HIPAA / BAA › Checklist

Free dental AI BAA checklist

11 questions to settle before any AI receptionist, scribe or messaging tool touches patient information. Free, no signup needed. Print it or tick the boxes as you go.

The checklist

1. Ask for the BAA before any patient data flows
   If the tool will hear, see or store patient information, get a signed Business Associate Agreement first. No BAA, no patient data. Not even for a free trial.
2. Check the vendor says it in writing, on its own site
   Look for a public page that says the vendor will sign a BAA. A "HIPAA compliant" badge alone isn't a BAA statement. That's the same rule we use for the "BAA stated" badge on every review.
3. Read the actual BAA, not just the marketing page
   Ask for the BAA text. Some vendors publish it; most only send it on request. Check who signs it (the legal company name) and that it covers the product you're buying.
4. Confirm the plan you're buying includes the BAA
   Some vendors offer a BAA only on higher tiers or on request. Ask which plan includes it and get that in writing.
5. Ask whether patient data trains their AI
   Get a written answer on whether recordings, transcripts or notes are used to train or improve AI models, and whether you can opt out.
6. Ask who else touches the data
   Phone, speech-to-text, AI model and hosting providers can all handle patient data. Ask the vendor to confirm each one is covered by its own BAA.
7. Set retention and deletion
   Decide how long call recordings, transcripts and notes are kept, and confirm you can delete them. Ask what happens to the data if you cancel.
8. Check breach notification terms
   The BAA should say how and how fast the vendor tells you about a breach of patient information.
9. Lock down access
   Confirm staff logins are individual, two-factor sign-in is available, and there's an access log you can review.
10. Test with fake data first
    Before go-live, run test calls or notes with made-up patients. Never use real patient information until the BAA is signed.
11. Keep the paperwork
    File the signed BAA, the date you checked the vendor's statements and your notes from this checklist. Re-check at least once a year or when the vendor changes plans.

Print this checklist

Which vendors say they'll sign a BAA?

In our Dental AI BAA check, 22 of 40 reviewed tools state on their own sites that they will sign a BAA. Each has a dated source. A vendor's statement is its claim, not our certification.

Not legal advice. HIPAA obligations depend on your practice and how you use a tool; ask your compliance advisor. This checklist never changes any score or ranking.