The HIPAA Journal reports that over 275 million individuals were affected by healthcare data breaches in 2024, with a single breach accounting for approximately 190 million privacy violations. While patient data privacy is under attack, so is your business if you handle or transmit personal health information (PHI).

HIPAA compliance isn’t a set of best practices or recommendations from the US government; it’s a non-negotiable set of regulatory requirements. Compliance failures result in serious financial penalties, possible prison sentences, and nearly irreversible damage to your company reputation.

One of the best ways to ensure adherence is by using the right tools to manage and share PHI. Learn how a HIPAA-compliant VoIP platform helps you secure all of your healthcare communications.

HIPAA compliant VoIP: key takeaways

  • HIPAA compliance is mandatory – Healthcare organizations face fines, criminal charges, and reputational damage for violations involving patient communications.
  • VoIP transforms PHI into ePHI –  Once patient information travels over internet-based phone systems, it must meet HIPAA’s Security Rule requirements for encryption, access controls, and audit trails.
  • A BAA is non-negotiable – Any VoIP provider handling PHI must sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) accepting liability for compliance.
  • Essential security and compliance features – End-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, role-based access controls, automatic timeouts, and comprehensive audit logging are vital security features for HIPAA compliant VoIP.
  • Look beyond basic compliance – Choose providers offering EHR integrations, secure video conferencing, compliant call recording, and unified communications to enhance both security and efficiency.
  • RingCentral delivers comprehensive HIPAA compliance – HITRUST CSF certification, 99.999% uptime, and proven healthcare success stories combine to create RingCentral’s reputation for HIPAA compliant VoIP.

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It was passed into US law in 1996 to establish standards for protecting the personal health information of patients.

While the bill contains five titles, its basic purpose is to prevent healthcare providers and other “covered entities” from disclosing private patient information either purposely or inadvertently.

Covered entities under HIPAA include:

  • Healthcare providers – Doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, nursing homes, and other primary service providers.
  • Health plans – HMOs, insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and other organizations that pay for healthcare.
  • Healthcare clearinghouses – Entities that process claims as intermediaries between healthcare providers and insurance companies.
  • Other entities – Healthcare technology providers, law firms, IT services, electronic record providers, communications platforms, and other services that support the healthcare system.

For businesses, the three crucial components of HIPAA are:

Privacy Rule – Sets standards for access to healthcare information, protecting PHI through requiring patient consent.

Security Rule – Physical, technical, and administrative requirements to protect the confidentiality and integrity of electronic protected health information (ePHI) while in transit and at rest.

Breach Notification Rule – Mandates that, should any PHI or ePHI breaches occur, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and those impacted are notified as quickly as possible.

What is a HIPAA compliant phone system?

A HIPAA compliant phone system is a communication service that enables you to comply with all of the standards and stipulations for maintaining patient privacy and electronic data security. In other words, it has the necessary machinery and capabilities to protect patient information during healthcare-related communications.

Of course, it also needs to ensure you can effectively reach out and engage with your customers on compliant channels. The number one reason patients change healthcare providers is due to poor communication:

Some characteristics of HIPAA compliant cloud communications for healthcare include access controls, call and message logs, redundant data backups, compliant phone recordings and transcriptions, and end-to-end encryption (E2EE).

Healthcare providers and covered entities require at least these capabilities to ensure all storage and usage of PHI is secure and compliant.

While having a HIPAA compliant phone and fax system is crucial for compliance, no software or provider absolves you of responsibility. It’s up to each organization to configure and use the system properly to ensure the protection of sensitive patient information.

VoIP and HIPAA: where do they intersect?

Okay, so that’s HIPAA in a nutshell. VoIP technology introduces specific considerations for healthcare organizations due to how voice communications are transmitted and stored.

VoIP adoption follows the trend of shifting the patient experience to digital and online interactions. As of 2024, 97% of hospitals and 65% of physicians have electronic health record systems that enable patients to access online medical records. That means protecting ePHI is the name of the game for modern healthcare providers.

Today’s patients expect communication to take place through their preferred channels, including email, online portals, mobile apps, SMS text messaging, phone calls, and video consultations. With the right VoIP phone system, healthcare providers can unify patient communications on one platform.

A traditional phone call was simple; a conversation took place over copper phone lines and was relatively closed off to the outside world. Today, VoIP communications essentially take place in public, over the internet. That means any discussion of PHI now involves the handling of ePHI—this is where HIPAA and VoIP services intersect.

Some examples of how VoIP intersects with HIPAA include:

  • Voice calls discussing patient conditions, treatments, medical history, and other sensitive information
  • Leaving or receiving voicemails that discuss patient information, including appointment reminders or test results
  • Call transcriptions, call recordings, and automatic translations of PHI conversations
  • Video consultations for telehealth or video meetings where PHI is mentioned
  • Text messaging for appointments or patient notifications

These examples clearly demonstrate how the Privacy Rule and Breach Notification Rule can also apply to VoIP communications.

What should you expect from a HIPAA compliant VoIP provider?

A VoIP vendor claiming they’re HIPAA compliant doesn’t mean much if there isn’t anything to back it up. While different platforms have varying features and capabilities, some are non-negotiable if you handle and store PHI:

Business Associate Agreement (BAA)

The first thing to look for with HIPAA VoIP providers is a Business Associate Agreement.

