Which act is primarily concerned with protecting health information privacy?

• A. Privacy Act
• B. Freedom of Information Act
• C. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• D. Drug Abuse Offense and Treatment Act

Answer: (C)

Protecting health information privacy is the job of HIPAA. It specifically protects what health information is called protected health information (PHI) and sets strict rules for how PHI can be used and disclosed in healthcare, billing, and health care operations. It also gives individuals rights to access and correct their records and requires safeguards to keep PHI secure, including rules for electronic PHI. The Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and Breach Notification Rule together establish and enforce these protections, making HIPAA the primary law that governs health information privacy.

The Privacy Act deals with how federal agencies handle personal data, not the day-to-day privacy of patient information in healthcare. The Freedom of Information Act focuses on government transparency and access to records, not protecting private health data. The Drug Abuse Offense and Treatment Act isn’t a standard privacy law for health information. So HIPAA is the best fit for health information privacy.