A federal law called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act applies to most health care practitioners and sets detailed rules regarding privacy, access, and disclosure of information. Congress passed the law in 1996 amidst concerns about technology's impact in both areas. The new law had two intentions. The first was to facilitate the electronic exchange of health information by quieting concerns over privacy and confidentiality. The second was to provide more security for health information when workers changed jobs and faced the possibility of being denied health insurance coverage in the new workplace because of preexisting conditions. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) was charged with issuing the administrative
