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The Top 5 HIPAA Website Hosting Services that are HIPAA-compliant for WordPress

Mar 24, 2023

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Your HIPAA policy administrator must go through a list for as long as they can to make sure your company follows all the rules.

In addition, failure to meet Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules can result in severe fines.

It could mean prison time as well as fines of up to $50,000 for each offense (up up to $1.5 million in a calendar year). That's some serious top-tier peril!

For smaller businesses, HIPAA compliance can be particularly difficult to grasp as well asafford. But you're also the ones most likely to be stung by costly penalty fees.

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

We've put together a list of optionsthat'll keep your data safe as well as secure, while in compliance with all HIPAA rules (at least when it comes to ground zero).

We'll also break down the necessary features and certifications that are required. So you can verify our workings and sleep easy knowing your data is secure.

So let's get to it!

Do I need HIPAA-compliant Web Hosting?

Even if you're outside the U.S.

HIPAA is developed to safeguard the protected medical information (PHI) from Americans, wherever they are anywhere in the world. If you're conducting online business, HIPAA compliance is your safest bet - regardless of your location.

If you're not involved working in the field of healthcare, you'll have 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 essential more than ever. Actually, non-compliant website hosts actually forbid using their services to websites subject to HIPAA guidelines.

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

Here's the reason it's worth it...

Why Set up an Online Healthcare Business?

You've surely heard of sites such as Zocdoc as well as Betterhelp who're offering healthcare providers clients online a client-facing platform.

They're huge and powerful, and might leave you tempted to avoid the trouble in creating your own web site. However, you should not!

Here are a few advantages to having your own website is the ideal choice...

1. Greater Control over Ownership and Profits

Third-party platforms may make a significant portion of the revenue you earn. Additionally it is common to pay for membership costs. The organization is also free to modify fees or the terms and conditions at moment of need.

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For instance, Zocdoc recently changed its fees from a flat annual rate of $3000 for each company. Now, Zocdoc healthcare providers are required to be paid a flat amount for each new patient booking plus an annual license fee.

The more you do business on third-party platforms, the more vulnerable you are to their whims. And that just doesn't make any sense in terms of business.

2. Create an intimate community of patients

By using WordPress along with  WordPress, you get more control over your pricing. But you'll also be able to build an online community for your business.

The patients appreciate the personal touch of a healthcare provider they can call anytime they need to.

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

For instance, customer New Hope Counseling & Wellness Center can provide therapies and counseling services on their website.

They are also frequently uploading content that can help support the survivors in their group of trauma and eating disorders.

3. Maximize the Recurring Revenue

Recurring income is a source of earnings that comes in on a regular basis. Subscription-based services are an illustration of recurring revenue. This revenue model is much more reliable and stable than one-time payments.

Here are some recurring income ideas for healthcare that you can provide through your WordPress website with :

Make subscriptions for ongoing appointments.

Give your patients a monthly payment option to help spread the costs of treatments or regular appointments.

Paying a regular subscription may aid in motivating patients to keep up with regular visits as well as treatments. The patients will be able to feel an sense of obligation to use the services they pay for.

Also, providing an option to pay monthly could help to make healthcare more accessible to patients who be unable to afford large amounts in advance.

This will enhance the level of satisfaction and loyalty among patients, and ultimately lead to improved health outcomes.

Make treatment classes

Create treatment plans that will aid your patients in completing their treatment at home.

If you're a physiotherapist, as an example, you can develop a program that incorporates more challenging exercises that will aid your clients' recuperation.

As a primary care practitioner can you put together the necessary information to manage the type 2 form of diabetes.

As a mental health professional You could design an educational program to assist people regulate their emotions, or develop a mindfulness practice.

These courses can be tiered. A basic subscription provides access to an online course lasting four weeks course. There is also a professional subscription granting access to personalized appointment via telehealth.

Set up a paywalled resource hub

Create a library of information which your patients are able to access by registering for a subscription. This could include information sheets, meal plans, relevant video and articles There are many options!

Your patients will have all the necessary information to supplement treatment on one page, which makes it simpler for them to remain engaged and motivated between appointments.

makes recurring revenue a doddle

Whatever you're planning for your website, is the number one WordPress membership plugin to help bring your ideas to fruition.

Create tiered subscriptions, paywall contentand handle telehealth appointments all directly from your website.

Integrates with more than 5000 platforms and add-ons , including the following plugins that can aid you with HIPAA conformity:

4. It's Much Simpler Than You Think

Don't let security terminology on the internet scare you off. When you have the right provider and some sound guidance from an expert, it's simple to follow HIPAA protocols and build an awesome web site.

However, before you do, take a look at this article to discover the best web hosting provider for your needs.

Needed Features for HIPAA Compliant Web Hosting

To ensure HIPAA conformity There are some important features and accreditations your web hosting solution is required to have. The following are required:

  • Advanced firewalls
  • Monitoring security and malware scanning
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Secure virtual private networks (VPNs) to secure cloud access as well as electronic private health information (ePHI) in transit
  • Secure SSL/TLS encryption with extra security for gespeichert data
  • 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
  • Resistance to recovery of data in the event in the event of loss or natural disaster
  • 100% server availability and 100% uptime
  • Excellent assistance
  • Ability to sign a Business associate agreement (BAA) ensuring HIPAA conformity

You can find a thorough (and highly useful) HIPAA compliance checklist here.

Below are additional terms and badges worth looking out for:

 HITECH

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act is an update of HIPAA that was enacted in 2009. If anything is HITECH compliant, it is as well HIPAA conforming... and certain.

