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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 administrator must go through a list that is as long as their arm in order to be sure that your business is following all regulations.

In addition, failure to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) standards can lead to steep penalty.

This could result in jail time and fines of as high as $50,000 per violation (up up to $1.5 million per year). It's a very high-risk peril!

For small businesses, HIPAA compliance can be particularly difficult to understand as well asafford. Yet, you're among the businesses who can least afford to get caught up in high-cost penalties.

Don't worry, though. We're here for you.

We've put together a list of optionsthat'll protect your data as well as secure, while in compliance with all HIPAA regulations (at at least with respect to zero).

In addition, we'll break down the essential features and accreditations that are needed. That way you can check our workings and sleep easy 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 developed to protect the health information (PHI) from Americans no matter where they are anywhere in the world. So if you're doing business online, HIPAA compliance is your most secure option - no matter the location you're located.

Even if you're not working in the field of healthcare, you'll have to comply with HIPPA when you deal with PHI in your service.

As telemedicine is growing in popularity and remote patient monitoring and remote patient monitoring, HIPAA-compliant hosting is now more necessary than ever. Actually, non-compliant website hosts prohibit access to their services for websites that fall under HIPAA regulations.

If you have any kind of medical data on your website including patient records, prescriptions and more - it is essential to use HIPAA-compliant hosting for your website.

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

The reason to establish an Online Healthcare Business?

There are many websites such as Zocdoc and Betterhelp who're offering healthcare providers the opportunity to connect with clients via an online platform.

They're big and powerful and might leave you tempted to ignore the effort in creating your own web site. However, you should not!

There are several reasons to consider why creating your own website is the best option...

1. More Control Over ownership and profits

Third-party platforms may make a significant portion of your earnings. On top of that there are times when you must be charged membership fees. They're also at full liberty to change fee prices and terms and conditions at the drop of a hat.

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

As an example, Zocdoc recently changed its fees from a flat yearly rate of $3000 per provider. Now, Zocdoc healthcare providers must charge a flat rate per new patient plus an annual license fee.

The more you do business on third-party platforms, the more you're at their mercy. And that just doesn't make good business sense.

2. Build an Intimate Community of patients

By using WordPress along with  other platforms, you can have greater control over your pricing. However, you'll also have the ability to build communities around your services.

Patients appreciate the personal touch provided by an individual healthcare practitioner they can contact anytime they need to.

In addition, you can upload extra materials like resources or advice for your patients to easily consult and access.

For example, customer New Hope Counseling & Wellness Center can provide counseling and therapy services through their site.

They also regularly upload content that can help support the survivors in their group of eating disorders, trauma and other eating disorders.

3. Maximize the Recurring Revenue

Recurring revenue is a stream of earnings that comes in on a regular basis. Subscription-based services can be a good example of recurring revenue. This revenue model is stable and reliable than one-time payments.

Here are some regular income ideas for healthcare which you could offer via your WordPress website . These include :

Sell ongoing appointments as subscriptions

Provide your patients with a monthly payment option to spread the cost of treatments or regular appointments.

Paying a regular subscription may be a way to encourage patients to keep up with regular appointments as well as treatments. Patients will feel more obligation to use the services they pay for.

In addition, having the option of paying monthly can aid in making healthcare more accessible for patients who may be unable to afford large amounts in advance.

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

Develop treatment programs

Develop treatment programs that can help your patients supplement their care at home.

If you're a physiotherapist, for example, you could create a course with progressively higher-level exercises in order to help the recovery of your patients.

As a primary care practitioner, you could put together an educational program on how to treat type 2 diabetes.

If you are a mental health specialist can you create courses to help individuals control their emotions or even develop a meditation practice.

They can also be arranged in a offered in a variety of levels. A basic subscription provides access to a four-week online course. A pro subscription granting access to personalized appointment via telehealth.

Set up a paywalled resource hub

Create a library of information for your patients to use with their subscription. These could include info sheets and meal plans, as well as relevant articles, and videos The possibilities are limitless!

Your patients will have all the information they need to supplement treatment in one place, making it easier for them to remain engaged and motivated between appointments.

makes recurring revenue a doddle

Whatever you're thinking of for your website, is the most popular WordPress membership plugin to help bring your vision to life.

Create tiered subscriptions, paywall contentand handle the appointment process for telehealth all from your website.

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

4. It's Much Simpler Than You Think

Don't let security terminology on the internet 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 amazing web site.

Before that, you must read on to find the most reliable web hosting service for you.

Essential Features to be HIPAA-compliant Web Hosting

For HIPAA conformity There are some necessary features and certifications your web hosting solution is required to have. The following are required:

  • Advanced firewalls
  • Monitoring security and malware scanning
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • VPNs that are encrypted (VPNs) ensure secure cloud access and electronically private health information (ePHI) while in transit
  • Extra secure SSL/TLS encryption for gespeichert information
  • Physically secure server locations in HIPAA-approved data centers
  • Audit logs are used to keep track of HIPAA-regulated activities and data access
  • Data backup and off-site storage
  • Resilience to data recovery in the event catastrophe or loss
  • 100% server availability and uptime
  • Excellent Support!
  • Availability to sign a business associate agreement (BAA) assuring HIPAA compliance

There is a comprehensive (and extremely useful) HIPAA compliance checklist here.

These are additional concepts and badges that you should look out for:

 HIT

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) law is an up-to-date version of HIPAA which was made law in 2009. If anything is HITECH compliant, it is also HIPAA conforming... and then certain.

