What is a Business Associate?
An entity that performs certain functions or activities that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information on behalf of, or provides services to, a covered entity.
What is a Business Associate Agreement?
Under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, a HIPAA business associate agreement (BAA) is a contract between a HIPAA-covered entity and a HIPAA business associate (BA).
The contract protects personal health information (PHI) in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.
Physician Sign Out is a business associate (BA) and the group using Physician Sign Out is a covered entity.
To use Physician Sign Out, a Business Associate Agreement needs to be signed.
Examples of Business Associates
A third party administrator that assists a health plan with claims processing.
A consultant that performs utilization reviews for a hospital.
A software service to a health care provider involving access to protected health information.
Is Physician Sign Out a Business Associate
Yes, because our functions and activities include: data analysis, administration, utilization review and quality assurance of a covered entity.
Do I need to sign a Business Associate Agreement with Physician Sign Out?
Yes. A Business Associate Agreement, by HIPAA Privacy Rules, allows covered providers and health plans to disclose protected health information to business associates.