The HCC may de-identify PHI on recipients by removing all recipient identifiable information 45CFR 164.514(a)(b). Authorized HCC employees shall forward the PHI to be de-identified to a person with appropriate knowledge of and experience with generally accepted statistical and scientific principles and methods for rendering information not individually identifiable; or they shall remove all the following recipient identifiable information.

1. A. Names.

2. B. Location: All geographic subdivisions smaller than a state, including street address, city, county, precinct, zip code, and their equivalent geocodes, except for the initial three digits of a zip code if, according to the current publicly available data from the bureau of the census:

   1. (1) the geographic unit formed by combining all zip codes with the same three initial digits contains more than 20,000 people; and
   2. (2) the initial three digits of a zip code for all such geographic units containing 20,000 or fewer people is changed to 000.
3. C. Dates: All elements of dates (except year) for dates directly related to an individual, including birth date, admission date, discharge date, date of death; and all ages over 89 and all elements of dates (including year) indicative of such age, except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of age 90 or older;

4. D. Numbers: All elements of numbers, or combination of alpha-numeric and special characters, for identification directly related to an individual, including:

   1. (1) telephone numbers;
   2. (2) fax numbers;
   3. (3) e-mail addresses;
   4. (4) social security numbers;
   5. (5) medical record numbers;
   6. (6) health plan beneficiary numbers;
   7. (7) account numbers;
   8. (8) certificate/license numbers;
   9. (9) vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers;
   10. (10) device identifiers and serial numbers;
   11. (11) web universal resource locators; (URLs);
   12. (12) internet protocol (IP) address numbers;
   13. (13) any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code, except as otherwise permitted.

5. E. Imagery: All elements of physical characteristics captured in any format, or combination of formats, for identification directly related to an individual, including:

   1. (1) biometric identifiers, including finger and voiceprints; and
   2. (2) full face photographic images and any comparable images.

[8.300.2.17 NMAC - Rp 8.300.2.17 NMAC, 7/1/2024]