Health Information Portability and Accountability Act

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a U.S. law designed to protect patients' personal health information. It ensures that healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other entities handle your medical records securely and privately. HIPAA gives you rights over your information, such as accessing your records and knowing who has seen them. Additionally, it sets standards for how this information can be shared, requiring consent in many cases. The goal is to maintain confidentiality while allowing necessary information flow for quality healthcare.