Help Scout is a HIPAA compliant customer service software platform that offers tools for managing customer support, including email management, live chat and knowledge base creation. Users can tag messages, create workflows, and utilize collision detection to prevent duplicate or conflicting information. Help Scout’s reporting dashboards can be used to track chat and email volume, response time, etc.
Is Help Scout HIPAA compliant?
Yes, based on our research, Help Scout can be HIPAA compliant.
Will Help Scout sign a business associate agreement (BAA)?
Yes, Help Scout will sign a business associate agreement, which can be reviewed here for covered entities or here for subcontractors.
What does the Help Scout BAA cover?
The Help Scout BAA covers the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI), stating, "Business Associate will establish and implement safeguards for certain individually identifiable PHI relating to patients of Covered Entity that Business Associate may receive, create, maintain, use or disclose in connection with certain functions, activities and services that Business Associate performs for Covered Entity.”
Their BAA covers:
- Appropriate safeguards
- Mitigation
- Breach reporting
- Minimum necessary requirements
- Accounting of disclosures
- Access to policies and records
- Documentation of disclosures
Conclusion
Help Scout signs a BAA and is therefore HIPAA compliant.
FAQs
What is a business associate agreement?
A business associate agreement (BAA) is a legally binding contract establishing a relationship between a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and its business associates. The purpose of this agreement is to ensure the proper protection of personal health information (PHI) as required by HIPAA regulations.
What is HIPAA?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets national standards for protecting the privacy and security of certain health information, known as protected health information (PHI). HIPAA is designed to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ health information and to ensure that healthcare providers and insurers can securely exchange electronic health information. Violations of HIPAA can result in significant fines and penalties for covered entities.
Who does HIPAA apply to?
HIPAA applies to covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. It also applies to business associates of these covered entities. These are entities that perform certain functions or activities on behalf of the covered entity.
