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The Top 5 HIPAA web hosting services that are compliant for WordPress

Mar 24, 2023

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Your HIPAA policy manager must get through a checklist that is as long as their arm to make sure your company is following all regulations.

And failure to comply with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards can lead to steep penalties.

This could result in imprisonment and fines upwards of $50,000 for each offense (up to $1.5 million in a calendar year). It's a very high-risk peril!

For smaller businesses, HIPAA compliance can be extremely difficult to grasp andafford. And yet you're the ones who can least afford to be stung by expensive fines.

Don't worry, though. We've got you covered.

We've put together a list of optionsthat'll protect your data and secure and keep you following all the HIPAA guidelines (at at least with respect to zero).

Additionally, we'll go over the features that are essential and the certifications required. That way you can check the operation of our system and rest knowing your data is secure.

So let's get to it!

Do I require HIPAA-compliant web Hosting?

If you're not in the U.S.

HIPAA is designed to protect the medical information (PHI) of Americans, wherever they happen to be anywhere in the world. So if you're doing online business, HIPAA compliance is your most secure option - no matter your location.

Even if you're not employed in healthcare, you'll be required be in compliance with HIPPA if you handle PHI as part of the services you provide.

As telemedicine is growing in popularity and remote monitoring for patients, HIPAA-compliant hosting is much more important than ever. Actually, non-compliant website hosts actually forbid using their services to sites that are subject to HIPAA guidelines.

The bottom line is if you are hosting any kind of medical records on your website including patient records, prescriptions and much more, you must use HIPAA-compliant website hosting.

And here's why it's worth it...

What are the reasons to start an Online Healthcare Business?

It's likely that you've heard about sites like Zocdoc and Betterhelp who're offering healthcare providers clients online a client-facing platform.

They're huge and powerful, and could make you want to avoid the trouble in creating your own web site. You shouldn't!

There are several advantages to having your own website is the most effective option...

1. Increased Control of ownership and profits

Third-party platforms may receive a substantial portion of the revenue you earn. On top of that, you often have to pay for membership costs. Also, they're at liberty to alter fees and the terms and conditions at drop of a hat.

Seth Meyers Lol GIF by Late Night with Seth Meyers - Find & Share on GIPHY

For instance, Zocdoc recently changed its pricing structure to a fixed monthly rate of $3000 per company. Now, Zocdoc healthcare professionals are required to be paid a flat amount per new patient in addition to an annual licensing fee.

As you build your business via third-party platforms more vulnerable you are to their whims. This isn't any sense in terms of business.

2. Create an intimate community of patients

When you use WordPress along with  other platforms, you have more control over the pricing. However, you'll also have the ability to create an online community for your business.

Patients value personal contact with an individual healthcare practitioner they can call whenever they have a need.

In addition, you can include additional resources including resources and information to your patients that they can use and reference.

For instance, customer New Hope Counseling & Wellness Center provides counseling and therapy services through their site.

They also regularly upload material that will help their members who have suffered from eating disorders, trauma and other eating disorders.

3. Maximize Recurring Revenue

Recurring revenue refers to a stream of revenue that is repeated on a regular basis. Subscription-based services are an illustration of recurring revenue. This revenue model is much more reliable and stable than single-time payment.

Here are some regular ways to earn revenue for healthcare which you could offer on your WordPress website . These include :

Make subscriptions for ongoing appointments.

Offer your patients a monthly payment option to help spread the costs of appointment or treatment.

A subscription that is regular in duration could be a way to encourage patients to keep up with regular visits and treatment. Patients will feel more obligation to use the service they are paying for.

Additionally, offering the option of paying monthly can help to make healthcare more affordable for those who struggle to pay large sums upfront.

This can help to enhance the level of satisfaction and loyalty among patients which will ultimately result in better health outcomes.

Develop treatment programs

Develop treatment programs that can aid your patients in completing their care at home.

If you're a physical therapist, for example, you could develop a program that incorporates more challenging exercises that will aid your patients' recovery.

As a primary healthcare practitioner can you put together a course on how to manage type 2 diabetes.

If you are a mental health specialist, you could create an educational program to assist people regulate their emotions, or create a mindfulness program.

