SLS - Terms of Service

Both our fees and terms of service are outlined below. More importantly, however, it is understood that by securing an interpreter through SLS you have agreed to our rates and terms of service. If you have any questions, please contact us at any time. Thank you and we look forward to working with you.

Interpreting Fees

Interpreting fees are determined by the following:

• All appointments will be billed at a minimum of two (2) hours with any additional time being billed at 15- minute increments.

• Travel charges are from interpreters’ home location to assignment location, charges will apply according to the assignment hourly rate.

• Appointments greater than two hours will be billed for the entire amount of time reserved.

• 1-hour Administrative Fee per interpreter may be assessed, depending on assignment.

• A twenty-four-hour cancellation policy is required. If less than 24-hour notice of cancellation is given, the appointment will be billed as scheduled. Full payment required.

• The interpreter will wait 15 minutes for each hour billed after such time if the client does not arrive for appointment the interpreter will assume it is a no show and leave. The full scheduled assignment will be billed.

• Interpreters are for location provided, unless previous arrangements are made for multiple locations.

• Interpreters will be available for time requested, if appointment ends early, the company will still be invoiced for the entire time reserved.

Terms of Service

Certified Sign Language Interpreters will be used for all appointments. In addition to Sign Language, we also specialize in low vision with deafness and/or deaf/blind tactile services and trilingual (Spanish/English/ASL) interpretation as needed. An additional equipment fee may be charged for trilingual and or conference settings.

A team of interpreters may be required depending on the assignment topic, setting and length of appointment; this is evaluated at time of service. In the event a Deaf person is “HOME” sign with limited structured communication a DI (Deaf Interpreter) will be used in addition to the Certified Sign Language Interpreter, the above rates will apply to both interpreters.

Sign Language Services, and any interpreter sent by the company shall at all times comply with the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct:

• Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.

• Interpreters possess the professional skills and knowledge required for the specific interpreting situation.

• Interpreters conduct themselves in a manner appropriate to the specific interpreting situation.

• Interpreters demonstrate respect for consumers

The Parties have agreed that the Business Associate (SLS) will perform the following functions and provide the following services for or on behalf of the Covered Entity (Client): provide certified sign language interpreters. Performance of such functions and provision of such services by the Business Associate may involve Protected Health Information (as defined in 45 C.F.R. §164.501) that is subject to the federal privacy regulations issued pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) and codified at 45 C.F.R. parts 160 and 164 (the “Privacy Rule”). The purpose of this B.A. Agreement is to set forth the obligations of the Parties with respect to such Protected Health Information.

The Parties hereby agree as follows:

1. DEFINITIONS

   
   

   1.1 Unless otherwise specified in this B.A. Agreement, all capitalized terms used in this B.A. Agreement not otherwise defined have the meaning established for purposes of Title 45 parts 160 and 164 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, as amended from time to time.

   
   

   1.2 “PHI” shall mean Protected Health Information, as defined in 45 C.F.R. § 164.501, limited to the information received from or created or received on behalf of Covered Entity.

   
   

2. RESPONSIBILITIES OF BUSINESS ASSOCIATE

   
   

   2.1 Except as otherwise specified herein, Business Associate may make any and all uses and disclosures of PHI necessary to perform its obligations under the Underlying Agreement and/or the functions and provide the services set forth above. With regard to its use and/or disclosure of PHI, Business Associate agrees to:

   
   

   (a) use and/or disclose PHI only as permitted or required by this B.A. Agreement or required by law;

   (b) use appropriate safeguards to prevent use or disclosure of PHI other than as permitted or required by this B.A. Agreement;

   (c) report to Covered Entity any use or disclosure of PHI of which it becomes aware that is not permitted or required by this B.A. Agreement;

   (d) require all its subcontractors and agents that create, receive, use, disclose or have access to PHI to agree, in writing, to the same restrictions and conditions on the use and/or disclosure of PHI that apply to Business Associate;

   (e) make available its internal practices, books, and records relating to the use and disclosure of PHI to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) for purposes of determining Covered Entity’s compliance with the Privacy Rule;

   (f) within 59 days of receiving a written request from Covered Entity, make available information necessary for Covered Entity to make an accounting of disclosures of PHI about an individual; and

   (g) mitigate, to the extent practicable, any harmful effect that is known to Business Associate of a use or disclosure of PHI by Business Associate in violation of the requirements of this B.A. Agreement.

   
   

   The Parties agree that the PHI in Business Associate’s possession constitutes a Designated Record Set. With regard to PHI maintained in a Designated Record Set, Business Associate agrees to:

   
   

   (a) within 29 days of receiving a written request from Covered Entity, make available PHI necessary for Covered Entity to respond to individuals’ requests for access to PHI about them; and

   (b) within 59 days of receiving a written request from Covered Entity, incorporate any amendments or corrections to the PHI in accordance with the Privacy Regulation.

