What are the two main components of HIPAA?

The two main components of HIPAA are the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule. The Privacy Rule establishes national standards for the protection of individuals' medical records and other personal health information. It governs how healthcare providers, health plans, and related entities can use and disclose protected health information (PHI). This rule ensures that patients have rights over their health information, including the ability to access their records and receive an accounting of disclosures.

The Security Rule complements the Privacy Rule by setting standards specifically for the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI). It outlines the administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that must be implemented to secure ePHI against unauthorized access and breaches. Together, these two rules form the cornerstone of HIPAA compliance, ensuring that personal health information is handled with care and confidentiality.

Other options like the Access Rule and Disclosure Rule, or the Data Rule and Maintenance Rule, do not accurately reflect established components of HIPAA, and the terms used in those choices are not recognized as formal parts of the regulation. Similarly, the Efficiency Rule does not exist within the HIPAA regulatory framework, highlighting the significance of understanding the main components that truly define HIPAA standards.