The courses are able to be tied. A basic subscription offers access to a 4-week online course. There is also a professional subscription gives access to personal 1:1 telehealth appointments.

Create a paywalled resource hub

Make a collection of useful resources for your patients to use by registering for a subscription. These could include info sheets and meal plans, as well as relevant videos, or articles - the possibilities are endless!

Your patients will have all the necessary information to complement their treatments in one place, making it much easier for them to remain active and motivated throughout their appointments.

makes recurring revenue a doddle

Whatever you have in mind for your website, is the most popular WordPress membership plugin to help bring your idea to fruition.

Develop tiered subscriptions and paywall-based content, and control the appointment process for telehealth all on your site.

It is compatible with more than 5000 platforms and add-ons , including the following add-ons to aid you with HIPAA conformity:

4. It's Much Easier Than You Believe

Do not let the jargon of online security make you nervous. When you have the right supplier and some solid professional advice, you can be able to navigate HIPAA protocols and build an impressive website.

However, before you do, take a look at this article to discover the top web hosting company for you.

Needed Features for HIPAA Compliant Web Hosting

For HIPAA conformity, there are a few important features and accreditations that your hosting provider should have in place. These are:

  • Advanced firewalls
  • Security monitoring and scanning for malware
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Secure virtual private networks (VPNs) to secure cloud access as well as electronic protected health information (ePHI) during transport
  • Extra secure SSL/TLS encryption to protect stored files
  • Physically secure server locations in HIPAA-approved data centers
  • Audit logs are used to keep track of HIPAA-regulated actions and access to data
  • Backup of data and off-site storage
  • Resilience to data recovery in the event of loss or disaster
  • 100% server availability and 100% uptime
  • Fantastic Support!
  • Ability to sign a Business associate agreement (BAA) ensuring HIPAA compliance

It is possible to find a complete (and highly useful) HIPAA compliance checklist here.

Here are some other related terms and badges to look out for:

 HiTECH

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act is an update of HIPAA which came into enforcement in the year 2009. If you find something that is HITECH conforming, it's also HIPAA conforming... as well as some.

 HIGHTRUST

Unlike HIPAA or HITECH and HITECH, it is not a law. Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) is not a law. It's a well-known organization that certifies organizations for their HIPAA and HITECH compliance.

 HITRUST CSF

The HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) covers international security and privacy laws such as ISO, PCI, and GDPR for global compliance.

 SOC2 as well SOC3

Service Organization Control 2 (SOC2) and SOC3 frameworks help ensure the security of their data center as well as cloud security measures.

But, there are instances where something is SOC2/3 compliant and it isn'tHIPAA conforming So be aware!

Three Facts to Know About HIPAA Web Hosting

Prior to jumping onto the top of the list, we're better in taking the time to set expectations.

1. HIPAA Compliant Web Hosting Can Cost a Lot

HIPAA web hosting is accompanied by costlier prices as compared to other hosting services. That's because HIPAA compliance demands more of web hosting providers as compared to a standard shared or VPS hosting service.

This extra security comes at an expense.

2. The options are thin on the ground

3. Do Your Own Diligence

Just because the service that you're using meets the requirements for HIPAA compliance doesn't guarantee you'll use it correctly. Ever seen someone wear a helmet without doing up the straps? This is a bit like.

Helmet Safety GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

If you're not careful with your settings, or if your internal protocols for handling and sending PHI don't keep up with HIPAA regulations, you could be still in breach.

Be sure to conduct your own due diligence and consult with an expert whenever necessary. In the end, all responsibility for HIPAA compliance rests with you.

5 HIPAA Compliant Website Hosting Service

Once the disclaimers are out of the way We present our top 5 HIPAA compliant web hosting services.

#1 - Liquid Web

Many reviewers have praised its reliability and excellent uptime, as well as its prompt customer service, and super speedy speeds.

Their tagline is "The Most Humane People hosting" As you can see from reviews from their clients their service is in line with their claim.

Thanks to their support, the process is simple and they will assist you in ensuring that your site fully meets all HIPAA guidelines.

