American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) Practice Exam

The acronym TPO stands for Treatment Payment and Health Care Operations. This term is commonly used in healthcare settings, particularly in relation to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which outlines guidelines for the privacy and security of health information. In this context, TPO refers to the activities that healthcare providers are allowed to engage in concerning the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI).

Treatment refers to the provision of healthcare services to patients. Payment involves billing and collecting payments for those services, while healthcare operations encompass a variety of administrative and managerial functions necessary to support the features of treatment and payment processes. Understanding this acronym is crucial for healthcare professionals, as it relates to compliance with regulations regarding patient information and the operational aspects of healthcare delivery.