The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards for the protection of health information, ensuring privacy while allowing essential information flow to provide quality healthcare. Issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the rule applies to "covered entities" and outlines standards for how protected health information (PHI) can be used and disclosed. It also sets forth individuals' privacy rights, giving them control over their health information. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces compliance with the Rule, which aims to balance privacy protection with the need for accessible healthcare information.