The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 provides _____________ protections for personal health information.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) establishes federal protections for personal health information. HIPAA was created to ensure that individuals’ health information remains confidential and secure, standardizing the way that personal health information is handled by healthcare providers, insurers, and their business associates across the nation. This federal baseline of protection applies uniformly, providing a consistent framework that entities must follow to ensure privacy and security of health data.

State laws can sometimes provide additional protections beyond those established by federal law, but HIPAA itself is a federal statute, which is why the correct answer highlights its federal nature. The focus on federal law underscores the importance of compliance across all states, ensuring that regardless of where individuals receive care or services, their health information enjoys a set of established protections. Local or agency-level regulations might add layers to privacy safeguards, but they do not supersede the foundational federal protections laid out by HIPAA.