What does HIPAA stand for?

The correct answer is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act was enacted in 1996 and serves two primary purposes: ensuring that individuals can maintain their health insurance coverage when they change or lose their jobs, and setting national standards for the protection of personal health information.

By establishing protections for health data, HIPAA ensures that patients' medical records are kept confidential and secure. It also grants patients rights over their own health information, including the right to access and request corrections to their records. This legislation plays a crucial role in maintaining the trust between healthcare providers and patients by safeguarding sensitive health information.

The other options do not accurately reflect what HIPAA stands for or its actual provisions. Understanding this terminology and its implications is critical for those involved in healthcare administration, ensuring compliance with laws related to patient data privacy and security.