Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

The United States' Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act for 1996 (or HIPAA in short; pronounced HIP-uh) is an Act of Congress. This bill was signed into law by the then-President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996. Its mission was changing or altering the transfer of health care information. It sought to also protect healthcare industries from fraud and theft.

The bill does not restrict or stop patients from getting information on themselves, although with limited exceptions.The patients can voluntarily share health information however they want and choose.

References

Category:United States federal legislation