HIPAA

American  

[hip-ah] / ˈhɪp ɑ /

noun

1. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996: U.S. government legislation that ensures a person's right to buy health insurance after losing a job, establishes standards for electronic medical records, and protects the privacy of a patient's health information.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

HIPAA

Under HIPAA, a healthcare provider may use a patient’s information for treatment, payment and routine operations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025

HIPAA, a federal law that protects the privacy and security of patient health information, only applies to “covered entities” — i.e., healthcare providers, insurers and clearinghouses — and their business associates.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2025

About 2,400 years later, the notion that a patient’s medical information should remain private was codified into federal law as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, better known as HIPAA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2024

Notably, HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, doesn’t extend to laboratory tests marketed directly to consumers.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 29, 2023

This “authorization” isn’t a standard doctor’s office notice detailing how they follow the health-privacy law known as HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

From Washington Post ● May 1, 2023