What does HIPAA primarily protect?

HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, primarily protects patient health information, which includes any information related to an individual's health status, healthcare provision, or payment for healthcare that can be linked to an individual. This protection applies to all forms of identifiable health information, including written, electronic, and oral communications.

By creating national standards for the protection of health information, HIPAA ensures that patient confidentiality is maintained, healthcare providers follow the rules regarding who can access and share that information, and that patients have rights over their own health data. Protecting patient health information is crucial not only for maintaining privacy but also for ensuring trust in the healthcare system.

The other options, while related to aspects of the healthcare system, do not align with the primary focus of HIPAA. Financial records of health entities, health insurance premiums, and employment records have their own regulatory frameworks and are not specifically protected under HIPAA in the same way patient health information is.