A Subcontractor is an entity to whom a Business Associate delegates a function, activity, or service, other than in the capacity of a member of the workforce of the Business Associate.
For example, a Business Associate could hire a media shredding company to securely dispose of printed medical records, or a software developer to work on a part of the platform that handles PHI. Subcontractors can be accountants, attorneys, transcription services, email encryption providers, file sharing vendors, backup storage services, and more.
Business Associates are required to ensure that Subcontractors are implementing and maintaining the systems needed to safeguard PHI.
