Final answer:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ensures the protection of patient health information and prevents unauthorized disclosure. Violations of HIPAA can occur with inappropriate sharing, insufficient security, or improper disposal of health data. Upholding these protections is essential in the digital age of healthcare.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is a critical piece of legislation that provides significant protections to individuals regarding the privacy and security of their health information. HIPAA is designed to prevent the unauthorized, nonconsensual release of individually identifiable health information except when being used for patient care. Areas where HIPAA's privacy rules might be violated include the unauthorized sharing of patient health records, lack of adequate security measures to protect patient data, and improper disposal of confidential health information, among others. These violations highlight the ongoing challenges of enforcing privacy protections in an increasingly digital healthcare environment.