What is the purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

The purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is fundamentally to protect the privacy of individuals' health information. Enacted in 1996, HIPAA established national standards for the protection of health information, ensuring that personal health data is kept confidential and secure. This includes safeguarding against unauthorized access and sharing of health records, which is crucial in establishing trust between patients and healthcare providers.

By emphasizing the privacy and integrity of personal health information, HIPAA enables individuals to have greater control over their data, stipulating how healthcare personnel should manage and disclose this information. This is vital in a world where data breaches and unauthorized disclosures can have serious repercussions for individuals’ confidentiality and security.

While some other options hint at important aspects of health insurance and regulation, they do not encapsulate the core purpose of HIPAA, which is fundamentally about privacy protection and maintaining the confidentiality of medical records.