> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.corraldata.com/kb/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.corraldata.com/kb/security-and-privacy/hipaa-phi-ai.md). # HIPAA, PHI and AI **Your patient data is protected in CorralData.** CorralData is HIPAA compliant, and every plan includes our Business Associate Agreement (BAA), so the PHI (protected health information) in your warehouse, boards, exports and AskCorral is covered. Your use of CorralData is governed by the [CorralData Privacy Policy](https://corraldata.com/privacy). AskCorral, the AI agent inside CorralData, runs on AI models covered by our BAAs, with zero data retention, so it's safe to ask patient-level questions there. The one place to be careful is your own AI tool. You can ask questions about your CorralData data in any MCP-compatible AI tool, like Claude or ChatGPT, through the [CorralData MCP connector.](/kb/mcp/corraldata-mcp-server.md) MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI tools connect to other apps. Summary data is fine to use there. Patient-level data, including PHI, belongs in AskCorral unless your organization has its own BAA with that AI provider. ### Key points * **PHI is protected in CorralData.** CorralData is HIPAA compliant, and every plan includes our BAA. * **AskCorral is covered for patient-level questions.** It runs on AI models from Anthropic and OpenAI, under CorralData's BAAs with both providers, with zero data retention. * **AI column masking can hide sensitive columns; ask your TAM which columns are masked on your account.** Patient and contact columns, like names, phone numbers and dates of birth, can be hidden from AskCorral and connected AI tools, while your team still sees them in boards. * **Summary questions are fine in any AI tool.** Production, recare rates, referral volume, and similar rollups don't return individual patient information. * **Patient-level questions in your own AI tool need your own BAA with that provider.** If you don't have one, ask them in AskCorral. * **Rule of thumb:** aggregates anywhere; patient-level data in CorralData unless you hold your own BAA with the AI provider. *** ### What CorralData's BAA covers A BAA is the contract HIPAA requires when a vendor handles PHI for you. It commits the vendor to use PHI only to provide its service, protect it with security safeguards, report any breach to you, and hold its own subcontractors to the same rules. You can read [CorralData's BAA](https://corraldata.com/baa/) in full. * **CorralData's BAA covers your data in CorralData:** the warehouse, boards, exports, and AskCorral. AskCorral runs under CorralData's BAAs with Anthropic and OpenAI, and neither provider retains your data. * **CorralData's BAAs cover the in-app AskCorral experience.** They don't extend to an AI tool your organization connects to CorralData through the MCP connector. That tool runs under your own agreement with your AI provider, and that provider's usage policy applies to the conversation. * **If you want to send patient-level data through your own AI tool, check with your AI provider whether you have a BAA with them that covers it.** If you don't have one, ask the same question in AskCorral, where it stays covered. *** ### Controls that limit what AI tools see These controls cut down how much PHI any AI can reach, whether it's AskCorral or your own AI tool connected through MCP. * **AI column masking.** We can hide sensitive patient and contact columns (patient name, phone, date of birth, and so on) from AskCorral and connected AI tools. Your team still sees them in boards. Ask your TAM which columns are masked on your account or to add more, or email . * **Row-Level Security (RLS).** Limits which patients' rows each person can pull, for example only their own location's, and their AI tools get the same limit. See [Row-Level Security](/kb/getting-started/row-level-security.md). *** ### AskCorral and your AI tool, side by side Where you ask a question decides which agreement covers any PHI in the answer. Here's how the two options compare. | Question | AskCorral (inside CorralData) | Your AI tool (CorralData MCP connector) | | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | Whose agreement covers the AI? | CorralData's BAAs with Anthropic and OpenAI | Your organization's own agreement with your AI provider | | Covered by CorralData's BAA? | Yes | No | | Zero data retention with the AI provider? | Yes, under our agreements | Depends on your organization's plan with that provider | | What data gets sent to the AI provider? | What AskCorral needs to answer your question | Everything the connector returns (listed below) | **Fine to ask in any AI tool:** summary and operational questions that don't return individual patients. * "What was production by location last month?" * "How did recare rates trend this quarter?" * "Which referral sources sent the most new patients?" **Ask in AskCorral instead** (unless your organization has its own BAA with your AI provider): anything that returns or shows individual patients. * "List patients who are overdue for recall at Buckhead." * "Show me last week's no-shows with phone numbers." * "Which patients had a consult but didn't book?" *** ### CorralData MCP connector: data and permissions When you use your own AI tool