HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a United States federal law that created national standards for the electronic exchange of health information for healthcare providers, clearinghouses, and health plans. The law was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996 and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996.

The goal of HIPAA is to protect patient privacy and confidentiality, while at the same time providing incentives to encourage the adoption of computerized systems that can exchange data between providers, clearinghouses and health plans.