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.

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Example Sentences

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

State officials argued the report was confidential under the patient-psychiatrist privilege as well as under the federal medical privacy law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 29, 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

Signing an authorization isn’t a “waiver” of your rights, but you’re consenting to your data being disclosed for additional purposes, at which point it leaves the protections of HIPAA, said HHS’s Fontes Rainer.

From Washington Post • May 1, 2023