Source: https://web.caretree.me/baa
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 21:03:58+00:00

Document:
This Business Associate Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into as of the “Effective Date”, as described in the SOW. If the SOW has not been executed, then the Effective Date shall be determined as the first use of any Service of CareTree by the Business Associate. This Agreement is by and between CareTree, Inc., an Illinois corporation ("Covered Entity”) and “Business Associate”, as described in the SOW or as originally registered as within the CareTree software service.
A. Covered Entity and Business Associate are parties to an agreement or arrangement pursuant to which Business Associate performs certain services for Covered Entity.
B. In connection with the performance of its services, Business Associate may receive from, or create or receive on behalf of Covered Entity health information that is considered PHI (as defined below).
C. To the extent that such PHI is shared between the parties, this Agreement shall apply and shall set forth the party’s obligations with respect to such PHI.
D. The provisions of this Agreement shall become binding on the parties beginning on the date on which PHI is first shared between the parties and shall terminate in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
Terms used, but not otherwise defined, in this Agreement shall have the same meaning as those terms in the HIPAA Rules (as defined below), the HITECH Standards (as defined below) or any future regulations promulgated or guidance issued by the Secretary (as defined below) thereunder.
a) Breach. “Breach” shall have the same meaning as the term “breach” at 45 C.F.R. § 164.402.
b) Electronic Health Record. “Electronic Health Record” shall mean an electronic record of health-related information on an Individual (as defined below) that is created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized health care clinicians and staff.
c) Electronic PHI. “Electronic PHI” shall have the same meaning as the term “electronic PHI” at 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, limited to the information created or received by Business Associate from or on behalf of Covered Entity.
d) HIPAA. “HIPAA” shall mean the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended, and the implementation regulations thereunder, including without limitation the HIPAA Rules (as defined below) and the HITECH Standards (as defined below), and all future regulations promulgated thereunder.
e) HIPAA Rules. “HIPAA Rules” means the Privacy Rule (as defined below) and the Security Rule (as defined below).
f) HITECH Standards. “HITECH Standards” means Subtitle D of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”), found at Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and any regulations promulgated thereunder, including all amendments to the HIPAA Rules.
g) Individual. “Individual” shall have the same meaning as the term “individual” at 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, and any amendments thereto, and shall include a person who qualifies as a personal representative in accordance with 45 C.F.R. § 164.502(g).
h) Privacy Rule. “Privacy Rule” means the Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information at 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164.
i) Protected Health Information. “Protected Health Information” or “PHI” shall have the same meaning as the term “protected health information” at 45 C.F.R. § 160.103, and any amendments thereto, limited to the information created or received by Business Associate from or on behalf of Covered Entity.
j) Required By Law. “Required By Law” shall have the same meaning as the term “required by law” at 45 C.F.R. § 164.103.
k) Secretary. “Secretary” shall mean the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services or his/her designee.
l) Security Incident. “Security Incident” shall have the same meaning as the term “security incident” at 45 C.F.R. § 164.304.
m) Security Rule. “Security Rule” shall mean the Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic PHI at 45 C.F.R. Parts 160, 162, and 164.
n) Unsecured PHI. “Unsecured PHI” shall have the same meaning as the term “unsecured protected health information” at 45 C.F.R. § 164.402.
In the performance of the work, duties and obligations described in this Agreement or under any other agreement between the parties, the parties acknowledge and agree that each party is at all times acting and performing as an independent contractor and at no time shall the relationship between the parties be construed as a partnership, joint venture, employment, principal/agent relationship, or master/servant relationship.
