What legislation protects healthcare coverage and initiates healthcare reform?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is primarily known for protecting the privacy and security of individual health information and ensuring that individuals can maintain their health insurance coverage when they change or lose jobs. However, when it comes to legislation that specifically addresses healthcare coverage and initiates significant healthcare reform, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the more appropriate choice.

The Affordable Care Act was enacted to provide comprehensive healthcare reform by expanding access to health insurance, increasing consumer protections, and promoting preventive and wellness services. It aimed to reduce the number of uninsured individuals and to make healthcare more affordable for families. This act introduced measures such as Medicaid expansion, the creation of health insurance exchanges, and the prohibition of denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, which directly relate to healthcare coverage.

In summary, while HIPAA plays a critical role in protecting patient information and maintaining certain aspects of health insurance coverage, the Affordable Care Act is the key legislation that fundamentally transformed healthcare coverage and initiated broad reforms in the U.S. healthcare system.