What is the main purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

The main purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is to protect patient privacy and secure healthcare information. This legislation was enacted in 1996 to establish national standards for the protection of certain health information. HIPAA emphasizes the confidentiality of individualized health records and requires healthcare entities to implement strict safeguards to ensure that patients' personal and medical information is not disclosed without consent.

The act covers several critical aspects of healthcare information, including the creation of privacy regulations that dictate how healthcare providers and insurers can use or disclose patient data. Additionally, HIPAA provides patients with rights regarding their health information, including the right to access their records and request amendments. This framework is essential in maintaining trust between patients and healthcare providers, as well as ensuring compliance with federal standards.

In terms of why the other options are less applicable, while equal treatment is important in healthcare, it is not the primary focus of HIPAA. Improving healthcare services is a broader goal that encompasses multiple policies and modifications beyond just privacy regulations. Regulating healthcare providers' fees falls under the domain of other legislative measures and is not a focus of HIPAA, which is specifically designed to address information security and privacy rather than financial regulations.