Business Associate acknowledges that all right, title and interest in and to any PHI furnished to Business Associate vests solely and exclusively with Covered Entity or the Individual to whom such PHI relates.
a) Business Associate agrees to not use or disclose PHI other than as permitted or required by this Agreement, any underlying agreement between the parties, or as Required By Law.
b) Business Associate will make reasonable efforts, to the extent practicable, to limit requests for and the use and disclosure of PHI to a Limited Data Set (as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 164.514(e)(2)) or, if needed by Business Associate, to the minimum necessary PHI to accomplish the intended purpose of such use, disclosure or request, and as applicable, in accordance with the regulations and guidance issued by the Secretary on what constitutes the minimum necessary for Business Associate to perform its obligations to Covered Entity under this Agreement, any underlying agreement, or as Required By Law.
c) Business Associate agrees to use appropriate safeguards to prevent the use or disclosure of PHI other than as provided for by this Agreement.
d) Business Associate agrees to implement administrative, physical and technical safeguards that reasonably and appropriately protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Electronic PHI that it creates, receives, maintains or transmits on behalf of Covered Entity. Business Associate shall comply with the applicable requirements of the Security Rule in the same manner such provisions apply to Covered Entity.
e) Business Associate agrees to mitigate, to the extent practicable, any harmful effect that is known to Business Associate of a use or disclosure of PHI by Business Associate in violation of the requirements of this Agreement.
f) Business Associate agrees to report to Covered Entity any use or disclosure of PHI not provided for by this Agreement of which it becomes aware. To the extent that Business Associate creates, receives, maintains or transmits Electronic PHI, Business Associate agrees to report as soon as practicable to Covered Entity any Security Incident, as determined by Business Associate, involving PHI of which Business Associate becomes aware. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Business Associate and Covered Entity acknowledge the ongoing existence and occurrence of attempted but unsuccessful Security Incidents that are trivial in nature, such as pings and port scans, and Covered Entity acknowledges and agrees that no additional notification to Covered Entity of such unsuccessful Security Incidents is required. However, to the extent that Business Associate becomes aware of an unusually high number of such unsuccessful Security Incidents due to the repeated acts of a single party, Business Associate shall notify Covered Entity of these attempts and provide the name, if available, of said party. At the request of Covered Entity, Business Associate shall identify the date of the Security Incident, the scope of the Security Incident, Business Associate’s response to the Security Incident, and the identification of the party responsible for causing the Security Incident, if known.
g) Following Business Associate’s discovery of a Breach of Unsecured PHI, Business Associate shall notify Covered Entity of the Breach without unreasonable delay, and in no event later than ten (10) calendar days after Business Associate, or any of its employees or agents, discovered the Breach. Such notification shall include, to the extent possible, the identification of each Individual whose Unsecured PHI has been, or is reasonably believed by Business Associate to have been, accessed, acquired, used, or disclosed during the Breach and any other information available to Business Associate about the Breach which is required to be included in the notification of the Breach provided to the Individual in accordance with 45 C.F.R. §164.404(c). A Breach of Unsecured PHI shall be treated as discovered as of the first day on which such Breach is known to Business Associate or should have be known to Business Associate by exercising reasonable diligence.
h) In accordance with 45 C.F.R. §§ 164.308(b)(2) and 164.502(e)(1)(ii), Business Associate agrees to ensure that any subcontractors that create, receive, maintain, or transmit PHI on behalf of Business Associate agree in writing to the same restrictions and conditions that apply through this Agreement to Business Associate with respect to such information. Moreover, Business Associate agrees to ensure any such agent or subcontractor agrees to implement reasonable and appropriate safeguards to protect Covered Entity’s Electronic PHI.
i) Business Associate shall provide access, at the request of Covered Entity, and in a time and manner mutually acceptable to Business Associate and Covered Entity, to PHI in a Designated Record Set to Covered Entity, or, as directed by Covered Entity, to an Individual or another person properly designated by the Individual, in order to meet the requirements under 45 C.F.R. § 164.524. If Business Associate maintains PHI electronically in a Designated Record Set and if the Individual requests an electronic copy of such information, Business Associate must provide Covered Entity, or the Individual or person properly designated by the Individual, as directed by Covered Entity, access to the PHI in the electronic form and format requested by the Individual, if it is readily producible in such form and format; or, if not, in a readable electronic form and format as agreed to by Covered Entity and the Individual. Any fee that Business Associate may charge for such electronic copy shall not be greater than Business Associate’s labor and supply costs in responding to the request.
j) Business Associate agrees to make any amendment(s) to PHI in its possession contained in a Designated Record Set that Covered Entity directs or agrees to pursuant to 45 C.F.R. § 164.526 at the request of Covered Entity or an Individual, and in a time and manner mutually acceptable to Business Associate and Covered Entity.
