HIPAA stands for for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Introduced by the United States Congress in 1996, it is a regulatory compliance standard that ensures the protection of patients' medical records. 

Protected health information (PHI) or medical records that require protection include any information that can be used to identify a patient, their past medical history, and their present or future health status. These records must be stored securely by organizations that deal with medical data, and their employees must receive training on how to handle them. Failure to comply with HIPAA regulations can result in violations of the act, and employees may be held accountable.

HIPAA also guarantees health insurance coverage for all patients, and the standard applies to healthcare providers and health insurance companies.