Which of the following is considered a Business Associate?

A Business Associate is defined under HIPAA as a person or entity that performs certain functions or activities on behalf of, or provides certain services to, a covered entity that involves the use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI).

In this context, a third-party administrator managing healthcare claims fits this definition perfectly. They are contracted to handle claims processing, which typically includes dealing with PHI. Since they have access to, or use, PHI for their assigned functions, they are indeed classified as Business Associates and are therefore subject to specific compliance requirements under HIPAA.

Patients receiving treatment and healthcare providers treating patients do not act on behalf of a covered entity to manage or process PHI in the same operational sense as a Business Associate. Insurance companies, even if denying claims, do not function as Business Associates unless they are processing information and managing claims on behalf of a covered entity. Therefore, while they may interact with claims, they are not classified as such unless they are involved in PHI management and claims processing for another entity.