What does the HIPAA Security Rule address?

• A. It covers physical file security only.
• B. It governs patient billing practices.
• C. It only applies to email encryption.
• D. It addresses security of PHI in electronic form.

Answer: (D)

The main concept is that the HIPAA Security Rule focuses on protecting electronic PHI. It requires safeguards—administrative, physical, and technical—for PHI that is stored, processed, or transmitted electronically. This includes practices like access controls, encryption where appropriate, audit trails, risk analyses, and staff training. In telehealth, patient data moves and resides in electronic form, so these protections apply to electronic records, messages, and data transmissions. The rule is specifically about securing PHI in electronic form, rather than physical file security, billing practices, or encryption being the sole focus.