Maryland (MD), Washington DC and Virginia (VA) doctors offices and hospitals are bound by the strictures of the Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA. The Act protects the privacy of protected health information (PHI). Your files contain your clients' medical records; thus, you must comply with the HIPAA provisions for safeguarding of those files, as well as their disposal by paper shredding and document destruction.

These two aspects of the HIPAA Regulation are simple to comply with. BudgetShred, Inc. has helped numerous doctors offices and hospitals come into compliance with HIPAA.

In order for medical professionals to come into compliance with HIPAA rules governing document destruction, they must do two things. First, they must exert due diligence in choosing a reliable vendor for the disposal of PHI by shredding. They must also give written permission to the vendor to remove PHI for the sole purpose of disposal by shredding. This written permission is referred to as a "Business Associates Agreement." BSI would be in violation of certain provisions of HIPAA if we did not receive written permission from our clients in the medical profession to possess such information for the sole purpose of shredding.

BSI has simplified the due diligence aspect by supplying the name and phone number of our insurance claims representative. Our representative will verify that BSI has never had an employee dishonesty claim or any suit filed against us for any wrongdoing on our part whatsoever.

We provide a suitable Business Associates Agreement to be used for the purpose of securing BudgetShred's services:

SAMPLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATES AGREEMENT (ON YOUR LETTERHEAD):

Business Associate Agreement

Agreement made on this date, (Insert Date) by and between (Company Name) and BudgetShred, Inc. Both parties being desirous of being in compliance with the HIPAA Regulations recognize BudgetShred, Inc. is a Business Associate as defined by the HIPAA Regulations. BudgetShred, Inc. will receive PHI (Protected Health Information) from (Company Name) for the sole purpose of disposal of this material by shredding in conformity with the HIPAA Regulation.

Accurate Document Destruction, Inc., will issue a Certificate of Destruction in the format recommended by HIPAA.

In the case of any electronically stored confidential material we may supply BudgetShred, Inc. with, they must employ the recommended HIPAA process of magnetically distorting or shredding of the stored information and rendering it non-retrievable.

(Company Name) has done due diligence in choosing BudgetShred, Inc. as a Business Associate in relying on the information presented to us by BudgetShred, Inc., and have verified the information given.

Agreed and Accepted By

________________________
On behalf of (firm's name)

Agreed and Accepted By

________________________
Michael Rogers
General Manager
BudgetShred, Inc.

Medical Office Shredding

SAMPLE BUSINESS ASSOCIATES AGREEMENT (ON YOUR LETTERHEAD):