Which act protects the confidentiality of medical information?

• A. FERPA
• B. GLBA
• C. HIPAA
• D. FCRA

Answer: (C)

HIPAA provides the protections for medical information by establishing privacy and security rules that govern how protected health information can be used, stored, and shared. It covers who can access this information (covered entities like doctors, hospitals, and health plans, and their business associates), requires safeguards to keep data confidential, and gives patients rights over their own records. Disclosures are limited to purposes such as treatment, payment, and health care operations, or are allowed with the patient’s explicit authorization or a legal exception. This focus on protecting medical information makes HIPAA the standard reference for confidentiality in health care.

Other acts protect privacy in different domains: FERPA handles student education records, GLBA addresses financial information held by financial institutions, and FCRA regulates consumer credit information.