The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (1996)

This law ensures that individuals who leave or lose their jobs can obtain health coverage even if they or someone in their family has a serious illness or injury or is pregnant. It also provides privacy requirements related to medical records for individuals as young as 12 years old. It also limits exclusions for preexisting conditions and guarantees the renewability of health coverage to employers and employees, allowing people to change jobs without the worry of loss of coverage. It also restricts the ability of employers to impose actively-at-work requirements as preconditions for health plan eligibility, as well as a number of other benefits. For more information, see www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy.