A federal law governing the portability and continuity of health insurance coverage by, among other provisions, limiting preexisting condition exclusions (PCEs) in group health plans (Pub. L. No. 104-191 (1996)). (Enacted in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsequently prohibited PCEs in group health plans.)

HIPAA also established privacy and security standards for the use and distribution of health information. HIPAA's privacy requirements regulate the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI), and the security rules impose administrative, physical, and technical security safeguards for electronic PHI.

For more information, see the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Toolkit.