Carbon Copy ESigning HIPAA Business Associate Agreement For Free

A BAA is a signed document where the business associate takes on the responsibility to keep your clients' information safe and explains how it will do so. It also outlines the steps they will take in the case of a breach. HIPAA requires that you get a BAA from every business that could have access to your clients' PHI.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires all Covered Entities to have a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with any Business Associate (BA) they hire that may come in contact with PHI. The HIPAA Omnibus Rule changed how BAs and Business Associate Subcontractors (BAS) can be held liable for potential HIPAA violations.

What is a business associate agreement? A business associate agreement establishes a legally-binding relationship between HIPAA-covered entities and business associates to ensure complete protection of PHI. This type of agreement is necessary if business associates can potentially access PHI during their work.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires all Covered Entities to have a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with any Business Associate (BA) they hire that may come in contact with PHI.

Business associate agreements form the backbone of your organization's HIPAA compliance program. These agreements include clauses outlining the permissible and impermissible uses of Protected Health Information (PHI), each party's liabilities, consequences of failing to comply with stated requirements, and more.

Ing to HHS, any individual or entity that performs functions or activities on behalf of a covered entity that requires the business associate to access PHI is considered a business associate. This individual or organization may also provide services to a covered entity.

A BAA is an agreement entered into specifically to protect PHI. As such, it lists safeguards for that purpose. It also outlines steps to take in case of a breach or other situations that could compromise the PHI. A non-disclosure agreement simply requires the signer to keep certain information confidential.