ATTCH005.docx

ATTM 005

HIPAA BUSINESS ASSOCIATE AGREEMENT

A. Purpose The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, SCDHHS, (Covered Entity) and Business Associate agree to the terms of this Agreement for the purpose of protecting the privacy of individually identifiable health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) in performing the functions, activities, or services for, or on behalf of, Covered Entity as specified in the Contract between the parties.

B. Definitions General Statement The following terms used in this Agreement shall have the same meaning as those terms in the HIPAA Rules: Breach, Data Aggregation, Designated Record Set, Disclosure, Health Care Operations, Individual, Minimum Necessary, Notice of Privacy Practices, protected health information, Required by Law, Secretary, Subcontractor, Unsecured protected health information, and Use.

Specific Definitions

(a) Business Associate. “Business Associate” shall generally have the same meaning as the term “business associate” at 45 CFR 160.103, and in reference to the party to this Agreement, shall mean [Insert Name of Business Associate].

(b) Covered Entity. “Covered Entity” shall generally have the same meaning as the term “covered entity” at 45 CFR 160.103, and in reference to the party to this Agreement, shall mean SCDHHS.

(c) HIPAA Rules. “HIPAA Rules” shall mean the Privacy, Security, Breach Notification, and Enforcement Rules at 45 CFR Part 160 and Part 164.

(d) Security incident. “Security incident” shall generally have the same meaning as the term “security incident” at 45 CFR 164.304.

C. Obligations and Activities of Business Associate Business Associate agrees to:

(a) Not use or disclose protected health information other than as permitted or required by the Agreement or as required by law;

(b) Use appropriate safeguards, and comply with Subpart C of 45 CFR Part 164 with respect to electronic protected health information, to prevent use or disclosure of protected health information other than as provided for by the Agreement;

(c) Submit system and program information to the Privacy Official, upon request, to document and verify compliance with federal and state privacy rules and regulations;

(d) Report to the Privacy Official of the Covered Entity any use or disclosure of protected health information not provided for by the Agreement of which it becomes aware, including breaches of unsecured protected health information as required at 45 CFR 164.410, and any security incident of which it becomes aware as follows:

(1) If the Business Associate receives or accesses Social Security Administration (SSA) owned data from the Covered Entity, the Business Associate will report any breaches of which it becomes aware of within 1 hour of discovery.

(a) SSA owned data is any data the Covered Entity receives from SSA directly. Data that is collected by a source other than SSA is not considered SSA data, such as an individual providing a Social Security Number to the Covered Entity or Business Associate.

(2) If the Business Associate does not receive or access SSA owned data, the Business Associate will report any breaches of which it becomes aware of within 72 hours of discovery.

(e) Notwithstanding the requirements of 45 CFR 164.410, Business Associate shall notify the Privacy Official of the Covered Entity of potential breaches as follows:

(1) If the Business Associate receives or accesses SSA owned data from the Covered Entity, the Business Associate will report any breaches of which it becomes aware of within 1 hour of discovery.

(a) SSA owned data is any data the Covered Entity receives from SSA directly. Data that is collected by a source other than SSA is not considered SSA data, such as an individual providing a Social Security Number to the Covered Entity or Business Associate.

(2) If the Business Associate does not receive or access SSA owned data, the Business Associate will report any breaches of which it becomes aware of within 72 hours of discovery.

(f) Unless otherwise directed by Covered Entity, Business Associate shall be responsible for the cost incurred by the Covered Entity for breach notifications to individuals, the US DHHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the media, and Consumer Affairs. Information for breach notifications shall be submitted within 15 calendar days of discovery to the Privacy Official of the Covered Entity by email to privacyoffice@scdhhs.gov;

(g) For breaches resulting from the action or inaction of Business Associate, or its subcontractors, surrounding the use, receipt, storage, and/or transmission of PHI and PII under this Agreement, be responsible for any and all costs, damages, liabilities, expenses, fines, and/or penalties;

(h) In accordance with 45 CFR 164.502(e)(1) and 164.308(b)(2), if applicable, ensure that any subcontractors that create, receive, maintain, or transmit protected health information on behalf of the Business Associate agree to the same restrictions, conditions, and requirements, to include reporting and notification requirements, that apply to the Business Associate with respect to such information;

(i) All reporting or notifications requirements pursuant to letters (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) above, should be submitted using the “Incident Reporting for Business Associates” form, addressed to the Privacy Official of the Covered Entity, by email to privacyoffice@scdhhs.gov. Additional contact information for the Privacy Official is:

(j) Make available protected health information in a designated record set to the Covered Entity as necessary to satisfy Covered Entity’s obligations under 45 CFR 164.524;

(k) Make any amendment(s) to protected health information in a designated record set as directed or agreed to by the Covered Entity pursuant to 45 CFR 164.526, or take other measures as necessary to satisfy Covered Entity’s obligations under 45 CFR 164.526;

(l) Maintain and make available the information required to provide an accounting of disclosures to Covered Entity, or an individual if directed by Covered Entity, as necessary to satisfy Covered Entity’s obligations under 45 CFR 164.528;

(m) Notify Covered Entity within five (5) business days of receipt of any request covered under paragraphs (j), (k) or (l) above;

(n) To the extent the Business Associate is to carry out one or more of Covered Entity's obligation(s) under Subpart E of 45 CFR Part 164, comply with the requirements of Subpart E that apply to the Covered Entity in the performance of such obligation(s); and

(o) Make its internal practices, books, and records available to the Secretary for purposes of determining compliance with the HIPAA Rules.

