Who can be a business associate?

A business associate is defined under HIPAA as an individual or entity that performs certain functions or activities on behalf of, or provides certain services to, a covered entity that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI). This encompasses a broad range of entities, including those that subcontract with healthcare organizations, such as billing companies, IT service providers, and data storage services, all of which may need to access PHI in order to perform their tasks.

In contrast, the other options do not fit the definition of a business associate as defined by HIPAA. Individuals providing healthcare directly to patients are typically referred to as covered entities themselves, not business associates. Likewise, only healthcare providers within a hospital may not reflect the wider scope of entities that serve as business associates; they are more specifically classified as covered entities. Lastly, patients have rights to access their own medical records under HIPAA regulations, but that does not constitute them as business associates because they are not acting on behalf of a covered entity. Thus, the correct understanding of who qualifies as a business associate centers around entities that provide services necessitating access to PHI.