Colorado CNA Practice Exam

Which act was passed to encourage decisions about advance directives?

1. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

2. Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA)

3. Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA)

4. Privacy Act

The correct answer is: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

The correct answer is the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA). This act was specifically designed to encourage individuals to make their own healthcare decisions, particularly regarding advance directives. The PSDA mandates that healthcare providers inform patients of their rights to make decisions about their medical care, including the right to refuse treatment and the right to create advance directives, which document their healthcare preferences should they become unable to communicate those preferences themselves. In contrast, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) primarily focuses on protecting the privacy and security of individuals' medical information rather than directly addressing decisions about advance directives. The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) includes various provisions related to healthcare and long-term care but does not directly target advance directives as its primary aim. The Privacy Act deals with the management of personal information held by the government and does not pertain to advance directives in healthcare contexts.