How many times have you just signed an agreement because you trust the company by name?  The company is well known and it has been in business for a long time, it must have all the contracts i’s dotted and t’s crossed, right?  Well, signer beware!  In episode 233 of the Help Me With HIPAA podcast, titled “What is in your BAA?,” David goes into great detail of how he received a business associate agreement from a well established company that contained flaws all the way down to the signature line.

It is so vital that you thoroughly read each BAA received from your vendors and/or sub-contractors and ask follow up questions.  Doing due diligence is vital in protecting your business.  When was the last time a Security Risk Analysis was performed? Do they have a risk management plan associated with their latest Security Risk Analysis?  Who will notify you in the event of a data breach?  If your prospective business associate can’t answer these questions do you really want to go into an agreement with them?  When was the last time you dusted off all those BAAs and really understood what was in them?  Listen to this episode of Help Me With HIPAA, and you just might be inspired to do so.  It could save your business, your reputation, and even your patients and/or clients.