through the CorralData MCP connector, anything the connector returns, including any PHI, goes to your AI provider. Here's what it can send, what it stores, and what it can change. #### What data gets sent to your AI tool When you use the CorralData MCP connector, what it returns becomes part of your conversation in your AI tool, and your AI provider's usage policy applies. The connector can send: * **Schema details:** table and column names, descriptions, row counts, and how tables join. * **Sample values:** when asked, up to 3 sample values per column, plus category values. * **Distinct column values:** up to 100 distinct values from a column, used to build filters. * **Query results:** up to 10,000 rows per query (1,000 by default). * **Board and widget details:** names, settings, filters, and the SQL behind them. * **Widget screenshots:** an image of a widget, including any numbers or names it shows. Most answers are summary data. If a result does include patient details, like names, dates of birth, or phone numbers, those details go to your AI provider too. {% hint style="info" %} **AI column masking** can hide sensitive columns; ask your TAM which columns are masked on your account. See [Controls that limit what AI tools see](#controls-that-limit-what-ai-tools-see) above. {% endhint %} #### What the connector stores and shares Here's what happens each time your AI tool uses the CorralData MCP connector: * **Sign-in tokens** confirm who you are and what you're allowed to access. They're checked on our servers and aren't saved. * **Requests** from your AI tool are processed in real time and passed to CorralData on your behalf. The connector doesn't keep a history of your questions or results. * **Results** go straight back to your AI tool. The connector doesn't log or keep them. * **Nothing is saved between requests.** The connector doesn't store user data, session data, or conversation history. The connector only talks to two services: * **CorralData's API**, to run each request on your behalf. * **CorralData's sign-in service (Keycloak)**, to confirm who you are and check your access. Apart from returning results to your AI tool, it doesn't share data with any other third-party service. #### What the connector can change The connector can view your data but can't change it. Nothing in your warehouse gets edited, moved, or deleted. Depending on their [user role](/kb/getting-started/manage-users.md#user-roles) in CorralData, a user's AI tool can make these kinds of changes inside CorralData itself: * **Boards and widgets.** Create and edit boards, widgets, board filters, datasets, and data apps, and delete board filters. * **Agents.** Create, run, and delete agents, and set custom instructions for AskCorral. * **Metrics and dimensions.** Create and delete metrics and shared dimensions. * **Access settings.** Change row-level security (RLS) settings, which control who sees which rows. * **Connected services.** Run actions in connected services such as ad platforms or CRMs, only after the user approves each one. See [Tools Reference](/kb/mcp/tools-reference.md) for the full list of tools. *** ### Common questions **Is CorralData HIPAA compliant?** Yes. A BAA is included on every plan, and AskCorral runs on AI models covered by our BAAs, with zero data retention. **Is the CorralData MCP connector HIPAA compliant?** A connector isn't HIPAA compliant on its own. HIPAA compliance comes from the agreements in place (the BAAs) and how the data is protected, not from the connector itself. In practice: summary questions that don't return individual patients are fine to ask in any AI tool. Patient-level results pass through your AI provider, so they need your organization's own BAA with that provider, or you can ask the same question in AskCorral, which is covered by CorralData's BAA. AI column masking can also hide sensitive patient and contact columns; ask your TAM which columns are masked on your account. **Does CorralData's BAA cover my own AI tool?** It covers AskCorral, including the AI models AskCorral runs on. It doesn't extend to your own AI tool, even when it's connected to CorralData. **Does CorralData store what I ask in my AI tool?** No. The connector doesn't store your questions, results, or conversation history. Your AI provider keeps the conversation according to its own terms. **Can my AI tool change our data?** No. The connector can view your data but can't change it. If your role allows it, your AI tool can create and edit boards and widgets (see [What the connector can change](#what-the-connector-can-change)). **How do we lower the risk?** Ask your TAM to confirm AI column masking covers your patient and contact columns, add RLS if people should only see some locations, and keep patient-level questions in AskCorral. *** ### Support For privacy questions, read the full [CorralData Privacy Policy](https://corraldata.com/privacy). You can also contact your organization's CorralData administrator, your Technical Account Manager, or . **Related:** * [Getting Started with the MCP connector](/kb/mcp/getting-started.md) * [Tools Reference](/kb/mcp/tools-reference.md) * [Row-Level Security](/kb/getting-started/row-level-security.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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