The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996 in the United States, establishes critical data privacy and security measures for the protection of medical information. This pivotal legislation is designed to safeguard the confidentiality of your medical records and health information entrusted to healthcare providers, health plans, hospitals, and other entities within the healthcare system. HIPAA mandates stringent standards to ensure that your sensitive health information is shielded from unauthorized disclosure, maintaining the integrity of patient confidentiality and consent.