What does the HIPAA Privacy Rule establish?

The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes a framework that sets a minimum standard for the privacy and security of individuals' health information. This regulation outlines how health information can be used and disclosed by covered entities, such as healthcare providers, plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. The emphasis on setting a minimum standard means that while HIPAA provides baseline protection for personal health information, states and entities can implement stricter standards if they choose to do so. This allows for flexibility and ensures that individuals have a degree of protection for their health information, irrespective of variations in state laws.

The other options do not accurately depict the primary tenet of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. For example, it does not exclusively address medical information not covered by state law or serve as federal common law. Additionally, while HIPAA does address conflicts with certain state laws, it does not supersede all conflicting state laws since states can enact more stringent privacy protections.