Within how many days must individual patients be notified of a data breach according to regulations?

The correct answer is that individual patients must be notified of a data breach within 60 days according to regulations. This requirement is primarily outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Breach Notification Rule, which mandates covered entities to notify affected individuals following the discovery of a breach involving their unsecured protected health information.

This 60-day timeframe is designed to ensure that individuals are informed in a timely manner about breaches that may affect their privacy and security. The regulation emphasizes the importance of prompt notification so that patients can take the necessary steps to protect themselves, such as monitoring their accounts or changing passwords.

In contrast, notification immediately upon discovery is often seen as impractical due to the need to conduct a thorough investigation into the breach to ascertain its details, the extent of the data exposed, and the appropriate remediation actions. As for the options suggesting 30 or 90 days, these do not align with the established regulatory requirements, making 60 days the accurate standard for breach notifications.