--- title: "Clinical & Quality Guidance: Are Accreditation Organizations Business Associates of the Covered Entities They Accredit?" description: This article discusses whether accreditation services used by a covered entity are deemed to be business associates of that covered entity under HIPAA. --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/support/solutions/articles/48001249716-are-accreditation-organizations-business-associates-of-the-covered-entities-they-accredit-#main-content) English - United States Show submenu for translations [Submit a Ticket](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en-us) [Go To Customer Portal](https://help.compliancygroup.com/home?hsLang=en-us) ![Compliancy Group](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Compliancy%20Group%20Logo%20Full%20RBG-sized.png?width=300&height=54&name=Compliancy%20Group%20Logo%20Full%20RBG-sized.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English - United States Show submenu for translations - [Submit a Ticket](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/kb-tickets/new) - [Go To Customer Portal](https://help.compliancygroup.com/home) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Help Center](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home?hsLang=en-us) 2. [Healthcare Compliance](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us) 3. [Clinical & Quality](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#clinical-quality) # Clinical & Quality Guidance: Are Accreditation Organizations Business Associates of the Covered Entities They Accredit? **DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this article, other knowledge base articles, and the Compliancy Group website do not, and are not intended to, constitute legal advice. All information, content, and materials in the Knowledge Base and on the Compliancy Group website are for general informational purposes only.** **Introduction** This article discusses whether accreditation services used by a covered entity are deemed to be business associates of that covered entity under HIPAA. **What is an Accreditation Organization?** Generally speaking, an accreditation organization is an independent organization that evaluates and certifies (or approves) whether a healthcare organization's program or practices meet specific quality criteria or best practices.  **Are Accreditation Organizations Business Associates of Covered Entities?** [Per HHS, yes](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/faq/238/accreditation-org-business-associates-of-the-covered-entities-they-accredit/index.html). The HIPAA Privacy Rule explicitly defines organizations that accredit [covered entities](https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Administrative-Simplification/HIPAA-ACA/AreYouaCoveredEntity.html) as business associates. See the definition of “business associate” at [45 CFR 160.103](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2003-title45-vol1/xml/CFR-2003-title45-vol1-sec160-103.xml). Like other business associates, accreditation organizations provide a service to the covered entity which requires the sharing of protected health information. Accreditation organizations may include [those listed here](https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/hospital/accreditation/), among others.  As business associates of covered entities, accreditation organizations must generally enter business associate agreements with covered entities with whom they share PHI. As an alternative to the business associate agreement or contract, covered entities may disclose a [limited data set of protected health information, not including direct identifiers, to an accreditation organization, subject to a data use agreement](https://compliancygroup.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/48001247106-what-are-limited-data-sets-and-data-use-agreements-). See [45 CFR 164.514](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2003-title45-vol1/xml/CFR-2003-title45-vol1-sec164-514.xml)(e). If only a limited data set of protected health information is disclosed, the satisfactory assurances required of the business associate are satisfied by the [data use agreement](https://compliancygroup.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/48001247106-what-are-limited-data-sets-and-data-use-agreements-). *This article was updated on July 16, 2025.* - [Getting started](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/getting-started?hsLang=en-us#main-content) - [Onboarding](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/getting-started?hsLang=en-us#onboarding) - [Product Overviews](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/getting-started?hsLang=en-us#product-overviews) - [Workforce](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/workforce?hsLang=en-us#main-content) - [Policies](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/workforce?hsLang=en-us#policies) - [Settings Module](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/workforce?hsLang=en-us#settings-module) - [3rd Party Risk](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/3rd-party-risk?hsLang=en-us) - [Incident Management](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/incident-management?hsLang=en-us) - [Risks & Assessments](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/risks-assessments?hsLang=en-us) - [Healthcare Compliance](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#main-content) - [Privacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#privacy) - [Data Security](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#data-security) - [OSHA Workplace Safety](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#osha-workplace-safety) - [Clinical & Quality](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#clinical-quality) - [State Requirements](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#state-requirements) - [Fraud, Waste & Abuse](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#fraud-waste-abuse) - [Compliance Operations](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/healthcare-compliance?hsLang=en-us#compliance-operations) - [Legacy Guard Features](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#main-content) - [Admin - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#admin-legacy) - [Assets - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#assets-legacy) - [Documents - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#documents-legacy) - [Incidents - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#incidents-legacy) - [My Documents - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#my-documents-legacy) - [My Tasks - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#my-tasks-legacy) - [People - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#people-legacy) - [Programs - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#programs-legacy) - [Reports - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#reports-legacy) - [The Dashboard - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#the-dashboard-legacy) - [Training - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#training-legacy) - [Vendors - Legacy](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/legacy-guard-features?hsLang=en-us#vendors-legacy) - [Account & Billing](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/account-billing?hsLang=en-us) - [The Guard Support](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/the-guard-support?hsLang=en-us#main-content) - [P&P Drafts](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/the-guard-support?hsLang=en-us#pp-drafts) - [Settings](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/home/the-guard-support?hsLang=en-us#settings) [![compliancy-group-logo-white](https://knowledge.compliancygroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/compliancy-group-logo-white.png?width=200&height=37&name=compliancy-group-logo-white.png "compliancy-group-logo-white")](http://compliancy-group.com) Contact Us - [support@compliancygroup.com](mailto:support@compliancygroup.com) Copyright © 2026, Compliancy Group LLC Cookie Settings