Which act was enacted by Congress in 1996 to improve the efficiency of the health care system?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by Congress in 1996 with the primary aim of improving the efficiency of the healthcare system, particularly in the management of health information and the portability of health insurance. HIPAA introduced standards for electronic health care transactions, ensuring that health information could be communicated more effectively and securely across different healthcare settings. Additionally, it established regulations regarding the privacy and security of health information, which has become a critical aspect of safeguarding patient data.

The other options refer to different acts or regulations that serve different purposes. FERPA is focused on protecting the privacy of student education records, EDGAR refers to regulations governing the federal grant process, and the HITECH Act, which was enacted later, primarily addresses the adoption of health information technology and incentives for meaningful use of electronic health records. Thus, HIPAA is the act specifically aimed at improving the efficiency of the healthcare system as intended in the question.