HIPAA (pronounced "hippa") is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It was introduced into the US as law in 1996 and, among other things, governs how health information can be stored and accessed, and what measures need to be put in place by any organisation dealing with health information in the US.

You may have heard of HIPAA in the term "HIPAA Compliance". A HIPAA compliant organisation has taking the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the Act — both technical and procedural.