Top 6 hipaa compliant email marketing tools

Although email marketing can be a valuable addition to your healthcare practice to improve patient outcomes and increase revenue, it does not come without risks.

Healthcare providers must ensure that their practice complies with HIPAA when sending any marketing emails to patients to avoid any costly violations.

In this article, we’ll cover what HIPAA is, as well as a few hipaa compliant email marketing tools to make your e-marketing process a success!

What is GDPR & HIPAA?

GDPR and HIPAA have very different scopes and purposes as data privacy regulations.

GDPR, which came into effect in 2018, is a set of rules that the EU enacted to safeguard the data privacy of all its residents and to hold accountable the businesses that process their data.

HIPAA, on the other hand, is a US federal law that was established in 1996, and that regulates how the healthcare industry in the US protects the confidentiality and personal data of patients.

Therefore, HIPAA only applies to health-related data in the US, while GDPR covers all kinds of personal data from European citizens, whether they are online visitors or employees of your company.

What is GDPR

The abbreviation for GDPR is General Data Protection Regulation.

It is an EU regulation on information privacy that sets out the guiding principles and requirements for the collection and processing of data for individuals within the EU or EEA.

The GDPR is an important part of EU privacy and human rights law, in particular Article 8 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside of the EU and EEA.

The GDPR aims to increase individuals’ control and rights over their own data, as well as to simplify the rules for international business.

The GDPR applies to the following situations:

Data controllers (organizations that collect information about individuals living in the EU or EEA, whether or not they are in the EU or EEA);

Data processors (organizations that process data on behalf of data controllers, such as cloud service providers).

Data subjects (individuals)

In some cases, the GDPR also applies to organizations outside the EU or EEA if they target or collect data about individuals who are in the EU or EEA.

The GDPR will impose stiff fines, which can amount to tens of millions of euros, on organizations that violate its privacy and security standards.

With more and more people handing over their personal data to cloud services and data breaches being an everyday occurrence, the EU has taken a firm stance on data privacy and security with the GDPR.

The regulation itself is lengthy, wide-ranging and has few specific details, making GDPR compliance a prohibitive issue, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.

It is a federal law that aims to protect the privacy and security of patients’ health information, as well as to improve the efficiency and quality of the health care system.

HIPAA has five titles that cover different aspects of health insurance and health care, such as portability, fraud, administrative simplification, group plans, and tax deductions.

The most relevant title for most people is Title II, which establishes national standards for electronic health care transactions and identifiers, and requires health care providers, health plans, and other covered entities to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the HIPAA Security Rule.

The HIPAA Privacy Rule sets the conditions for when and how protected health information (PHI) can be used and disclosed by covered entities and their business associates.

PHI is any information that relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual, the provision of health care to an individual, or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual, and that identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe it can be used to identify the individual.

The HIPAA Security Rule specifies the technical and administrative safeguards that covered entities and their business associates must implement to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information (ePHI).

ePHI is any PHI that is created, received, maintained, or transmitted electronically by a covered entity or a business associate.

HIPAA also gives patients certain rights regarding their PHI, such as the right to access, inspect, copy, amend, request restrictions, and receive an accounting of disclosures of their PHI.

HIPAA is enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

OCR investigates complaints, conducts audits, and imposes civil penalties for violations of HIPAA.

What is hipaa compliant email marketing?

HIPAA compliant email marketing is a way of sending promotional or informational emails to patients or potential customers while protecting their privacy and security.

HIPAA compliant email marketing requires following certain rules and best practices, such as:

Obtaining consent from the recipients before sending them email marketing communications.

This consent should be clear, specific, and voluntary, and it should inform the recipients of the purpose and content of the emails, as well as their right to opt out at any time.

Encrypting the emails and any attachments that contain protected health information (PHI).

PHI is any information that can identify an individual and relates to their health status, health care, or health care payment.

Encryption ensures that only the intended recipients can access the PHI, and that it is not intercepted or compromised by unauthorized parties.

Signing a business associate agreement (BAA) with the email marketing vendor.

A BAA is a contract that establishes the responsibilities and liabilities of both parties when handling PHI.

The email marketing vendor must agree to comply with HIPAA rules and to safeguard the PHI they receive, store, or transmit on behalf of the covered entity (the health care provider, plan, or clearinghouse).

Using a HIPAA compliant email marketing tool or service.

There are several email marketing platforms that offer HIPAA compliant features, such as end-to-end encryption, secure data storage, access control, audit logs, and breach notification.

Some examples of HIPAA compliant email marketing tools are Virtru, Paubox, NeoCertified, HIPAA Vault, and LuxSci.

By following these steps, health care organizations can use email marketing to communicate with their patients or prospects, while respecting their privacy rights and avoiding HIPAA violations.

Best hipaa compliant email marketing tools

When it comes to email marketing tools that are HIPAA compliant, it’s important to ensure that the tool you choose has robust security features and policies in place to protect patient health information (PHI) and comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996.

HIPAA requires covered entities to implement safeguards for electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI).

Here are some best hipaa compliant email marketing tools that are known for their HIPAA compliance features:

Paubox

Paubox is a company that provides HIPAA compliant email solutions for health care organizations and other businesses that handle sensitive data.

Paubox’s products include email encryption, email security, email archiving, and email API, it is one of the best hipaa compliant email marketing tools.

Paubox’s email encryption allows users to send and receive secure emails without portals or passcodes, using any device or email platform.

