Protected health information is anything that connects a patient to his or her health information.

Under HIPAA, PHI is defined as health information that identifies or could reasonably be used to identify an individual and relates to their past, present, or future physical or mental health, the provision of health care, or payment for health care. The key element is the connection between the individual and their health information, which makes the data 'protected' under the rule. Any information that breaks this link - such as de-identified data - no longer qualifies as PHI.

This is false because HIPAA's definition of PHI explicitly includes any information that connects an individual to their health data, making the statement accurate.