The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 provides _____________ protections for personal health information.

• A. Federal
• B. State
• C. Local
• D. Agency

Answer: (A)

HIPAA provides federal protections for personal health information, establishing nationwide rules for how PHI is kept private and secure. This means the protections apply across all states, creating a uniform baseline of privacy and security. States can impose additional, stricter protections, but the federal framework set by HIPAA governs how PHI is handled nationwide. The other options—state, local, or agency—would imply protections limited to a smaller jurisdiction, whereas HIPAA standardizes protections at the federal level.