What and how data can be released depends upon the state’s laws and regulations governing the APCD. States typically look to the HIPAA Privacy Rule for guidance, the framework for how health- care organizations may use and disclose patients’ medical data, known as “protected health information.”3 When new APCD states develop their data release models, other states’ and CMS’ data products and release processes offer useful guidance and structure. While each state has slightly different products and procedures for accessing them, states typically release one or more dataset types.
