HIPAA was originally intended to make healthcare insurance more portable between jobs or periods of unemployment. Patient privacy and confidentiality are important, as patients have a right to control who sees their protected health information. Only those who need information for treatment, payment, or healthcare operations should have access. Any patient information seen or heard by healthcare workers must be kept private and not shared with unauthorized individuals. Violations of privacy rules can result in sanctions like dismissal, fines, and criminal penalties.