What constitutes "normal business operations" under HIPAA?

The designation of "normal business operations" under HIPAA primarily encompasses activities related to healthcare delivery. This includes tasks such as providing care to patients, managing healthcare operations, and performing functions essential to the provision of medical services. These operations may involve the coordination of care, appointments, billing, and administrative duties that support patient treatment and service delivery.

In contrast, activities such as personal training or marketing products do not fall under the coding of normal business operations relevant to direct healthcare delivery and the protection of patient information mandated by HIPAA. Additionally, activities that occur outside the scope of patient care—like those purely administrative actions that do not directly facilitate or support healthcare delivery—are also not classified as normal business operations. Therefore, the focus of "normal business operations" is fundamentally linked to activities that support and enhance the delivery of healthcare services.