Source: https://doccharge.com/business-associate-agreement-baa/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 06:35:39+00:00

Document:
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This Business Associate Agreement (the “Agreement”) between Customer (“Covered Entity”) and DocCharge and its subsidiaries (“Business Associate”) will be in effect during any such time period that Covered Entity has been given access, subscribed to or is using products and/or services provided by DocCharge and/or its subsidiaries including all websites and mobile applications and upon termination as set forth in Section 5 of this Agreement.
“Business Associate” shall have the same meaning as the definition for Business Associate set forth in 45 CFR 160.103.
“Covered Entity” means a health plan, a health care clearinghouse, or a health care provider who transmits any health information in electronic form in connection with a transaction covered by the HIPAA Privacy and HIPAA Security Regulations.
“Data Aggregation” means, with respect to Protected Health Information or PHI as defined below, created or received by a Business Associate in its capacity as the Business Associate of a Covered Entity, the combining of such PHI by the Business Associate with the PHI received by the Business Associate in its capacity as a Business Associate of another Covered Entity, to permit data analyses that relate to the health care operations of the respective Covered Entities.
“Terms of Service Agreement” or TOS is the agreement between Business Associate and its customers and end users. The TOS dictates the subscription terms and conditions, service level agreements and payment terms.
“Data Retention Period” is a designated time defined within the Business Associate Terms of Service Agreement (TOS). Business Associate will maintain the customer’s data containing ePHI for the defined period of time to allow the customer sufficient time to validate there downloaded data from the Business Associate system.
“Individual” means the same meaning as the term “individual” in 45 CFR § 164.501 and shall include a person who qualifies as a personal representative in accordance with 45 CFR § 164.502(g).
“Protected Health Information” or “PHI” has the same meaning as the term “protected health information” in 45 CFR § 164.501, limited to the information created or received by Business Associate from or on behalf of Covered Entity and not including any unsolicited information received directly from an individual who is not yet a patient of Covered Entity (e.g., an individual who is using the Ask DoctorBase Service).
“Electronic Protected Health Information” or “ePHI” means the Protected Health Information that is transmitted by or maintained in electronic media as defined in the HIPAA Security Regulations.
“HIPAA” means the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104- 191 as it may be amended or modified from time to time.
“HIPAA Privacy Regulations” means the regulations promulgated under the HIPAA by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to protect the privacy of Protected Health Information, including but not limited to, 45 CFR § 160 and 45 CFR § 164, Subpart A and E.
“HIPAA Security Regulations” means the regulations promulgated under HIPAA by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to protect the security of Electronic Protected Health Information, including, but not limited to 45 CFR § 160 and 45 CFR § 164, Subpart A and C.
“Provider(s)” means any healthcare professional that provides billable services to patients who is an employee, customer, or has an employment, contractor, or agent relationship with a customer, for which the Service organizes information and provides medical billing management.
“Required By Law” shall have the same meaning as the term “required by law” in 45 CFR § 164.501.“Required By Law” shall have the same meaning as the term “required by law” in 45 CFR § 164.501.
“Secretary” means the Secretary of the United States of America Department of Health and Human Services or his designee.
Business Associate agrees to use appropriate and reasonable safeguards to prevent use or disclosure of the Protected Health Information other than as provided for by this Agreement.
Business Associate agrees to mitigate, to the extent practicable, any harmful effect that is known to Business Associate of a use or disclosure of Protected Health Information by Business Associate in violation of the requirements of this Agreement.
Business Associate agrees to ensure that any subcontractor, that creates receives, maintains or transmits electronic protected health information originating from the Covered Entity on behalf of the Business Associate, agrees to the same restrictions and conditions that apply through this Agreement to Business Associate with respect to such information.
Amendment. Because Business Associate will not be maintaining Protected Health Information in a Designated Record Set, Business Associate will not be required to provide Protected Health Information to Covered Entity for amendment or incorporate any such amendments in the Protected Health Information pursuant to 45 C.F.R.
