What was the primary purpose of the creation of HIPAA?

The primary purpose of the creation of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was to promote portability of health insurance. This legislation was enacted in 1996 with several key objectives, primarily aimed at ensuring that individuals could maintain their health insurance coverage when they changed jobs or experienced other life changes.

By promoting portability, HIPAA sought to protect individuals from losing their health insurance due to pre-existing conditions when switching jobs or facing other circumstantial changes. This emphasis on maintaining access to health coverage was a crucial step towards improving individuals' security and continuity of care in the U.S. healthcare system.

Additionally, while HIPAA also introduced provisions for the protection of patient information and the standardization of electronic health transactions, its foundational goal directly relates to the security and portability of health insurance coverage.