 HIGHTRUST

In contrast to 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 which certifies businesses for showing HIPAA as well as HITECH compliance.

 HITRUST CSF

The HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) includes international security and privacy laws including ISO, PCI, and GDPR to ensure compliance across the globe.

 SOC2 and SOC3

Service Organization Control 2 (SOC2) and SOC3 frameworks can demonstrate the integrity of their data centers and cloud security measures.

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

Three Facts to Learn About HIPAA Web Hosting

Before jumping to the next item, it's best in taking the time to control expectations.

1. HIPAA Secure Web Hosting Could Be Expensive

HIPAA web hosting is accompanied by a higher price tag than most other hosting solutions. That's because HIPAA compliance requires a lot more from web hosts in comparison to the typical shared or VPS hosting.

The added security comes with an expense.

2. Options are Thin on the ground

3. Do Your Own Diligence

The fact that the provider that you're using meets the requirements for HIPAA conformity doesn't mean your use of it in a safe manner. Have you ever seen someone wearing an unfit helmet and not adjust the straps? That's sort of similar.

Helmet Safety GIF - Find & Share on GIPHY

If you mess up the settings or internal processes to handle and transmit PHI aren't in line with HIPAA regulations, you could still be in breach.

Be sure to conduct your own due diligence and consult with an expert at any time you need it. The responsibility to ensure HIPAA compliance falls to you.

5 HIPAA Compliant Website Hosting Service

With the disclaimers removed We present our top 5 HIPAA compliant webhosting services.

#1 - Liquid Web

Reviewers love its reliability and great uptime, its responsive customer support and speedy speeds.

Their tagline is "The Most Humane People in Hosting" As you can see from their customer reviews They live up to their claim.

With their help it's easy, and they can help you ensure your website fully meets all HIPAA standards.

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

They offer the full gamut of backup offsite, fully operated and fully owned data centers that are secured with servers, extensive security as well as a lot more.

Unlike other hosting providers that are on this list There's no need to scour their website to locate their HIPPA-compliant offerings. They're transparent about the features of their service entails and how much it costs.

Pricing starts at $299/month for a standalone HIPAA server. Prices can go up to $657/month for a multi-server plan.

#2 - Atlantic.Net, Inc.

Atlantic.net, Inc. is yet another company that boasts HIPAA compliant hosting. 100 percent uptime for SLA (SLA) as well as round-the-clock customer support.

Atlantic.Net, Inc. offers both fully managed and managed hosting services. And if you plan moving your existing WordPress site onto their secure HIPAA compliant server, they'll help you in that process too.

As an expert for hosting that is compliant, Atlantic.Net, Inc. has perfected the process of setting up in order to make what could be a daunting experience, easy.

Atlantic.Net, Inc. has 3 pricing tiers ranging between $279.98/month for their quickstart solution and up all the way to $609.97/month for their HIPAA Business Edition.

But where they really excel is when they provide custom hosting solutions to meet your particular demands. So you're better off getting a custom quote from their company.

They also offer a 30-day free trial so you can try it before you make any commitments.

#3 #3 HIPAA Vault

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

Its name says it all. HIPAA Vault has been specially designed to meet HIPAA conformity. It provides 24/7/365 support and a 90% first-call resolution that ensures everything's running as it should.

They also monitor their infrastructure and upgrade it often to minimize the risk and increase security.

If the cost/month of HIPAA-compliant web hosting is making you shiver, HIPAA Vault is your most effective choice. The most well-known annual plan works out at just $84/month.

#4 -- Rackspace

Rackspace does not outwardly provide HIPAA-compliant services in packages. They do however describe themselves as "HIPAA ready". What exactly do they mean with this?

Well, it means that upon request, they will be able to ensure they meet all necessary requirements for HIPAA compliance.

All you need be doing is be sure to sign a BAA with them and it is a standard with their clients in the field of healthcare.

When they claim that they're prepared and ready, they're really saying it. They reliably serve the needs of 2,500 healthcare providers, which is a testimony to their experience with HIPAA compliance.

They're HITRUST CSF-certified that means they're in compliance with the requirements of HIPAA for both public and private and hybrid cloud systems.

In addition, they're also Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant and use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) as well as Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols.

Are you lost among the various acronyms? Be aware that about transmitting and receiving data they've got your back.

#5 - AWS

Amazon Web Services ( AWS) is a cloud service provider (CSP) which also offers web hosting solutions. It can securely handle, transfer and store PHI. Clients can sign 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 for HIPAA certification. It does however meet the standards that apply to it.

Their HIPAA risk management program aligns closely with 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 standards of security that HIPAA.

One of the main benefits of AWS is its pay-as-you go system that lets you pay for the services you utilize for the duration you use it.

This is in contrast to the fixed-monthly pricing structure used by other web hosting providers on our list. It also means you can stop at any time without losing a dime.

However, AWS is complex to get your head around And, unlike other options that we have mentioned above the AWS service, their customer support is sketchy.

Although other companies that are on this list provide guidance on the way to go, don't expect the same level of support from AWS.

Conclusion

When it comes to Web hosting that is HIPAA compliant there's plenty of options. The five that we've listed here are the most effective out there. Which one you choose depends on your personal needs and preferences.

When you've discovered the most suitable choice for you, the enjoyment (and earning money!) begins. By integrating HIPAA-compliant plug-ins, you are able to accomplish more than just provide a telehealth service.

Begin to build an online community today and provide a premium services to your clients today.

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Do you have any questions regarding HIPAA-compliant hosting? Let us know in the section of comments below!