Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

What does HIPAA stand for?

1. Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act.

2. Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act.

3. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

4. Healthcare Insurance Protection and Accountability Act.

The correct answer is: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

The correct answer reflects the official title of the law, which is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act was enacted in 1996 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system, primarily through the provision of data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. The components of the title are significant: "Health Insurance" highlights the act's focus on ensuring that individuals can maintain their health insurance coverage when they change or lose their jobs, "Portability" emphasizes the ability to transfer health data between different healthcare providers while preserving privacy, and "Accountability" ensures that there are measures in place for adherence to these standards. The other options are variations that either misstate key terms or rearrange the words incorrectly. For instance, "Health Information Privacy and Accountability Act" does not capture the full essence of the law regarding insurance portability. Additionally, "Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act" confuses "Accountability" with "Accounting," which alters the meaning and intent of the legislation. Lastly, "Healthcare Insurance Protection and Accountability Act" introduces the term "Protection," which shifts the focus away from the fundamental aspects of portability and accountability central to HIPAA.