HIPAA for medical practices
Independent medical practices carry the broadest ePHI surface in healthcare — lab integrations, e-prescribing, patient portals, and multi-provider scheduling. Patient Protect covers every compliance requirement without enterprise pricing.
The real risk
Lab orders, results, and specimen tracking data move between your EHR, reference labs, and patient portals. Each integration is a data flow that requires a BAA, encryption, and documented access controls. Most practices have never mapped these flows.
Electronic prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) requires identity proofing, two-factor authentication, and specific audit trail capabilities. These requirements layer on top of standard HIPAA — and most compliance platforms don't address them.
Patient portals give patients access to lab results, appointment scheduling, and messaging — but they also create new entry points for attackers. Credential stuffing, session hijacking, and unauthorized access attempts target healthcare portals daily.
When multiple physicians, NPs, and PAs share a practice, each provider needs role-appropriate access to patient records. Shared logins, over-permissioned accounts, and missing audit trails are the most common findings in OCR audits of medical practices.
What HIPAA requires
Lab Integration Security
BAAs with all reference labs, pathology services, and lab information systems. Encrypted data transmission for all lab orders and results. Documented ePHI data flow mapping for laboratory workflows.
E-Prescribing Compliance
EPCS identity proofing and two-factor authentication for controlled substance prescriptions. Audit trails meeting DEA requirements. Documented security procedures for prescribing workflows.
Patient Portal Security
Strong authentication for patient portal access. Session management controls. Audit logging for all patient data access through the portal. BAA with portal vendor.
Multi-Provider Access Controls
Unique credentials per provider and staff member. Role-based access with least-privilege enforcement. Documented access review procedures. Audit trails per user.
How Patient Protect helps
The risk assessment covers lab integrations, e-prescribing, patient portals, and every other system touching patient data. See your complete ePHI surface — not just what your EHR vendor tells you.
Track BAAs with labs, pharmacies, EHR vendors, billing services, patient portal providers, and every other business associate. Alerts before any agreement expires.
BAA-gated messaging replaces unsecured email and personal texts between providers, staff, and referring practices. Referral tracking from send to acceptance.
See compliance posture across all providers and departments. Identify which workflows have the most exposure. Prioritize based on risk score, not guesswork.
How we compare
Every major compliance platform covers risk assessments and policy templates. The difference is what happens after the paperwork is done.
| RecommendedPatient Protect$39/ month to start | Compliancy Group$99+/mo | AccountableHQPer-employee | AbydeNot listed | Total HIPAANot listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core Compliance | |||||
| Risk AssessmentSatisfies §164.308(a)(1) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Policy TemplatesVersioned, workforce acknowledgment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff TrainingDelivery, tracking, and documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| BAA ManagementFull lifecycle, e-sign, PDF | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ |
| Where Others Stop | |||||
| Secure MessagingBAA-gated, ePHI-compliant | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Digital ReferralsSend, track, and audit across offices | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Real-Time Security PromptsLive alerts for risks and violations | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Live DiagnosticsReal-time compliance visibility | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| ePHI Audit TrailWho accessed what, and when | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dynamic Risk ScoringAuto-prioritized, self-updating queue | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ~ |
| Monthly Price | $39to start | $99+ | Per-employee | Not listed | Not listed |
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Based on publicly available feature lists and pricing as of 2026. Secure messaging and digital referrals absent from every major compliance competitor.
Pricing
No contracts · No setup fees · Cancel anytime
Core
$39/mo
Risk assessments, policies, BAA management, training, and compliance scoring.
Pro
$99/mo
Everything in Core plus secure messaging, breach intelligence, live diagnostics, and AI compliance assistant.
FAQ
All of them. Independent medical practices are covered entities subject to the full HIPAA Security Rule, Privacy Rule, and Breach Notification Rule — the same 45+ requirements that apply to hospital systems. Practice size does not reduce obligations.
Patient Protect's risk assessment maps ePHI data flows across lab integrations, identifying gaps in BAA coverage, encryption, and access controls. The platform tracks BAAs with all lab vendors and monitors compliance status continuously — not annually.
HIPAA requires a designated Security Officer and Privacy Officer (one person can fill both roles). Patient Protect doesn't replace the designation, but it automates 90% of what that role requires — risk assessments, policy management, training, BAA tracking, and audit documentation.
Compliance consultants charge $5,000–$15,000 per year for medical practices, depending on size and complexity. Patient Protect starts at $39/month ($468/year) for Core and $99/month for Pro, with no contracts — covering every HIPAA requirement for independent practices.
Next step
See your compliance gaps today. Free risk assessment — no login required.
