Know the Risks
Is Your Gmail Actually HIPAA-Compliant?
Most practices think a BAA with Google is enough. It isn’t. Here’s exactly what the gap is — and what HIPAA Vault fills.
HIPAA Applies to Your Email When You Send…
- Patient names, dates of birth, or contact details
- Medical history, diagnoses, medications, or test results
- Insurance information or policy numbers
- Appointment confirmations referencing health conditions
- Lab results, referrals, or clinical notes
- Any data that identifies a patient and links to their health
Why Gmail Alone — Even With a BAA — Falls Short
- BAA only creates legal accountability — it doesn't configure your security
- No Data Leak Prevention (DLP) policies out of the box
- Non-covered Google services remain enabled unless you manually disable them
- No Zero Trust architecture or SIEM integration configured
- Google's support team is not HIPAA-specialized
- Breach notification obligations fall entirely on your practice
98%
of practices believe they’re compliant — most aren’t
Paubox 2025 Report
$1.9M
Maximum annual fine per violation category
HHS / OCR
10 Yrs
Criminal imprisonment
for willful neglect
$22/mo
Per user — full managed
compliance, less than a co-pay
Side-by-Side Comparison
A BAA With Google Is Not Enough
Here’s exactly what each option provides — and what only HIPAA Vault’s fully managed layer fills in.
| HIPAA Requirement |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) | |||
| End-to-end encryption (AES-256 / TLS 1.3) | Partial | ||
| Data Leak Prevention (DLP) policies configured | |||
| Non-covered services disabled per OCR requirements | |||
| Zero Trust security architecture implemented | |||
| SIEM integration / Log Export API | |||
| Audit access controls & watermarked attachments | Manual | ||
| 24/7 HIPAA-expert managed support | |||
| Ongoing compliance monitoring & security patches | |||
| Truly HIPAA Compliant? | Not alone | Yes |
Responsibility Split
What We Handle, So You Don’t Have To
Every competitor — Paubox, Virtru, LuxSci — requires you to configure Workspace yourself. HIPAA Vault is the only fully managed Gmail HIPAA solution.
HIPAA Vault Handles
Your Practice Handles
Setup Process
HIPAA Compliant Gmail in 3 Steps. We Do All 3.
You choose a plan — our team handles everything else. Most practices are live and compliant within 24–48 hours.
Choose Your Plan
Select annual or monthly. Your dedicated setup team is notified immediately and reaches out within one business day to begin configuration.
We Configure Everything
Our team handles your BAA, encryption, DLP policies, Zero Trust, SIEM, audit controls, and disables all non-covered services per OCR requirements.
Use Gmail as Usual
Same inbox. Same interface. No new software or logins. PHI emails route automatically through secure encryption — non-PHI emails send normally.
How Your Patient Receives a Secure Email
Non-PHI emails (admin, scheduling) deliver as normal with no extra steps.
You send from Gmail
PHI routes to secure room
Patient gets secure link
2FA verification
Reads & replies encrypted
What’s Included
Everything in One Fully Managed Solution
Powered by Google Workspace Business Plus — fully configured, secured, and monitored by HIPAA Vault’s expert team from day one.
Zero Trust Security
Only authorized parties access your inbox. Implemented and maintained by our team — not left as a manual setting for you to configure.
Data Leak Prevention
DLP rules prevent accidental PHI exposure — configured to your practice’s needs, not left at insecure Google defaults.
Advanced Encryption
AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.3 in transit. Revoke access, disable forwarding, and set message expiration on any email at any time.
Audit Access & eDiscovery
Full retention and eDiscovery policies. Watermarked attachments. Every access event logged and exportable for OCR audit readiness.
HIPAA Meet, Chat & Drive
Secure video conferencing, real-time staff messaging, and patient folder management — the full Google Workspace suite, fully compliant.
SIEM Integration
Log Export API connects to your existing SIEM platform for centralized security monitoring and real-time alerting.