   
   

3. PERMITTED USES AND DISCLOSURES OF PHI

   
   

   3.1 Unless otherwise limited herein, in addition to any other uses and/or disclosures permitted or required by this B.A. Agreement or required by law, Business Associate may:

   
   

   (a) use the PHI in its possession for its proper management and administration and to fulfill any legal responsibilities of Business Associate;

   (b) disclose the PHI in its possession to a third party for the purpose of Business Associate’s proper management and administration or to fulfill any legal responsibilities of Business Associate; provided, however, that the disclosures are required by law or Business Associate has received from the third party written assurances that

   (i) the information will be held confidentially and used or further disclosed only as required by law or for the purpose for which it was disclosed to the third party; and

   (ii) the third party will notify Business Associate of any instances of which it becomes aware in which the confidentiality of the information has been breached;

   (c) perform Data Aggregation for the Health Care Operations of Covered Entity;

   (d) de-identify any and all PHI created or received by Business Associate under this B.A. Agreement; provided, however, that the de-identification conforms to the requirements of the Privacy Rule. Such resulting de-identified information would not be subject to the terms of this B.A. Agreement; and

   (e) create a Limited Data Set and use such Limited Data Set pursuant to a Data Use Agreement that meets the requirements of the Privacy Rule.

   
   

4. RESPONSIBILITIES OF COVERED ENTITY

   
   

   4.1 With regard to the use and/or disclosure of PHI by Business Associate, Covered Entity agrees:

   
   

   (a) to obtain any consent, authorization or permission that may be required by the Privacy Rule or applicable state laws and/or regulations prior to furnishing Business Associate the PHI pertaining to an individual; and

   (b) that it will inform Business Associate of any PHI that is subject to any arrangements permitted or required of Covered Entity under the Privacy Rule that may materially impact in any manner the use and/or disclosure of PHI by Business Associate under this B.A. Agreement, including, but not limited to, restrictions on the use and/or disclosure of PHI as provided for in 45 C.F.R. § 164.522 and agreed to by Covered Entity.

   
   

5. B.A. AGREEMENT EFFECTIVE DATE

   
   

   5.1 Each term and condition of this B.A. Agreement shall be effective on the compliance date applicable to Covered Entity under the Privacy Rule (“B.A. Effective Date”).

   
   

6. TERM AND TERMINATION

   
   

   6.1 Termination by the Covered Entity. Upon Covered Entity’s determination of a breach of a material term of this B.A. Agreement by Business Associate, Covered Entity shall provide Business Associate written notice of that breach in sufficient detail to enable Business Associate to understand the specific nature of that breach and afford Business Associate an opportunity to cure the breach; provided, however, that if Business Associate fails to cure the breach within a reasonable time specified by Covered Entity, Covered Entity may terminate this B.A. Agreement and the Underlying Agreement to the extent that the Underlying Agreement requires Business Associate to create or receive PHI.

   
   

   6.2 Effect of Termination or Expiration. Within 30 days of the termination or expiration of this B.A. Agreement, Business Associate agrees to return or destroy all PHI, including such information in possession of Business Associate’s subcontractors, if feasible to do so. If return or destruction of said PHI is not feasible, Business Associate agrees to extend any and all protections, limitations and restrictions contained in this B.A. Agreement to Business Associate’s use and/or disclosure of any PHI retained after the termination or expiration of this B.A. Agreement, and to limit any further uses and/or disclosures to the purposes that make return or destruction of the PHI infeasible. This Section 6.2 shall survive any termination or expiration of this B.A. Agreement.

   
   

7. MISCELLANEOUS

   
   

   7.1 Change in Law. The Parties agree to negotiate to amend this B.A. Agreement as necessary to comply with any amendment to any provision of HIPAA or its implementing regulations set forth at 45 C.F.R. parts 160 and 164, including, but not limited to, the Privacy Regulation, which materially alters either Party or both Parties’ obligations under this B.A. Agreement.

   
   

   7.2 Construction of Terms. The terms of this B.A. Agreement shall be construed in light of any applicable interpretation or guidance on HIPAA and/or the Privacy Regulation issued by HHS or the Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) from time to time.

   
   

   7.3 No Third Party Beneficiaries. Nothing in this B.A. Agreement shall confer upon any person other than the parties and their respective successors or assigns, any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities what-so-ever.

   
   

   7.4 Contradictory Terms. Any provision of the Underlying Agreement that is directly contradictory to one or more terms of this B.A. Agreement (“Contradictory Term”) shall be superseded by the terms of this B.A. Agreement as of the Amendment Effective Date to the extent and only to the extent of the contradiction, only for the purpose of Covered Entity’s compliance with the Privacy Rule and only to the extent that it is reasonably impossible to comply with both the Contradictory Term and the terms of this B.A. Agreement.