Business Associate agrees to make internal practices, books, and records relating to the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information received from, or created or received by Business Associate on behalf of, Covered Entity available to the Secretary, for purposes of the Secretary determining compliance with the Privacy Rule.
Business Associate agrees to document such disclosures of Protected Health Information and information related to such disclosures as would be required for Covered Entity to respond to a request by an Individual for an accounting of disclosures of Protected Health Information in accordance with 45 CFR § 164.528.
Upon request of Covered Entity, Business Associate agrees to provide to Covered Entity or an Individual, information collected in accordance with Section 2 (ix) of this Agreement, as necessary to permit Covered Entity to respond to a request by an Individual for an accounting of disclosures of Protected Health Information in accordance with 45 CFR § 164.528.
164.306 (the HIPAA Security standards).
Business Associate shall report to the Covered Entity any use or disclosure of Protected Health Information not permitted by this Agreement. Business Associate shall report any Breach of Unsecured Protected Health Information to Covered Entity in a manner that is in compliance with its obligations pursuant to 45 CFR §164.410. A report of a Breach of Unsecured Protected Health Information will be made by Business Associate without reasonable delay, no later than five (5) business days from discovery as necessary to mitigate harm to an individual or in any event no later than ten (10) business days from time of discovery.
Business Associate shall track and monitor all Security Incidents. Business Associate shall report a successful Security Incident in accordance with Section xii above and shall report unsuccessful Security Incidents upon request of Covered Entity.
When using, disclosing or requesting Protected Health Information, Business Associate agrees to use, disclose or request the minimal amount of information necessary for the stated purpose, unless an exception to the minimum necessary rule, as set forth in 45 CFR §164.502(b)(2).
C.F.R. § 164.501 unless permitted by this Business Associate Agreement and Section 13406 of HITECH; (v) the requirements relating to the provision of access to certain information in electronic access under HITECH § 13405(e); (vi) compliance with each of the Standards and Implementation Specifications of 45 C.F.R. §§ 164.308 (Administrative Safeguards), 164.310 (Physical Safeguards), 164.312 (Technical Safeguards) and 164.316 (Policies and Procedures and Documentation Requirements); and (vii) the requirements regarding accounting of certain disclosures of PHI maintained in an Electronic Health Record (as defined in HITECH § 13405(c)) to the extent that Business Associate discloses any PHI maintained in an Electronic Health Record on behalf of the Covered Entity pursuant to this Business Associate Agreement. Changes to this Business Associate Agreement may be required to comply with any regulations promulgated pursuant to HITECH. In such case, Covered Entity will be asked to agree to a new business associate agreement in order to continue use of the Service.
xvi.	Minimum Necessary Use and Disclosure. In using and disclosing PHI, Business Associate shall make reasonable efforts to limit the use and/or disclosure of PHI to the minimum amount of information necessary as determined by Covered Entity to accomplish the intended purpose of the use or disclosure.
xvii.	Electronic Transactions Regulations. If Business Associate conducts any Transaction for or on behalf of Covered Entity which is covered under the Electronic Transactions Standards from and after the Effective Date, Business Associate agrees that it will comply with, and cause its employees, agents and representatives, and subcontractors to comply with, the applicable requirements of the Electronic Transactions Standards.
Except as otherwise limited in this Agreement, Business Associate may use or disclose Protected Health Information to perform functions, activities, or services for, or on behalf of, Covered Entity as specified in the Terms of Services Agreement and this Agreement, provided that such use or disclosure would not violate the Privacy Rule if done by Covered Entity or the minimum necessary policies and procedures of the Covered Entity.
Except as otherwise limited in this Agreement, Business Associate may use or disclose Protected Health Information for the proper management and administration of the Business Associate or to carry out the legal responsibilities of the Business Associate provided that disclosures are Required By Law, or Business Associate obtains reasonable assurances from the person to whom the information is disclosed that it will remain confidential and used or further disclosed only as Required By Law or for the purpose for which it was disclosed to the person, and the person notifies the Business Associate of any instances of which it is aware in which the confidentiality of the information has been breached.
