HIPAA is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA or the Kennedy–Kassebaum Act) is a United States Act of Congress enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996. It aimed to alter the transfer of healthcare information, stipulated the guidelines by which personally identifiable information maintained by the healthcare and healthcare insurance industries should be protected from fraud and theft, and addressed some limitations on healthcare insurance coverage. It generally prohibits healthcare providers and businesses called covered entities from disclosing protected information to anyone other than a patient and the patient's authorized representatives without their consent. The bill does not restrict patients from receiving information about themselves (with limited exceptions). Furthermore, it does not prohibit patients from voluntarily sharing their health information however they choose, nor does it require confidentiality where a patient discloses medical information to family members, friends or other individuals not employees of a covered entity.
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| Other short titles | Kassebaum–Kennedy Act, Kennedy–Kassebaum Act |
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| Long title | An Act To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify the administration of health insurance, and for other purposes. |
| Acronyms (colloquial) | HIPAA (pronounced /ˈhɪpə/ HIP-uh) |
| Enacted by | the 104th United States Congress |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 104–191 (text) (PDF) |
| Statutes at Large | 110 Stat. 1936 |
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The act consists of 5 titles:
- Title I protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs.
- Title II, known as the Administrative Simplification (AS) provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers.
- Title III sets guidelines for pre-tax medical spending accounts.
- Title IV sets guidelines for group health plans.
- Title V governs company-owned life insurance policies.