D. Permitted Uses and Disclosures by Business Associate

(a) Business Associate may only use or disclose protected health information as necessary to perform the services set forth in the Contract to which this Agreement is appended, including, if applicable, authorization to use protected health information to de-identify the information in accordance with 45 CFR 164,514(a)-(c) and follow additional guidance provided by US DHHS in “Guidance Regarding Methods for De-identification of protected health information in accordance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule” found at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/index.html.

(b) Business Associate may use or disclose protected health information as required by law.

(c) Business Associate agrees to limit uses, disclosures, and requests for protected health information to the minimum necessary to accomplish the intended purpose of the use, disclosure, or request according to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

(d) Business Associate may not use or disclose protected health information in a manner that would violate Subpart E of 45 CFR Part 164 if done by Covered Entity.

(e) Business Associate may disclose protected health information for the proper management and administration of the Business Associate or to carry out the legal responsibilities of the Business Associate, provided the disclosures are required by law, or Business Associate obtains reasonable assurances from the individual to whom the information is disclosed that the information will remain confidential and used or further disclosed only as required by law or for the purposes for which it was disclosed to the individual, and the individual notifies Business Associate of any instances of which it is aware in which the confidentiality of the information has been breached.

(f) Business Associate may not disclose or duplicate protected health information identified by Covered Entity as provided by the SSA without written approval and permission from SSA. If the need for such disclosure and/or duplication arises, Business Associate must notify Covered Entity and work with Covered Entity to obtain approval and permission from SSA.

E. Term and Termination

(a) Term. The Term of this Agreement shall be effective as of ______________and shall terminate on the effective and termination dates of the Contract to which this Agreement is appended, or on the date Covered Entity terminates for cause as authorized in paragraph (b) of this Section, whichever is sooner.

(b) Termination for Cause. Business Associate authorizes termination of this Agreement by Covered Entity, if Covered Entity determines Business Associate has violated a material term of the Agreement and Business Associate has not cured the breach or ended the violation within thirty (30) calendar days.

(c) Obligations of Business Associate Upon Termination.

(1) Upon termination of this Agreement for any reason, Business Associate shall return to Covered Entity, or, if agreed to by Covered Entity, destroy all protected health information received from Covered Entity, or created, maintained, or received by Business Associate on behalf of Covered Entity that the Business Associate still maintains in any form. Business Associate shall retain no copies of the protected health information.

(2) In the event that Business Associate determines that returning or destroying the protected health information is not practical or possible, Business Associate shall notify Covered Entity of the conditions and reasons return of the protected health information is not practical or possible. Upon concurrence by Covered Entity that return is not practical, Business Associate shall:

i. Retain only that protected health information which is necessary for Business Associate to continue its proper management and administration or to carry out its legal responsibilities;

ii. Return to Covered Entity or, if agreed to by Covered Entity, destroy the remaining protected health information that the Business Associate still maintains in any form;

iii. Continue to use appropriate safeguards and comply with Subpart C of 45 CFR Part 164 with respect to electronic protected health information to prevent use or disclosure of the protected health information, other than as provided for in this Section, for as long as Business Associate retains the protected health information; and

iv. Not use or disclose the protected health information retained by Business Associate other than for the purposes for which such protected health information was retained and subject to the same conditions set out at Section D of this Appendix.

(3) Business Associate shall obtain or ensure the destruction of protected health information created, received, or maintained by any subcontractors.

(4) Business Associate shall transmit the protected health information to another Business Associate of the Covered Entity at termination, upon receipt of a written request from the Covered Entity.

(d) Survival. The obligations of Business Associate under this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

F. Miscellaneous

(a) Regulatory References. A reference in this Agreement to a section in the HIPAA Rules means the section as in effect or as amended.

(b) Interpretation. Any ambiguity in this Agreement shall be interpreted to permit compliance with the HIPAA Rules.

(c) Amendment. The Parties agree to take such action as is necessary to amend this Agreement from time to time as is necessary for compliance with the requirements of the HIPAA Rules and any other applicable law.

Authorized Contract Representative (Print): _____________________________________ Authorized Contract Representative (Sign): _____________________________________ Page 1 of 2 Rev. 09/24/2024