The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a United States federal law enacted in 1996 that establishes national standards for protecting the privacy and security of certain health information (protected health information) held by covered entities and their business associates.
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- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act establishes national standards in the United States for safeguarding protected health information held by covered entities and their business associates. Its Privacy Rule and Security Rule set out permitted uses and required safeguards.
- The law restricts disclosure of identifiable health data without authorisation and requires administrative, physical and technical controls. Enforcement is carried out by federal authorities, with penalties for non-compliance.