HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) is U.S. legislation created to improve healthcare standards. Covered entities (CEs) and their business associates (BAs) must be HIPAA compliant to protect the rights and privacy of patients and their protected health information (PHI). We know the HIPAA industry is vast and that sending important documents securely to other providers or to patients is fundamental to patient care. This is especially true with the recent digital transformation in healthcare and the current need to function more remotely.
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Today, we will determine if Faxage is HIPAA compliant or not, and we'll explain why you should consider using HIPAA compliant email instead.
About Faxage
Only available in the U.S. and Canada, Faxage is one of several online fax service providers that offer fax numbers for sending and receiving faxes through a web portal, by email, and/or even via mobile apps. Faxage offers services through all platforms as well as API faxing. The company offers several individual and business plans depending on client needs. Furthermore, unlimited users may share a single fax line. Finally, it is possible to keep your existing fax number.Faxage and the business associate agreement
A BA is a person or entity that performs certain functions or activities that involves the use or disclosure of PHI on behalf of a CE. In this instance, Faxage is a BA for a healthcare organization if it transmits or stores PHI. RELATED: Is a Name PHI? Generally, the HIPAA Privacy Rule allows CEs to disclose PHI to a BA if they receive assurance that the information is protected through a signed business associate agreement (BAA). All Faxage plans come with HIPAA compliance standards in place; a BAA is available as long as a CE emails support to request one.Faxage and security
On its website, the company provides a HIPAA Faxing Checklist to help CEs ensure HIPAA compliance while using Faxage. Cybersecurity that Faxage offers includes:- Fax auditing
- Encryption for all web, email (in motion), and API faxing
- PGP encryption for email sending and receiving
- Secure print to faxing print driver
- Password-protected incoming PDFs or email links.