 HIGHTRUST

Contrary to HIPAA or HITECH and HITECH, it is not a law. Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) is not a law. It's a widely recognized organization which certifies businesses for showing HIPAA as well as HITECH compliance.

 HITRUST CSF

The Common Security Framework of HITRUST (CSF) includes international security and privacy laws including ISO, PCI, and GDPR, which is a global standard for compliance.

 SOC2 and SOC3

Service Organization Control 2 (SOC2) and SOC3 frameworks are used to demonstrate the integrity of their data center as well as cloud security security.

However, something can be SOC2/3 compliant and it isn'tHIPAA conforming, so watch out!

Three Things You Need to Learn about HIPAA Web Hosting

Prior to jumping onto the list, we're best off taking a moment to control expectations.

1. HIPAA web hosting that is compliant can Be Expensive

HIPAA web hosting comes with an additional cost as compared to other hosting services. It's due to the fact that HIPAA compliance demands more web hosts in comparison to the typical shared or VPS hosting service.

The added security comes with the cost of.

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 compliance doesn't guarantee the service will be used correctly. Have you ever seen someone wearing the helmet but not put on the straps? It's kind of like that.

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If you make a mistake in your settings, or if your internal procedures to handle and transmit PHI do not comply with HIPAA regulations, you could be still in breach.

Do the necessary research and seek out expert guidance when needed. In the end, all responsibility for HIPAA compliance falls to the individual.

5. HIPAA Compliant Website Hosting Service

After getting the disclaimers in place Here are our top 5 HIPAA compliant web hosting services.

#1 - Liquid Web

Reviewers love its reliability and high uptime. They also appreciate its quick customer support and rapid speeds.

Their tagline is "The most helpful human beings on Hosting", and judging by their customer reviews their service is in line with their motto.

With their help it's easy, and they can assist you in ensuring that your site fully meets all HIPAA requirements.

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

They provide the entire range - offsite backups, fully managed and wholly owned core data centers, complete with secured server cabinets, full security as well as a lot more.

In contrast to other providers of hosting that are on this list You don't have go through their website to find their HIPPA-compliant offerings. They're transparent about the features of their service entails and how much it costs.

The cost starts at $299/month to get an individual HIPAA server. Prices can go up to $657/month for a multi-server plan.

#2 - Atlantic.Net, Inc.

Atlantic.net, Inc. is another service provider who is proud to offer HIPAA-compliant hosting, with 100 percent uptime for SLA (SLA) with round-the-clock assistance.

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

As a specialist for hosting that is compliant, Atlantic.Net, Inc. has refined the setup process in order to make what could be difficult to comprehend, simple.

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

However, where they excel is in offering tailored hosting environments for your specific requirements. You'd be better off getting customized quotes from them.

The company also offers a 30 day trial at no cost so you can check it out prior to making any commitments.

#3 3 HIPAA Vault

HIPAA Vault (formerly VM Racks) is a fully-managed and secured WordPress publishing and publishing platforms.

Its name says it all. HIPAA Vault has been specially designed to meet HIPAA Compliance. They offer 24/7/365 customer service with a 90% first-call resolution that ensures everything's running as it should.

They are also constantly monitoring their infrastructure, and make updates regularly to mitigate risks and improve security.

If the cost/month of HIPAA-compliant web hosting has you reeling, HIPAA Vault is your ideal choice. Their most sought-after annual agreement works out at just $84/month.

#4 - Rackspace

Rackspace does not outwardly offer HIPAA compliant services as a package. However, they claim to be "HIPAA certified". What does it mean to them when they say this?

This means when they request it, they'll be able to confirm that they have met all specifications in order to be HIPAA compliance.

The only thing you have to do is be sure to sign an AAA with them, which comes as standard with their clients in the field of healthcare.

When they claim that they're prepared, they mean it. They reliably serve more than 2,500 health care organizations. This speaks volumes about their familiarity in HIPAA compliance.

They're HITRUST CSF-certified, which means they meet the necessary standards required by HIPAA for public, private hybrid, and private cloud infrastructures.

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

Getting lost in the jargon? Just know in the case of transmitting and receiving data they've got it covered.

#5 AWS #5 AWS

Amazon Web Services ( AWS) is an cloud-based service provider (CSP) that also has web hosting solutions. It can securely process, store and transfer PHI. It also allows patients to be able to sign the BAA to comply with HIPAA safeguards.

Since it's a CSP (as as opposed to a web hosting provider), AWS isn't eligible for HIPAA certification. But, it meets 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 guidelines that are provided by NIST 800-53, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST 800-53).

They both have more levels of security over HIPAA.

The main advantage of using AWS is the pay-as-you-go system, where you only spend the amount you use for the time you utilize it.

It is different from the fixed monthly pricing model used by the other web hosting providers on our list. It also means you can end your subscription at any point without losing a dime.

However, AWS is complex to comprehend And, unlike others mentioned previously mentioned the AWS service, their customer support is sketchy.

While some of the companies listed in this list can provide assistance throughout the process but don't anticipate to receive the same amount of assistance from AWS.

Conclusion

In the case of Web hosting that is HIPAA compliant there's plenty of options. The five that we've listed here are among the top that are available. The one you pick depends on your individual requirements and personal preferences.

Once you've found the best option for you The fun (and money making!) begins. By integrating HIPAA-compliant plugins, you can achieve more than simply provide an online health service.

Start building an online community today and provide the best services to your clients today.

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Start today!

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Are you having any queries about HIPAA-compliant web hosting? Let us know in the section of comments below!