What is the Healthsource Chiropractic Business Associate's obligation regarding the confidentiality of PHI when disclosing it for management and administration purposes?
Healthsource_Chiropractic Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Business Associate may use PHI for the proper management and administration of the Business Associate or to carry out the legal responsibilities of the Business Associate, (g) Business Associate may disclose PHI for the proper management and administration of Business Associate or to carry out the legal responsibilities of the Business Associate, provided (1) the disclosures are required by law, or (2) Business Associate obtains reasonable assurances from the person or entity to whom the PHI is disclosed that the information will remain confidential and be used or further disclosed only as required by law or for the purposes for which it was disclosed the such person or entity, and the person notified Business Associate of any instances of which it is aware in which the confidentiality of the PHI has been breached, and (h) as otherwise permitted or required by agreement or law.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 77–282)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Healthsource Chiropractic FDD, when the Business Associate discloses Protected Health Information (PHI) for its own management, administration, or legal responsibilities, it must ensure the information remains confidential.
Specifically, Healthsource Chiropractic's Business Associate must obtain reasonable assurances from the recipient (person or entity) of the PHI that the information will be kept confidential. This means the recipient can only use or further disclose the PHI as required by law or for the specific purposes for which it was initially disclosed. Additionally, the recipient must notify the Business Associate if they become aware of any breaches in the confidentiality of the PHI.
This requirement ensures that patient information is protected even when shared for administrative or legal reasons. It places a responsibility on the Healthsource Chiropractic Business Associate to carefully vet and trust the entities with whom they share PHI, ensuring they are committed to maintaining its confidentiality and adhering to HIPAA regulations. This also includes having a process in place to be notified of any potential breaches, so that corrective action can be taken promptly.