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There are “HIPAA compliant” solutions for patient messaging.
However, not every platform offers the same security, pricing, patient experience, or communication features.
Some use standard SMS for routine messages and secure links for protected health information. Others provide encrypted messaging, business phone calls, appointment reminders, audit logs, access controls, and a signed Business Associate Agreement.
Choosing the right option, therefore, requires more than checking a HIPAA compliance claim.
You must examine how patients access messages, how the platform protects sensitive patient data, and what the plan costs.
In this article, we compare five HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics so you can choose confidently.
Table of Contents
1. How to choose the best HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics
2. Top HIPAA-compliant texting providers for hospitals
3. Best HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics
4. HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics: frequently asked questions (FAQs)
5. Pick a solution that offers true HIPAA compliance for clinics
How to choose the best HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics
A HIPAA-compliant texting platform should protect electronic protected health information throughout every patient interaction. However, encryption alone does not establish HIPAA compliance.
Examine the following areas before choosing a messaging solution.
Verify encryption and transmission security
Standard SMS messaging lacks the technical safeguards required for sending sensitive patient data. Therefore, look for encrypted messaging during transmission and storage.
AES-256 encryption is a widely accepted security standard. However, the current HIPAA Security Rule does not mandate one specific encryption method.
Healthcare organizations should therefore assess potential threats and implement reasonable safeguards for electronic protected health information.
Request a signed Business Associate Agreement
A vendor that creates, receives, maintains, or transmits PHI on behalf of a clinic acts as a business associate. Therefore, the vendor should sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA).
The agreement should explain how the company protects patient data, reports security incidents, works with subcontractors, and returns or destroys information at the end of the contract.
Remember, a privacy statement or HIPAA claim cannot replace a signed BAA.
Examine access controls and audit logs
Secure platforms should restrict patient information to authorized users. Look for unique accounts, user authentication, role-based permissions, automatic logoff, and administrative controls.
Audit logs should record who accessed, sent, edited, downloaded, or deleted messages. These records allow clinics to investigate questionable activity and demonstrate regulatory compliance during an audit.
Consider how patients receive secure messages
Patient-facing texting platforms should make secure communication easy to access.
Some HIPAA-compliant apps require patients to create an account, download an app, or remember an additional password. Others send a secure link through SMS.
A suitable platform should let patients communicate securely with minimal setup. However, clinics must still verify patients' identities and explain which channel patients should use to share protected health information.
Review consent and messaging preferences
HIPAA does not require patient consent before every treatment-related message. However, clinics should document each patient’s communication preferences and explain the privacy concerns associated with standard SMS.
The messaging solution should also allow patients to opt in or opt out of appointment reminders and other automated messages.
Thus, clinics should confirm phone numbers before texting patients and avoid placing sensitive patient information in message previews.
Compare texting with the complete communication system
Secure texting rarely operates alone.
Medical professionals also use phone calls, voicemail, internal communications, digital intake forms, appointment reminders, and critical alerts.
Therefore, compare how each HIPAA-compliant messaging app manages these channels. Also, examine message history, number porting, administrative settings, practice management integrations, user limits, setup requirements, and total monthly pricing.
Top HIPAA-compliant texting providers for hospitals
The table below compares five HIPAA-compliant texting providers based on their main use case, secure patient messaging method, starting price, and more.
Best HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics
The providers below offer various methods for securely texting patients.
We compare their patient experience, security measures, broader communication features, current pricing, and more.
1. iPlum
iPlum provides clinics with a HIPAA-compliant texting solution and business phone system via a dedicated number on an existing mobile device.
Its main advantage is the free client account for secure, bidirectional patient texting.
With iPlum, Clinics can invite patients to an encrypted channel for conversations that contain protected health information. Patients can then reply through the free iPlum app or an app-less web portal.
Therefore, sensitive patient information does not have to pass through standard SMS or MMS. And, clinics can still use regular SMS for appointment reminders and messages that do not contain PHI.
iPlum also combines secure texting with HIPAA-compliant phone calls, voicemail, business hours, administrative controls, and a phone tree with unlimited extensions. That way, healthcare providers can communicate from a business number rather than giving patients their personal number.
Moreover, a clinic can port its existing number to iPlum, add multiple users, assign separate accounts, and manage communication through a business account. The Professional plan provides one year of text archiving, message history, and a signed Business Associate Agreement.
Key features
- Free client account: Provides patients with free access to secure, bidirectional messaging via the iPlum app or web portal.
