when did the hipaa law go into effect
Best Answer: 1996. But parts of HIPAA were not finalized until years later, and other parts were not required to be followed until a decade later. For example, security was not finalized until 2003, and not required to be followed until 2005 or 2006 depending on how big the medical plan was. http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/com... The privacy act is part of HIPAA. Source(s): http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/und...