Liquid Web is proudly HIPAA/HITECH certified. The company has been through rigorous audits by third parties to make sure that their compliance with " not only meet, but exceed government guidelines."

They can provide the complete range - offsite backups, fully controlled and owned data centers complete with locked servers, extensive security as well as a lot more.

In contrast to other providers of hosting listed on this page There's no need search their site to locate their HIPPA-compliant offerings. They're fully transparent about what the service is and the price.

Prices start at $299/month for an individual HIPAA server, and as high as $657/month for a multi-server plan.

#2 - Atlantic.Net, Inc.

Atlantic.net, Inc. is another provider that boasts HIPAA compliant hosting. an 100% uptime SLA (SLA) with round-the-clock assistance.

Atlantic.Net, Inc. offers the option of fully managed or non-managed hosting options. If you're planning to migrate your current WordPress site to their HIPAA-compliant server, they can help you in that process too.

As an expert in hosting compliance, Atlantic.Net, Inc. has refined its setup procedure in order to make what could be an intimidating experience simple.

Atlantic.Net, Inc. has 3 pricing tiers that range between $279.98/month for their quickstart service, to $609.97/month for their HIPAA business edition.

However, where they excel is by providing customized hosting services to your individual needs. You'd be better off getting a custom quote from them.

They also offer a 30-day trial for free so that you are able to test it out before making any commitments.

#3 3 HIPAA Vault

HIPAA Vault (formerly VM Racks) offers a fully managed and secure WordPress publishing and publishing platforms.

The name of the program says it all. HIPAA Vault is specifically designed for HIPAA Compliance. It provides 24/7/365 support with a 90% first-call resolution to ensure everything's running as it should.

They also actively monitor their infrastructure, and make updates regularly to mitigate risk and beef up security.

If the cost/month of HIPAA-compliant web hosting makes you feel a bit overwhelmed, HIPAA Vault is your ideal choice. Their most popular annual contract costs just $84 per month.

#4 - Rackspace

Rackspace isn't announcing that they offer HIPAA-compliant services as a package. But, they do claim to be "HIPAA ready". What do they mean by that?

It means on request they can ensure they meet all necessary specifications for HIPAA conformity.

All you need to be sure of is ensure that you have signed an AAA with them, which comes as standard with their clients in the health sector.

If they state that they're ready to go and ready, they're really saying it. They have a steady supply of more than 2,500 health care organizations. This speaks volumes about their familiarity in HIPAA compliance.

They're HITRUST CSF-certified and meet the requirements of HIPAA for both public and private hybrid, and private cloud infrastructures.

To top that, they're also Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) in compliance and employ Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) as well as Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols.

Getting lost in the acronyms? Just know about transmitting and receiving data they've got it covered.

#5 - AWS

Amazon Web Services ( AWS) is an cloud-based service provider (CSP) with web hosting solutions. It is able to securely manage, store, and transfer PHI. It also allows patients to accept the BAA to ensure compliance with HIPAA protections.

Since it's an CSP (as as opposed to a web hosting provider), AWS isn't eligible to receive HIPAA accreditation. But, it meets the requirements for it.

Their HIPAA Risk Management program is aligned with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). Also, it is compliant with the protocols that are provided by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 800-53).

They both have more security standards over HIPAA.

The main advantage of using AWS is the pay-as-you-go system, where you only pay for what you actually need for the period you use it.

It is different from the fixed monthly pricing system used by other hosts we list. This also allows you to stop at any time without losing a dime.

But, AWS is complex to get your head around as well, and in contrast to the others mentioned that we have mentioned above the AWS service, their support for customers is not as clear..

While some of the companies listed in this list can provide assistance on the way to go, don't expect to receive the same amount of assistance from AWS.

Conclusion

If you're looking for websites hosting with HIPAA compliance there's plenty of options. These five we've reviewed are the most effective out there. The one you pick depends on your individual needs and preferences.

When you've discovered the most suitable option for you The enjoyment (and earning money!) begins. By integrating HIPAA-compliant plugins, you can achieve beyond just providing the telehealth services.

Start building an online community, and offer the best service to your patients today.

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Have you got any concerns concerning HIPAA compliant web hosting? Please let us know via the section of comments below!