Which federal law protects the privacy of patients' medical records?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the federal law that provides the primary framework for protecting the privacy of patients' medical records. Enacted in 1996, HIPAA established national standards for the protection of certain health information. It applies to health care providers, health plans, and health care clearinghouses that transmit health information in electronic form, ensuring that individuals' medical records are kept confidential and secured against unauthorized access.

One of HIPAA's main provisions is the Privacy Rule, which governs how personal health information (PHI) can be used and disclosed. It grants patients certain rights regarding their health information, including the right to access their own medical records and request corrections if necessary. This emphasis on individual rights and data protection aligns directly with the question's focus on patient medical record privacy.

The other federal laws listed address important aspects of healthcare and patient welfare but do not specifically target the privacy of medical records in the same comprehensive manner as HIPAA. For example, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act enhances HIPAA’s provisions regarding electronic health records and creates additional privacy protections, but it does not serve as the foundational law for data privacy. The Confidentiality of Medical Information Act is a California