HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HIPAA is the acronym for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
What is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?
A US federal law that standardizes the protection of personal health information (PHI). HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, as well as their business associates who handle PHI.
HIPAA includes requirements for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI, as well as for the security of electronic PHI (ePHI). It also contains provisions for individuals’ rights to access and control their PHI and for reporting and investigating HIPAA violations.
HIPAA is intended to protect the privacy of individual’s health information and to ensure the secure exchange of health information among covered entities and their business associates. It is an important consideration for anyone handling sensitive health information in the US healthcare system.
- Abbreviation: HIPAA