Which term describes a patient's formal permission to disclose their health information to another party?

• A. Verbal consent
• B. Waiver
• C. Authorization
• D. Release

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that sharing a patient’s health information with another party requires a formal, documented permission. In HIPAA terms, that specific, written permission is called an authorization. It goes beyond general consent by naming exactly who may receive the information, what can be shared, for what purpose, and for how long (often with a patient signature and possibly an expiration). Verbal consent isn’t usually enough for disclosures, and a waiver or a generic release doesn’t meet the precise, legally recognized requirement for conveying PHI to an outside party. So the best term for that formal permission is authorization.