k) Business Associate agrees to document such disclosures of PHI 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 PHI in accordance with 45 C.F.R. § 164.528. As of the compliance date set forth in the regulations promulgated under HITECH or as otherwise determined by the Secretary, in addition to the accounting of disclosure obligations required under 45 C.F.R. § 164.528, Business Associate shall account for all disclosures of PHI made through an Electronic Health Record in accordance with the HITECH Standards and any future regulations promulgated thereunder.
l) Within ten (10) business days (or such other date that Business Associate and Covered Entity may reasonably agree upon) of receiving written notice from Covered Entity that Covered Entity has received a request for an accounting of disclosures of PHI, Business Associate agrees to provide to Covered Entity information collected to permit Covered Entity to make the accounting required in accordance with 45 C.F.R. § 164.528.
m) Business Associate shall make its internal practices, books, and records, including policies and procedures, relating to the use and disclosure of PHI received from, or created or received by Business Associate on behalf of Covered Entity, available to the Secretary for purposes of determining Covered Entity’s or Business Associate’s compliance with the Privacy Rule.
n) To the extent Business Associate is to carry out Covered Entity’s obligations under the Privacy Rule, Business Associate shall comply with the requirements of the Privacy Rule that apply to Covered Entity in the performance of such delegated obligation.
a) Business Associate reserves the right to use PHI for the proper management and administration of Business Associate and to carry out the legal responsibilities of Business Associate.
b) 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 C.F.R. 164.504(e)(2)(i)(B) and to create de-identified data as defined by 45 C.F.R. 164.514 and use and disclose the de-identified data for Business Associate’s own purposes.
c) Business Associate may use or disclose PHI to perform functions, activities, or services for, or on behalf of, Covered Entity provided that such use or disclosure would not violate the Privacy Rule if done by Covered Entity.
d) Business Associate may disclose PHI in its possession for the proper management and administration of Business Associate, provided that disclosures are Required by Law, or Business Associate obtains reasonable assurances from the third party to whom the information is disclosed that such PHI will be held confidentially and used or further disclosed only as Required By Law or for the purpose for which it was disclosed to the third party, and the third party notifies Business Associate of any instances of which it is aware in which the confidentiality of the PHI has been breached.
a) Covered Entity shall notify Business Associate in writing of any limitation(s) in its notice of privacy practices, to the extent that such limitation may affect Business Associate’s use or disclosure of PHI.
b) Covered Entity shall notify Business Associate, in writing and in a timely manner, of any change in, or revocation of, permission by an Individual to use or disclose PHI, to the extent that such change may affect Business Associate’s permitted or required use or disclosure of PHI.
c) Covered Entity shall notify Business Associate, in writing and in a timely manner, of any restriction to the use and/or disclosure of PHI, which Covered Entity has agreed to in accordance with 45 C.F.R. § 164.522, to the extent that such restriction may affect Business Associate’s use or disclosure of PHI.
d) Covered Entity shall have entered into “Business Associate Agreements” with any third parties (e.g., case managers, brokers or third party administrators) to which Covered Entity directs and authorizes Business Associate to disclose PHI.
Covered Entity shall not request Business Associate to use or disclose PHI in any manner that would not be permissible under the Privacy Rule or the Security Rule if done by Covered Entity.
a) Term. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date, and shall terminate when Business Associate ceases providing services to or for Covered Entity that involves creating, receiving, maintaining or transmitting PHI on behalf of Covered Entity.
ii) Immediately terminate this Agreement if Business Associate has breached a material term of this Agreement and cure is not possible.
