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BAA (Business Associate Agreement)

A HIPAA-required contract between a covered entity and business associate handling PHI.

Complete Definition

A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a written contract required under HIPAA between a covered entity (healthcare provider, health plan) and a business associate (vendor like Salesforce) that will access, store, or transmit Protected Health Information (PHI). The BAA outlines the permitted uses of PHI, safeguards to protect PHI, breach notification obligations, and liability for HIPAA violations. Salesforce provides a standard BAA for Health Cloud customers to ensure HIPAA compliance.

Key Points

  • 1Required contract for PHI access
  • 2Defines permitted uses and safeguards
  • 3Specifies breach notification obligations
  • 4Salesforce provides BAA for Health Cloud
  • 5Must be signed before PHI processing