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

Kelly says that for model-training purposes, any reference to a patient’s identity is removed, and that it is compliant with HIPAA, the federal patient-data protection law.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

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

In the U.S., health information is typically protected by what’s known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2023

The mental health counseling offered via chatbots, AI apps and other nonprofessional care providers isn’t covered by HIPAA, so any transcripts won’t be protected by federal law.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2023

Millions of women use mobile apps to track their cycles, a practice that has occasionally raised data-security worries because the apps are not bound by HIPAA, the federal health privacy law.

From Washington Post • Feb. 14, 2023