What does HIPAA stand for?

The term HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This legislation, enacted in 1996, primarily focuses on protecting patient privacy and securing health information while also ensuring that individuals can maintain their health insurance coverage when they change or lose jobs.

The phrase "Portability" in HIPAA refers to the ability of a person to transfer their health insurance coverage between employers without losing benefits or facing exclusions. Meanwhile, "Accountability" emphasizes the requirement for healthcare providers and entities to safeguard patient information and to be accountable for maintaining privacy and security standards.

Understanding the components of HIPAA is crucial for medical assistants, as they play a key role in handling patient information and must ensure compliance with these regulations in their daily operations.