A Business Associate is an entity that provides services to, or performs certain functions involving the use or disclosure of PHI on behalf of, a Covered Entity.
Examples of organizations considered to be Business Associates include:
- Third-party administrators
- Billing companies
- Transcriptionists
- Cloud service providers
- Data storage firms – electronic and physical records
- EHR providers
- Consultants
- Pharmacy benefits managers
- Claims processors
- Collections agencies
- Medical device manufacturers
A Business Associate may delegate a function, activity, or service to a Subcontractor.
