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Podcast Episode: About Face (Recognition)

Business Associate (BA)

Business Associate (BA)

A business associate is any person or organization that creates, receives, maintains or transmits PHI on behalf of a covered entity. Previously, business associates’ HIPAA liability was indirect, by way of a contract known as a business associate agreement (BAA) with a covered entity to adhere to the HIPAA regulations. A BAA is still required, but business associates are now directly liable under parts of the HIPAA Privacy Rule and all of the Security Rule, including for:

  • Impermissible uses and disclosures of PHI;
  • Failure to notify a covered entity of a breach of PHI;
  • Failure to provide access to a copy of electronic PHI to either the covered entity, the individual, or the individual’s designee (whichever is specified in the BA contract);
  • Failure to disclose PHI when the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires it for an investigation into a business associate’s compliance w/ HIPAA;
  • Failure to provide an accounting of disclosures; and
  • Failure to comply with the applicable requirements of the security rule.

Business associates remain contractually liable for other requirements of the BAA.

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