What does the privacy of medical information law protect?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that protects your health information. It has both a Privacy Rule and a Security Rule. The Privacy Rule grants you rights about your health information but also sets rules and limits on how your information can be used and to whom it may be disclosed without your written authorization. The Privacy Rule applies to written, electronic, and verbal health information. The HIPAA Security Rule sets standards for assuring the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of electronic health information.