The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 was enacted to allow for continuance of health insurance coverage in situations involving job changes or loss. Major provisions of this law were enacted to formulate and regulate federal guidelines and standards pertaining to electronic healthcare. Standards were developed to allow for identifications of providers, health insurance plans and employers, including the National Provider Identifier Standard (NPIS), which provides every physician with a unique number used in all aspects of