- Encrypted secure texting: Protects PHI through an end-to-end encrypted messaging channel.
- Dedicated business number: Adds a separate clinic number to an existing mobile phone.
- HIPAA-compliant calling and voicemail: Extends protected healthcare communication beyond text messages.
- Signed BAA: Provides a Business Associate Agreement for every HIPAA-compliant iPlum number.
- One-year text archiving: Preserves secure message history for recordkeeping and compliance reviews.
- Phone tree with unlimited extensions: Routes patient calls to the correct provider, department, or voicemail box.
- Administrative controls: Lets account administrators add users, manage access, and disable an account after a device is lost or stolen.
- Shared number: Allows multiple authorized users to answer calls and texts associated with one business number.
- Group messaging: Enables encrypted conversations among several authorized iPlum users.
- Number porting: Lets clinics move an existing mobile or landline number into iPlum.
Pricing
The iPlum Professional plan costs $14.99 per user per month, billed annually.
The plan provides HIPAA compliance, secure, encrypted texting, a signed BAA, a free client account, web calling and texting, voicemail transcription, group text, broadcast text, scheduled messages, and one year of text archiving.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise plan costs $25.99 per user per month with annual billing or $30.99 per user per month, billed annually.
It comes with everything in the Professional plan, plus call recording, a recording consent announcement, and 10 years of call recording and text archiving.
2. OhMD
OhMD is a patient communication platform for two-way texting, appointment reminders, web chat, voice and video calls, and call-to-text conversations.
Clinics can text patients from an existing office number. For routine messages, OhMD uses standard SMS. When a message contains PHI, the patient receives a text containing a link to an encrypted browser page.
However, patients must open the secure link to read and respond to messages containing sensitive patient information. Therefore, the PHI does not appear inside the standard SMS conversation.
Key features
- Two-way patient texting: Lets clinics send and receive messages through a text-enabled office number.
- Secure PHI messaging: Sends protected information through an encrypted browser link.
- Appointment reminders: Sends automated reminders and lets patients respond by text.
- Call-to-text: Moves callers from a phone conversation into a text exchange.
- Voice and video calling: Gives providers additional channels for patient communication.
- EHR integrations: Connects OhMD with more than 85 EHR systems.
- Multi-factor authentication: Adds another identity check before users access the platform.
Pricing
The OhMD Core plan starts at $300 per month under an annual agreement. It provides two-way SMS, a text-enabled landline, voice and video calling, voicemail transcription, call handoff to text, and multi-factor authentication.
At their published starting prices, OhMD costs about 20 times as much as iPlum’s $14.99 Professional plan for one user. Put another way, OhMD’s monthly starting price is approximately 1,901% higher.
OhMD’s AI and Automation plan starts at $500 per month. It adds patient call automation, automatic message routing, customized workflows, broadcast voice calling, and appointment scheduling. Calling usage carries an additional charge.
3. Klara
Klara now operates as ModMed Patient Engagement. It provides app-free, two-way patient texting, broadcast messaging, digital intake, scheduling, payment links, and automated outreach.
Patients can receive and respond to messages through their mobile phones rather than downloading another app. Moreover, Klara can route incoming requests to the appropriate clinic employee and transfer patient information into ModMed EHR and Practice Management.
However, Klara’s closest integration is with the ModMed system. Clinics using another EHR should confirm compatibility, data transfer capabilities, and integration fees before signing a contract.
Key features
- App-free texting: Lets patients exchange messages through their mobile phones.
- Broadcast messaging: Sends updates to patient groups.
- Automated outreach: Sends reminders, follow-ups, and recall messages.
- Digital intake: Lets patients complete forms before an appointment.
- Self-scheduling: Gives patients access to available appointment times.
- Message routing: Sends incoming requests to the appropriate clinic employee.
- ModMed integration: Transfers intake, payment, and communication data into the ModMed system.
Pricing
Klara does not publish official pricing. However, third-party sources estimate that plans start at approximately $125 per user per month and range from $125 to $450 per user per month.
Based on the estimated starting price, Klara costs about 8.3 times as much as iPlum Professional for one user. Its estimated monthly rate is approximately 734% higher.
Plus, final pricing depends on practice size, selected features, and integration requirements. Therefore, clinics must request a quote from ModMed.
4. Spruce
Spruce combines medical phone service, SMS, secure app-based messaging, video visits, e-fax, and internal chat.
