What is HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, was enacted to protect patient privacy and the confidentiality of health information. Its primary purpose is to ensure that individuals' medical records and other personal health information are properly secured and only shared with authorized individuals. HIPAA sets standards for the safeguarding of medical information, restricting who can access, use, or disclose that information without patient consent. This protection helps maintain trust between patients and healthcare providers by ensuring that sensitive information remains private.

The other options, while related to healthcare, do not accurately capture the essence of what HIPAA is. Some may incorrectly emphasize a regulatory aspect, a specific program, or an unrelated tool, but HIPAA specifically focuses on the privacy and security of health information.