One reason that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was created is to

One reason that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was created is to

• A. Help keep health information private and secure
• B. Help ombudsmen monitor care in facilities
• C. Give nursing assistants proper health insurance coverage
• D. Prevent abuse and neglect of residents

Answer: (A)

HIPAA protects the privacy and security of a patient’s health information. It sets rules about who can access PHI, how it can be shared, and how it must be safeguarded when stored or transmitted, including electronic records. For CNAs, this means sharing information only with team members who need it to provide care, discussing details in private areas, and keeping charts and devices secure. This focus on confidentiality is what makes HIPAA's purpose best captured by keeping health information private and secure. The other ideas relate to different functions: oversight of care quality by inspectors or ombudsmen, health insurance coverage for staff, and preventing abuse or neglect—things governed by other laws and programs, not HIPAA’s primary aim.

HIPAA protects the privacy and security of a patient’s health information. It sets rules about who can access PHI, how it can be shared, and how it must be safeguarded when stored or transmitted, including electronic records. For CNAs, this means sharing information only with team members who need it to provide care, discussing details in private areas, and keeping charts and devices secure. This focus on confidentiality is what makes HIPAA's purpose best captured by keeping health information private and secure.

The other ideas relate to different functions: oversight of care quality by inspectors or ombudsmen, health insurance coverage for staff, and preventing abuse or neglect—things governed by other laws and programs, not HIPAA’s primary aim.