Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

The intent of the HIPAA legislation is to improve the availability and portability of health coverage by:

Restricting preexisting condition exclusions and limitations;
Providing credit for prior coverage to reduce or eliminate preexisting condition limitations;
Providing new rights to enroll in plans in situations when other coverage is lost;
Prohibiting discrimination on the basis of health status; and,
Guaranteeing the availability and renewability of health coverage for small employers

See more about HIPAA in the Summary Plan Description.