Which act regulates the handling of patient medical records?

The correct answer is based on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which was enacted to safeguard the privacy and security of individuals' medical information. HIPAA sets forth national standards for the protection of health information, requiring healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other entities that handle patient data to implement measures to ensure confidentiality and integrity. This law gives patients more control over their personal health information and establishes rules for how this information should be used and disclosed.

In contrast, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) focuses on preventing discrimination based on disability, the Power of Attorney (POA) pertains to legal authority granted to another person to make decisions on someone's behalf, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows eligible employees to take unpaid leave for specific family and medical reasons. None of these acts directly governs the handling of patient medical records in the same way that HIPAA does.