Paubox’s email security protects users from phishing, ransomware, malware, and other email threats.

Paubox’s email archiving helps users store and retrieve their emails for compliance and e-discovery purposes.

Paubox’s email API enables developers to integrate Paubox’s email encryption into their applications.

Paubox claims to be the only HIPAA compliant email solution that has achieved HITRUST CSF certification, which is a comprehensive and rigorous security framework.

Paubox also offers a signed business associate agreement (BAA) to its customers, which is a contract that establishes the responsibilities and liabilities of both parties when handling protected health information (PHI).

LuxSci

LuxSci is a company that was established in 1999 by Erik Kangas, with the aim of providing secure email solutions for healthcare businesses.

LuxSci provides secure email and web solutions for organizations that handle sensitive data, such as health care, legal, and financial sectors.

LuxSci also works with Oracle Cloud to enhance its environmental sustainability, it started offering email services that comply with HIPAA in 2005.

LuxSci offers HIPAA-compliant email encryption, security, archiving, and API, as well as web and PDF form creation and hosting.

It also has a Secure Connector feature that allows users to send encrypted emails from Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 accounts.

LuxSci is certified by HITRUST CSF, which is a rigorous security framework, and offers a business associate agreement (BAA) to its customers.

HIPAA Vault

HIPAA Vault is a company that provides various managed security and cloud solutions to help organizations achieve HIPAA compliance.

Their services include a secure email solution that works with Outlook and Gmail, and that features unlimited archiving, anti-virus and anti-malware, inbox management, and more.

HIPAA Vault specializes in delivering secure and reliable infrastructure for health care professionals, such as fully managed hosting, secure email services, encrypted fax solutions, and compliant WordPress hosting.

HIPAA Vault’s solutions are designed to simplify HIPAA compliance for organizations that store and transmit patient health information.

Their services include isolated web servers, database servers, web application firewalls, and customizable onboarding.

With their experienced team of IT professionals, HIPAA Vault offers 24/7 dedicated live tech support to ensure that your data remains secure.

HIPAA Vault is also a partner of Google Cloud and an Inc. 5000 company, which demonstrates their commitment to delivering high-quality services and exceeding customer expectations

MailHippo

MailHippo is a company that provides HIPAA compliant email solutions for health care organizations and other businesses that handle sensitive data.

MailHippo’s platform encrypts the content and attachments of emails, and monitors the access to messages by recording the authorized users, IP addresses, and other details.

As one of the best hipaa compliant email marketing tools, MailHippo works with various email providers.

MailHippo allows users to send and receive secure emails without portals or passcodes, using any device or email platform.

MailHippo also offers a SendSafe® Address, which is a unique link that empowers users to receive totally-secure emails from anyone.

MailHippo provides a signed business associate agreement (BAA) to its customers, which is a contract that establishes the responsibilities and liabilities of both parties when handling protected health information (PHI).

Virtru

Virtru is a company that provides data encryption and privacy solutions for organizations that share sensitive data via emails, files, and apps.

Virtru’s platform is based on the Trusted Data Format (TDF), an open standard for data protection that was created by Virtru’s co-founder and CTO, Will Ackerly, while he was working at the NSA.

Virtru’s products include email encryption, file encryption, data security gateway, and data protection API.

Their email encryption service prevents third-party access, controls sensitive data, and audits email and attachment access.

Their email service complies with HIPAA standards and integrates with existing infrastructure, ensuring constant security for PHI and medical records and detailed audit trails.

Virtru also offers a private key store option, which allows customers to store their encryption keys in a separate environment from their cloud provider.

Virtru is certified by HITRUST CSF, a comprehensive security framework, and provides a business associate agreement (BAA) to its customers.

NeoCertified

NeoCertified is a company that provides email encryption solutions for secure communications, known as one of the best hipaa compliant email marketing tools.

Their email service complies with HIPAA standards and features access and audit controls, authentication, and security for data transmission.

NeoCertified works with various email platforms, such as Gmail, Microsoft Edge, Outlook Mail, and Office 365

Designed for businesses in healthcare, finance, legal services, education and other industries, NeoCertified is a secure email encryption software that protects sensitive data by encrypting email communications and attachments, helping comply with data security requirements.

The platform enables users to send and receive encrypted emails, without having to install encryption keys or server software.

It also offers encryption of both email and attachments and the ability to search electronically for specified content.

Additionally, NeoCertified provides anti-malware, anti-phishing and anti-spam protection along with advanced threat protection systems that help keep sensitive information safe from external threats.

Conclusion

Before using any of these hipaa compliant email marketing tools, it’s crucial to thoroughly review their HIPAA compliance documentation, ensure that you understand the compliance requirements specific to your business, and where necessary, enter into a Business Associate Agreement with the email marketing service provider.

Additionally, it’s important to note that simply using a hipaa compliant email marketing tools is not enough.

Apart from this hipaa compliant email marketing tools tool, there are still a lot of other things to take care of in order to achieve marketing success!

The entity using the tool must also comply with HIPAA regulations in their overall operations, including the way they handle, store, and transmit PHI.

This often involves implementing comprehensive privacy policies, conducting regular risk assessments, training staff on HIPAA regulations, and ensuring that any third-party vendors or business associates are also compliant.

Please verify the compliance status of any hipaa compliant email marketing tools with the service providers directly, as compliance requirements can change, and it’s essential to have the most current information.