DC Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (DC HIPAA) What is DC HIPAA? It is the District of Columbia Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. How does DC HIPAA protect your health insurance benefits? DC HIPAA protects you because it: Helps you purchase healthcare coverage when you change or lose a job, or move to another area. Requires health insurers to renew your healthcare coverage or continue it in force unless you fail to pay premiums, committed fraud, terminated the policy, moved outside the service area, or ended membership in a bona fide association. Limits health insurers’ authority to delay the beginning of your healthcare coverage. Prohibits discrimination based on your health conditions or your dependents’ health conditions when purchasing healthcare coverage. Limits the application of pre-existing condition exclusions (no pre-existing condition exclusion may be applied to pregnancy, genetic information and other situations). Allows creditable coverage (most health care coverage) to reduce pre-existing condition exclusions, as long as, there is no significant break in healthcare coverage (more than 63 days).