Business Associates Here, There, and Everywhere: When Does Your Service Provider Really Need to Sign a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement?

The HIPAA regulations require that covered entities enter into agreements with business associates who provide certain services for the covered entity involving the receipt, use, or disclosure of protected health information. In working with hospices throughout the years, we have found that many hospices have business associate agreements with nursing homes, vendors, and other providers where a business associate agreement is not required because neither party is actually a business associate of the other. In this episode, Husch Blackwell’s Meg Pekarske and Andrew Brenton discuss when a business associate agreement is and is not required, so that hospices can confidently comply with the law while focusing on what matters most: delivering high-quality end-of-life care.