What legislation serves to standardize the electronic transfer of health care information and protect the disclosure of confidential information?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the legislation that standardizes the electronic transfer of health care information and protects the confidentiality of patient data. Enacted in 1996, HIPAA established national standards for electronic health care transactions, which were intended to streamline the process of sharing health information among providers, insurers, and patients.

In addition to ensuring that health care transactions are conducted securely and efficiently, HIPAA also includes provisions intended to safeguard patient privacy. This includes rules about how personal health information can be shared and stored, thereby protecting patients' confidentiality amidst the increasing digitization of health records.

This focus on both the standardization of electronic communications and the protection of confidential health information makes HIPAA the correct choice in this context. Other legislation, such as FERPA (which deals with educational records), HITECH (which primarily focuses on enhancing the HIPAA privacy and security provisions in relation to electronic health records), and ACA (commonly referring to the Affordable Care Act, which addresses health insurance and access issues), do not specifically target the standardization of electronic health care information transfers or the comprehensive protection of confidential information as HIPAA does.