Final answer:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is a law that protects patient information, maintaining its confidentiality within the healthcare system. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or Obamacare, is a law enacted in 2010 aimed at providing universal health coverage and making health insurance more affordable in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted into law in 1996 and serves as a critical piece of American healthcare legislation. It sets stringent standards for the protection of patient information, ensuring that health information is kept confidential and only disclosed to parties directly involved in a patient's healthcare.
HIPAA helps mitigate the risk of unauthorized access or misuse of patient records by entities such as insurance companies, employers, and healthcare providers. Additionally, it plays an integral role in fostering ethical health practices and reinforcing patients' privacy rights in medical contexts.
Another significant healthcare act is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly known as Obamacare, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2010. Its primary aim is to provide universal coverage and make health insurance more affordable to Americans, representing a significant overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since Medicaid's introduction. Through the establishment of insurance exchanges and government funding, PPACA works towards lowering healthcare costs and mandating that all Americans have health insurance coverage.