Final answer:
The correct expansion of HIPAA is c. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which was established to protect patient health information and confidentiality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct expansion of HIPAA is c. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA was passed into law in 1996 and is primarily concerned with the protection of patient health information. It sets strict standards for businesses that handle health records, such as insurance companies and healthcare providers, to maintain the confidentiality of patient medical records. HIPAA ensures that health information is not released to entities that are not actively engaged in providing healthcare to the patient, mitigating the risk of privacy violations. Furthermore, HIPAA plays a critical role in protecting individuals from discrimination based on their genetic information or other health-related factors.