HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a U.S. federal law enacted to protect individual health information while improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system

. Its main purposes include:

• Protecting health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose jobs (Title I)

• Establishing national standards for electronic healthcare transactions and identifiers to simplify administrative processes (Title II)

• Setting guidelines for pre-tax medical spending accounts and group health plans (Titles III and IV)

• Regulating company-owned life insurance policies (Title V)

HIPAA primarily safeguards "Protected Health Information" (PHI), which includes any individually identifiable health information maintained or exchanged electronically, on paper, or orally by covered entities such as healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses

. The law restricts unauthorized disclosure of this information, requiring patient consent for most uses and disclosures, while allowing patients rights such as accessing and amending their health records and requesting privacy protections

. The HIPAA Privacy Rule, part of Title II, sets national standards for protecting the privacy of PHI and requires covered entities to inform patients about their privacy rights and how their information is used

. HIPAA also includes security standards for safeguarding electronic PHI (ePHI) and enforcement rules to ensure compliance, with penalties for violations

. In summary, HIPAA is a comprehensive law designed to protect patient health information privacy and security, ensure health insurance portability, and streamline healthcare administrative processes in the United States