What is the HIPAA Security Rule?

The HIPAA Security Rule establishes a comprehensive framework of national standards specifically aimed at ensuring the security of electronic health information. This regulation mandates that healthcare organizations and their business associates implement a variety of safeguards to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information (ePHI). These safeguards encompass administrative, physical, and technical protections, making it crucial for healthcare entities to comply with these standards to prevent unauthorized access, breaches, or other security incidents involving electronic health records.

The other options do not accurately define the HIPAA Security Rule. A regulation for patient billing focuses solely on financial aspects rather than information security. Guidelines for physical patient privacy would pertain more to the physical environment and policies protecting patient information rather than the electronic contexts the Security Rule addresses. Lastly, a standard for paper health records is not aligned with the Security Rule, which is specifically designed for protecting electronic formats of health information. Thus, option B stands out as the correct answer as it encompasses the essence of the HIPAA Security Rule.