Except as otherwise limited in this Agreement, Business Associate may use Protected Health Information to provide Data Aggregation services to Covered Entity as permitted by 45 CFR § 164.504(e)(2)(i)(B). Business Associate may use Protected Health Information to de-identify the information in accordance with 45 CFR 164.514(a)-(c) retaining any and all ownership claims relating to the de-identified data it creates from Covered Entity’s Protected Health Information.
To the extent that Covered Entity utilizes services provided by the Business Associate to communicate with patients, Covered Entity is responsible for obtaining and documenting authorizations or requests from patients to communicate through this service and to inform patient of risks associated with such communications as applicable. It shall be Covered Entity’s responsibility to determine what permissions, authorizations or consents shall be documented and maintained for HIPAA compliance purposes. Business Associate does not obtain consent, authorization or permission from patients and the parties agree that is not Business Associate’s obligation to do so or to document or maintain any consent, authorization or permission obtained from patients.
Covered Entity shall notify Business Associate of any limitation(s) in its notice of privacy practices of Covered Entity in accordance with 45 CFR § 164.520, to the extent that such limitation may affect Business Associate’s use or disclosure of Protected Health Information.
Covered Entity shall notify Business Associate of any changes in, or revocation of, permission by Individual to use or disclose Protected Health Information, to the extent that such changes may affect Business Associate’s use or disclosure of Protected Health Information.
Covered Entity shall notify Business Associate of any restriction to the use or disclosure of Protected Health Information that Covered Entity has agreed to in accordance with 45 CFR § 164.522, to the extent that such restriction may affect Business Associate’s use or disclosure of Protected Health Information.
Covered Entity agrees to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule, including, without limitation, safeguarding all computers, laptops, cell phones, tablets, or other mobile devices in accordance with the HIPAA Security Regulations.
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary stated in this Agreement, upon termination of this Agreement, for any reason, and after any Data Retention Period as is set forth in the Business Associate Terms of Service Agreement between Business Associate and Covered Entity during which Business Associate may obtain copies of Protected Health Information, Business Associate shall destroy all Protected Health Information received from Covered Entity, or created or received by Business Associate on behalf of Covered Entity. This provision shall apply to Protected Health Information that is in the possession of subcontractors or agents of Business Associate. Business Associate shall retain no copies of the Protected Health Information, except as Required By Law.
The respective rights and obligations of Business Associate under this Section 5 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement for any reason.
The parties agree to take such action as is necessary to amend this Agreement from time to time as is necessary for Covered Entity to comply with the requirements of the HIPAA Rules and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191.
The parties agree that Business Associate may unilaterally amend this Agreement from time to time for the reasons set forth in the above paragraph and for other business reasons and that any such amended agreement which Business Associate signs on a later date will supersede this Agreement.
Any ambiguity in this Agreement shall be resolved to permit Covered Entity to comply with the HIPAA Rules.
The terms Covered Entity and Business Associate are used in this Agreement only for purposes of convenience and are not meant to imply that either party would meet the definition of Covered Entity or Business Associate set forth in the HIPAA regulations.
To the extent not preempted by Federal law, this Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the state laws governing the Terms of Service Agreement, without regard to conflicts of laws provisions that would require application of the law of another state.
This Agreement supersedes and replaces any prior business associate agreements between the Covered Entity and Business Associate, including any of Business Associate’s subsidiaries as of the date signed below.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused this BAA to be executed in its name and on its behalf by its duly authorized representative. By signing below, the Parties acknowledge that they have read, understand, and agree to comply with the terms and conditions of this BAA.

References: § 164
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 § 160
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 § 160
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 §164
 §164
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 § 13405
 § 13405
 § 164
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