Alabama HIPAA Authorization is a process in which an individual provides written permission to a healthcare provider, health plan, or other covered entity to use or disclose protected health information (PHI) for the purposes of treatment, payment, healthcare operations, and other activities related to healthcare. There are two types of Alabama HIPAA Authorization: the general authorization and the limited authorization. The general authorization permits the disclosure of all types of PHI for any purpose, while the limited authorization permits only certain types of PHI to be disclosed for specific purposes. Both types of authorization must contain certain elements, including the individual's name, the name of the person or entity to whom the PHI may be disclosed, a description of the PHI that may be disclosed, the purpose for which the PHI may be disclosed, the expiration date of the authorization, and the individual's signature.