HIPAA primarily governs privacy and security of what?

• A. HIPAA only applies to hospital administration.
• B. HIPAA regulates school curricula.
• C. HIPAA governs environmental health.
• D. HIPAA primarily governs privacy and security of protected health information across covered entities.

Answer: (D)

HIPAA's main focus is protecting identifiable health information as it moves through the health care system. The privacy rule limits who can use or disclose protected health information (PHI) and under what circumstances, while the security rule requires safeguards to protect PHI when it is stored or transmitted electronically. These protections apply to covered entities—health care providers and facilities that electronically handle PHI, health plans, and health care clearinghouses—and their business associates. Because of that scope, HIPAA governs privacy and security of PHI across those entities, not school curricula or general environmental health, and not hospital administration in isolation. In settings outside health care, other laws (like FERPA for student records) often govern privacy unless the entity functions as a covered entity or handles PHI covered by HIPAA.