What is a key feature of the Privacy Rule?

The Privacy Rule is primarily designed to protect the confidentiality of individuals' health information. This regulation ensures that personal health information (PHI) is kept private and secure, allowing patients to have control over their own health data. Under this rule, healthcare providers, health plans, and other entities that handle your health information are required to safeguard it, limit its use, and disclose it only when necessary, while providing individuals with rights regarding their information.

The emphasis is on maintaining the privacy of health information in various forms, whether electronic, written, or oral, and putting in place safeguards to prevent unauthorized access or breaches. This is a fundamental aspect of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which is designed to create a higher standard for the protection of sensitive patient data.

The other options relate to different aspects of healthcare regulations but do not accurately capture the essence of the Privacy Rule. They involve areas such as claims processing, licensing, and financial transactions rather than focusing on the protection of health information's confidentiality.