitting a covered entity to use or disclose PHI for a purpose not otherwise permitted by the Privacy Rule.
- GlossaryCovered EntityA health plan, health care clearinghouse, or health care provider that transmits health information in electronic form in connection with a HIPAA transaction.
- RegulationHIPAA Accounting of Disclosures (45 CFR 164.528)Individuals may request an accounting of disclosures of their PHI made by a covered entity in the prior six years, with a defined list of exclusions.
- BillingBusiness Associate Agreement Checklist for Small PracticesA working checklist for small practices to identify which vendors need a Business Associate Agreement, what clauses the BAA must contain, and how to track them.
- SRAHIPAA Patient Right of Access: A Small-Practice WalkthroughHow 45 CFR 164.524 governs patient access to their records, the 30-day rule and 30-day extension, the limited fees a practice may charge, and the OCR Right of Access Initiative.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.