Which federal agency is responsible for ensuring the protection of patient privacy and confidentiality?

The Health and Human Services (HHS) agency is responsible for implementing and enforcing the regulations that protect patient privacy and confidentiality, primarily under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HHS oversees the standards that healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses must adhere to in safeguarding personal health information (PHI).

The focus of HIPAA is to ensure that individuals' health information is kept secure and private, which is fundamental in maintaining trust in the healthcare system. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a division of HHS, specifically handles compliance with HIPAA's privacy and security rules, thus playing a critical role in the federal government's efforts to uphold patient confidentiality and privacy rights.

Other agencies, such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), while important in their respective domains, do not have the primary responsibility for the regulation of patient privacy and confidentiality as mandated by HIPAA.