What is the main purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

The main purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is to protect patient privacy and secure the confidentiality of health information. This includes establishing standards for the handling of sensitive patient data and ensuring that individuals have the right to access their health records.

By placing restrictions on who can access and share patient information, HIPAA safeguards against unauthorized disclosures that could compromise patient privacy. This legal framework is crucial in maintaining trust in the healthcare system as it governs the use and dissemination of personal health information.

While the other choices mention areas like medical billing, telemedicine, or drug sales, these are not the primary focus of HIPAA. Instead, they may be influenced by HIPAA's regulations on privacy and security, but they do not encapsulate the act's main objective, which is to ensure the protection of individuals' health information.