It gives clinics two patient-texting options. Patients can reply to ordinary SMS messages from their existing texting app. Alternatively, they can create a free Spruce account and communicate through its encrypted messaging environment.
However, Spruce’s secure conversations require patients to download the Spruce app or register through its website. Standard SMS requires no patient account, but Spruce states that SMS is not guaranteed to be secure. Clinics should warn patients about the privacy concerns and document their preference for SMS.
Key features
- Secure app messaging: Encrypts patient conversations in transit and at rest.
- Standard SMS: Lets patients reply through their existing texting app.
- Phone and voicemail: Gives clinics a medical business number and voicemail transcription.
- Video visits: Lets providers start encrypted video conversations with patients.
- E-fax: Sends and receives medical faxes electronically.
- Internal chat: Gives clinic personnel an encrypted channel for clinical communication.
- Signed BAA: Adds Spruce’s BAA to eligible healthcare accounts.
Pricing
The Spruce Basic plan costs $24 per user per month. It provides phone, SMS, secure app-based messaging, video, e-fax, internal chat, auto-replies, and voicemail transcription.
At that rate, Spruce Basic costs about 1.6 times as much as iPlum Professional. Its monthly price is approximately 60% higher.
The Communicator plan costs $49 per user per month. It adds customizable call flows, urgent escalation, after-hours triage, integrations, API access, VoIP phone service, and additional AI transcription features. The plan costs approximately 3.3 times as much as iPlum Professional.
5. Weave
Weave provides two-way texting, appointment reminders, schedule confirmations, phones, digital forms, payments, and patient recall tools.
Clinics can send individual messages or bulk campaigns from their business number. Weave also provides encryption, user permissions, multi-factor authentication, audit logging, and a Business Associate Agreement for healthcare customers.
However, Weave limits bulk messaging according to the selected plan. Pro permits 1,500 bulk messages per month, Elite permits 3,000, and Ultimate permits 15,000. Clinics with large patient lists should calculate their expected monthly volume before choosing a plan.
Key features
- Two-way texting: Lets clinics exchange mobile messages with patients.
- Appointment reminders: Sends automated notifications before scheduled visits.
- Schedule confirmations: Lets patients confirm appointments by text.
- Bulk texting: Sends reminders and announcements to larger patient lists.
- Missed-call texting: Sends a text response after an unanswered call.
- Digital forms: Collects patient information before an appointment.
- Text to Pay: Sends patients secure payment links.
- Access controls: Restricts patient data according to assigned user permissions.
Pricing
Weave pricing starts at $199 per month. And while it provides Pro, Elite, and Ultimate plans, it does not publish a public price for each package.
At the published starting rate, Weave costs about 13.3 times as much as iPlum Professional for one user. Its starting price is approximately 1,228% higher.
The final cost may vary based on the selected plan, phone hardware, practice size, locations, and any added services.
HIPAA-compliant texting solutions for clinics: frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What makes text messaging HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA-compliant text messaging uses suitable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. These measures can include encryption, access controls, user authentication, audit logs, secure storage, written policies, and a Business Associate Agreement.
Is standard SMS HIPAA compliant?
Standard SMS does not provide the same level of security as an encrypted messaging app. However, HHS permits electronic patient communication when clinics implement reasonable safeguards and honor a patient’s requested method of communication.
Does a BAA make a texting platform HIPAA compliant?
No. A Business Associate Agreement defines the vendor’s obligations, but clinics must also conduct a risk analysis, configure the platform correctly, restrict access, train users, and follow HIPAA policies.
Do patients need an app for HIPAA-compliant texting?
It depends on the platform. iPlum offers a free client app and an app-less web portal. OhMD uses encrypted browser links. Spruce requires an account for its secure app-based conversations.
Can clinics send appointment reminders by text?
Yes. Clinics can text appointment reminders when they apply reasonable privacy safeguards. Messages should contain limited information, use verified phone numbers, and follow the patient’s documented communication preferences.
Pick a solution that offers true HIPAA compliance for clinics
A HIPAA claim does not tell you how a platform manages protected health information. Therefore, examine its encryption, BAA, access controls, message records, patient experience, and complete communication system.
iPlum combines encrypted patient texting with a free client account, dedicated business number, HIPAA-compliant calls, voicemail, administrative controls, and archiving. Moreover, plans start at $14.99 per user per month.
Get an iPlum number to give your clinic an approved business channel for secure patient calls and texts.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes and may not reflect the most current features or capabilities of the products or companies mentioned. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, please refer to each company's official sources.