5TB Storage per User
Encrypted, backed-up storage for emails, attachments, and documents. Retained per HIPAA’s 6-year minimum requirement.
24/7 HIPAA Expert Support
Real humans with healthcare compliance training on chat and phone. Average response under 15 minutes — not a generic help desk.
Certifications on File
SOC 2, NIST, HITECH, AICPA, GSA, and HIPAA Compliant Cloud certifications maintained and shareable with your auditor at any time.
Google Workspace Suite
Works With Your Existing Workflow
Your Gmail plan includes the full Google Workspace Business Plus suite — every app configured and managed for HIPAA compliance, with no new software to learn.
HIPAA Gmail
Secure email with DLP, Zero Trust, encrypted delivery for PHI, and full audit logging. Your inbox looks and works exactly the same.
Included
HIPAA Google Meet
Compliant video conferencing for telehealth visits and team collaboration. Video recording and attendance tracking included.
Included
HIPAA Google Drive
Protected patient folders with Docs, Sheets, and Slides — 5TB per user, encrypted and retained per HIPAA’s 6-year requirement.
Included
HIPAA Google Chat
Real-time secure staff messaging — encrypted and logged. Stop sending PHI over personal messaging apps.
Included
eDiscovery & Retention
Full email retention and legal hold capabilities. Retain, search, and export messages for OCR audits or legal review.
Included
EHR & API Connections
Connect to your EHR or practice management system via REST API or Zapier. Contact us for custom integrations.
On Request
Simple Pricing
HIPAA Compliant Gmail Plans
All plans include your signed BAA, full managed setup in 24–48 hours, and 24/7 HIPAA expert support. No hidden fees.
Need a custom enterprise solution? Contact our sales team →
Trusted by Healthcare Practices
Trusted by Therapists, Dental Practices,
and Clinics Across the US
For over 15 years, healthcare organizations have relied on HIPAA Vault to keep their patient communications secure and their practices compliant.
15+
Years securing
healthcare data
1,000+
Healthcare organizations
served nationwide
5.0
Average Google
review rating
24/7
Live HIPAA-expert
support, always on
Jenny French
6
months ago
I truly could not be happier! Customer Service has always been VERY important to me and it was the catalyst for me choosing HIPAA Vault above competitors after seeing…
Josh Champion
a
year ago
Extremely helpful getting HIPAA compliant hosting up and running for our small medical group. Tech support is very responsive, and very easy to work with. Looked at…
Ash Mohammad
8
months ago
Great service and wonderful support team. We had HIPAA Vault hosting service for a long time and we never faced any security or support issues. Thanks so much HIPAA Vault team…
Michelle L. O’Neal
3
years ago
HIPAA Vault has provided excellent customer service to my web development team. They are quick to respond to all support tickets and offer advice to keep our sites…
Henry Torres
a
year ago
Excellent customer service and quick response to any inquiries. Smooth and high quality full service provider that I recommend for those looking for a solid partnership…
Annette Reid
4
years ago
HIPAA Compliance is of the most importance when it comes to Healthcare Professionals. VMRacks delivers HIPAA Compliant email and hosting to my medical clients and…
Support
Real Support. Real People.
When you have a compliance question at 2pm on a Tuesday, you get a real HIPAA-trained person — not a bot, not a 48-hour ticket queue.
Live Chat
Connect with our healthcare compliance team through live chat. Average first response under 15 minutes during business hours.
Avg. Response < 15 Min
Phone Support
Prefer to talk? Call 760-290-3477. A compliance-trained team member answers — no IVR maze, no hold music.
Mon–Fri · 7am–6pm PT
Email & Ticketing
Submit questions via email or our support portal. Every ticket is tracked, prioritized, and resolved — with a full audit trail.
Response within 4 Hours
Frequently asked questions
Gmail HIPAA Compliance FAQ
Certifications
