The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is a United States federal statute enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1996.
Most of us believe that our medical and other health information is private and should be protected, and we want to know who has this information. The Privacy Rule, a Federal law, gives you rights over your health information and sets rules and limits on who can look at and receive your health information. The Privacy Rule applies to all forms of individuals’ protected health information, whether electronic, written, or oral. The Security Rule is a Federal law that requires security for health information in electronic form.