The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as HIPAA, was originally sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R-Kan.). According to the CMS, Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs, including limits on restrictions that health plans can apply on pre-existing medical conditions. Meanwhile, HIPAA's administrative simplification provisions require the establishment of national standards for electronic healthcare transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans and employers. The law's privacy rule, regulating disclosure of certain medical information, has had sweeping effects on the release of and sharing of patient medical records.

Tournament Results:

• Round 1: Beat Creation of the State Children's Health Insurance Program
• Round 2: Beat Creation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug program
• Round 3: Lost To Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act