Why does a medical practice website need a BAA from the website service provider?

A medical practice website needs a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from its website service provider because the website likely handles protected health information (PHI), and a BAA ensures the provider adheres to HIPAA regulations to protect that data. If the website collects, stores, or transmits PHI, it becomes a HIPAA-covered entity and must have a BAA with any third-party vendor that accesses or handles that information. This agreement legally binds the service provider to protect PHI and outlines their responsibilities in maintaining its confidentiality and security. 

• Website Handling of PHI:If a medical practice website is used for tasks like online appointment scheduling, patient portals, or displaying patient information, it’s likely handling PHI. 
• HIPAA Compliance:HIPAA requires covered entities to protect PHI and have BAAs with any business associates that handle PHI on their behalf. 
• BAA as a Legal Safeguard:The BAA acts as a contract that clearly defines the business associate’s responsibilities in safeguarding PHI and ensuring compliance with HIPAA regulations. 
• Covered Entity and Business Associate Relationship:The medical practice is the covered entity, and the website service provider is the business associate. The BAA formalizes this relationship and outlines the responsibilities of both parties. 
• Consequences of Non-Compliance:Without a BAA, the medical practice is at risk of HIPAA violations and potential penalties if the website service provider mishandles PHI. 
• Examples of PHI:PHI can include names, dates, phone numbers, email addresses, medical record numbers, and other identifiers. 
• What a BAA covers:A BAA specifies how PHI can be used, requires the business associate to implement safeguards to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, and outlines breach notification procedures. 

Does PatientGain provide BAA for its services?

Yes, PatientGain provides Business Associate Agreements (BAA) for its customers. PatientGain will sign standard BAA with covered entities/business associates. PatientGain also offers HIPAA-compliant services and ensures their apps for healthcare clinics store Protected Health Information (PHI) on secure servers that meet HIPAA guidelines. 

Key points about PatientGain’s BAA and HIPAA compliance:

• BAA Provision: PatientGain provides BAAs to customers who need them for HIPAA compliance. 
• HIPAA Compliant Services: They offer HIPAA-compliant websites, forms, digital marketing, and a patient engagement platform. 
• Secure Data Handling: PatientGain stores PHI on secure servers and implements access controls. 
• Custom BAA: Custom BAAs are offered for customers on their custom services. Custom solutions are more expensive than that standard GOLD, PLATINUM solutions. However, PLATINUM and PLATINUM+ solutions provide the highest ROI for our customers.
• EMR Connector: PatientGain provides an EMR connector and include a BAA.  EMR connector offering is available for specific EMR providers only.
• Website Builder and Hosting: PatientGain offers HIPAA-compliant website building and WordPress hosting. 
• Online Appointments: PatientGain’s Platinum service includes HIPAA-compliant appointment scheduling with features like CRM integration, phone call tracking, and reminders. 
• AWS Hosting: PatientGain apps are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which also has HIPAA compliance capabilities. 
• Staff training and security: PatientGain staff are background checked. HIPAA training is provided to all staff members. All staff members are required to submit any unlawful activity, security awareness acknowledgment every month.
• Security first culture: PatientGain platform is based on rules based access. All PatientGain staff follow specific PHI access guidelines. All customers agree to abide by PatientGain’s security and HIPAA guidelines. Security logs are manually and automatically generated each day. A separate human staff verifies the security logs daily.