Final answer:
The HIPAA standard ensures the protection of electronically transmitted and stored personal health information, enforcing confidentiality and preventing unauthorized information release.
Step-by-step explanation:
The standard that requires providers to protect electronically transmitted and otherwise stored personal health information is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed into law in 1996. HIPAA sets the standards for the protection of patient information and stipulates that businesses such as insurance companies and healthcare providers must maintain strict confidentiality of patient records. This act ensures that there is no unauthorized release of individually identifiable health information to entities not engaged in the provision of healthcare to the patient.