The Minimum Necessary Standard of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is intended to limit the unnecessary or inappropriate use and disclosure of PHI within and outside of health care organizations covered by the HIPAA regulations. The Minimum Necessary Standard states that covered entities can only use, disclose or request the minimum anount of PHI in any given situation that is necssary to accomplish the goal at hand. The Standard has been enacted to help ensure that PHI will not end up in the wrong hands, or be used for unlawful purposes.