Business Associate shall ensure that it maintains the termination rights in this Section in any agreement it enters into with a subcontractor pursuant to Section 4(h) hereof.
i) Except as provided in paragraph (ii) of this Section, upon termination of this Agreement, for any reason, Business Associate shall return or destroy all PHI received from Covered Entity, or created or received by Business Associate on behalf of Covered Entity. This provision shall apply to PHI that is in the possession of subcontractors or agents of Business Associate. Business Associate shall not retain copies of the PHI.
ii) In the event that Business Associate determines that returning or destroying the PHI is not feasible, Business Associate shall provide to Covered Entity notification of the conditions that make return or destruction not feasible. Upon determination that return or destruction of PHI is not feasible, Business Associate shall extend the protections of this Agreement to such PHI and limit further uses and disclosures of such PHI to those purposes that make the return or destruction not feasible, for so long as Business Associate maintains such PHI.
a) Insurance. Business Associate agrees to secure and maintain during this Agreement, a policy of insurance coverage, with limits of $5,000.000.00 each claim and annual aggregate.
b) Indemnification. Business Associate shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless Covered Entity and its officers, directors, agents and employees (the “Covered Entity Parties”) from and against any and all third party claims, liabilities, demands, damages, losses, costs or expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses, incurred by any Covered Entity Parties directly arising from or directly related to Business Associate’s acts or omissions in its use or disclosure of PHI, or breach of its obligations related to PHI set forth in this Agreement, except to the extent such losses are caused by the negligent acts or omissions or willful misconduct of any Covered Entity Parties or breach of this Agreement by Covered Entity. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, Business Associate’s indemnification obligation to the Covered Entity Parties hereunder shall be limited to direct damages only and in no event shall Business Associate be liable to Covered Entity for any incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including without limitation, lost profits or revenue, as a result of the performance of, or any default in the performance of Business Associate’s obligations under this Agreement.
a) Regulatory References. A reference in this Agreement to a section in the Privacy Rule or the Security Rule means the section as in effect or as amended and for which compliance is required.
b) Amendment. Business Associate agrees that Covered Entity may make modifications of or amendments to this Agreement and/or SOW. These shall be effective unless such modification or amendment is not allowed as a part of the SOW and in writing and signed by both parties hereto. Any prior agreements or representations, either written or oral, relating to the subject matter of this Agreement are of no force or effect. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties acknowledge that state and federal laws relating to electronic data security and privacy are rapidly evolving and that amendment of this Agreement may be required to ensure compliance with such developments. The parties specifically agree to take such action as may be necessary from time to time for the parties to comply with the requirements of HIPAA. Covered Entity shall provide notice to Business Associate to the extent that any final regulation or amendment to final regulations promulgated by the Secretary under HITECH requires an amendment to this Agreement to comply with HIPAA. The parties agree to negotiate an amendment to the Agreement in good faith; however, either party may terminate this Agreement upon ninety (90) days written notice to the other party if the parties are unable to reach an agreement.
c) Survival. The respective rights and obligations of Business Associate under Section 8 of this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement, unless expressly stated otherwise.
d) Interpretation. Any ambiguity in this Agreement shall be resolved to permit Covered Entity and Business Associate to comply with HIPAA.
e) Notice. Any notice, report or other communication required under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally, telegraphed, emailed, sent by facsimile transmission, or sent by U.S. mail.
f) Governing Law. The rights, duties and obligations of the parties to this Agreement and the validity, interpretation, performance and legal effect of this Agreement shall be governed and determined by applicable federal law with respect to the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule and otherwise by the laws of the State of Illinois.
g) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more original counterparts and will become operative when each party has executed and delivered at least one counterpart. Each original counterpart will be deemed to be an original for all purposes, and all counterparts will together constitute one instrument.
h) Signatures. This Agreement, to the extent signed and delivered by means of a facsimile machine or electronic mail, shall be treated in all manner and respects as an original agreement or instrument and shall be considered to have the same binding legal effect as if it were the original signed version thereof delivered in person. The parties agree that an electronic signature is the legal equivalent of its manual signature on this Agreement. The parties agree that no certification authority or other third party verification is necessary to validate its electronic signature and that the lack of such certification of third party verification will not in any way affect the enforceability of the parties’ electronic signature or any resulting agreement between Covered Entity and Business Associate. Unless otherwise noted, signature of the SOW shall also serve as signature or agreement to this Agreement. If the SOW does not exist, then use of Covered Entity services by the Business Associate shall be deemed signature or agreement to this Agreement.

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