A BAA is a legally binding agreement between a provider and your healthcare organization that ensures the protection of PHI during all communications. The contract defines the responsibilities of the VoIP provider to safeguard patient information and makes them liable for HIPAA compliance violations.

A BAA is the first line of assurance you have that you’re dealing with a legitimate HIPAA compliant VoIP service. Any provider who won’t sign one isn’t worth your money or your time.

Safeguards and security features

Modernizing healthcare communications through VoIP requires advanced compliance capabilities.

HIPAA compliance safeguards and security features include:

  • Encryption – End-to-end encryption (E2EE) protects data while being transmitted across the internet for communication channels such as voice, email, and text messages. Data must also be encrypted while at rest in data centers and on personal devices.
  • Access controls – Safeguards to ensure only authorized users can access ePHI. Security measures include multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access controls, single sign-on (SSO), and strong password requirements.
  • Audit trails – Every person with access has a unique user ID. The compliant service also provides detailed access logs that are fully auditable.
  • Automatic timeouts – Sessions are time-limited, and user inactivity results in log-offs that protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized users.

Customer support and network security

Security features and capabilities make it easier for you to protect patient health information and prevent non-compliance. However, it’s not only about how the end-user experiences a VoIP platform. The vendor needs to be doing more in the background to maintain and enhance security and compliance.

Other key things to look for with HIPAA compliance and VoIP are:

  • Secure backups – Look for providers with geographically distributed data centers, redundant backups, and disaster recovery plans that ensure continuity and data integrity.
  • Physical data center security – Look for providers using SOC 2 certified facilities with 24/7 monitoring, biometric access controls, and environmental safeguards to protect servers containing ePHI.
  • Regular updates and patches – Vulnerabilities and threats are constantly evolving. Identify vendors that frequently update their hosting infrastructure and platform to mitigate risk and maintain HIPAA compliance
  • Compliance expertise and support – The VoIP provider should offer more than just technology. Look for vendors who provide HIPAA compliance training resources, documentation to support your own compliance efforts, and knowledgeable support staff who understand your unique requirements.
  • Third-party audits and certifications – Reputable providers undergo regular independent security audits and maintain certifications such as SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001.
  • Incident response procedures – The VoIP service should have clear, documented procedures for detecting, responding to, and notifying you of any potential breaches or security events that could impact the PHI of your patients or customers.

Additional features and integrations that enhance healthcare

Signing up with a VoIP provider isn’t only about finding a tool that helps you stay HIPAA compliant. You want a platform that enhances communications.

Additional features to look for include:

  • EHR integrations – Built-in integrations or APIs that connect your communications system to your electronic health record systems, creating a more seamless experience for both patients and health professionals.
  • Secure video calls – Enable quick, easy, and secure video meetings for e-consultations or telehealth business models.
  • Compliant appointment setting – Whether it’s an IVR menu or an AI receptionist, look for platforms that enable automated and self-service appointment scheduling and management.
  • Call recording and transcriptions – Call recordings that meet both consent laws and HIPAA regulations, enabling healthcare providers and covered entities to verify details. This also includes AI transcriptions, call summaries, and insights that streamline information gathering.
  • Communication tools – You want a VoIP provider that unifies all of your communication channels into one place. This also includes compliant online faxing of PHI.

The consequences of non-compliance with HIPAA

HIPAA compliance isn’t an optional certification or trust badge you get to place on your company website. Violations come with real and serious consequences for businesses and the individuals involved.

If the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) comes knocking on your proverbial door for HIPAA non-compliance, the consequences can range from financial penalties to prison sentences.

Financial penalties

When an OCR audit confirms a compliance violation, the first likely result is that your organization will be fined. Standard HIPAA penalties fall into one of four categories:

  • Tier 1: Unaware and likely unable to discover violations with due diligence
  • Tier 2: Reasonable cause, and the entity should have known about the violations
  • Tier 3: Willful neglect of HIPAA rules, corrected within 30 days
  • Tier 4: Willful neglect of HIPAA rules, not corrected within 30 days

As tiers increase, so does the culpability of the covered entities involved and the financial penalties incurred:

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Individual penalties

When a compliance violation occurs, the individuals working for healthcare providers or covered entities may also be held responsible, depending on the tier and whether PHI was wrongfully and knowingly disclosed.

Individual penalties for HIPAA non-compliance include:

  • Internal disciplinary actions – Formal warnings, probation periods, suspensions, and re-training sessions.
  • Termination – Employees may be dismissed from the company for more serious misconduct that leads to violations.
  • Sanctions – More serious violations may lead to the suspension or revocation of professional licenses or certifications, with individuals being flagged by national or industry-wide regulatory bodies.
  • Criminal charges – Purposeful, knowledgeable disclosure can lead to fines ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 and prison sentences of up to 10 years.

Additional consequences

Besides fines and possible criminal charges, HIPAA violations can incur additional consequences. Firstly, any breach of personal health information is a direct assault on patient confidence.

Your customers will be less likely to use services, such as online patient portals, in the future, making it more difficult to manage patient care and promote optimal outcomes.

Secondly, HIPAA non-compliance is likely to garner attention in the media and other online channels. Negative PR will damage your organization’s reputation, which lowers consumer trust and causes customers to switch to competitors.

For example, a single breach of a dental management company affecting 100,000 patients reduced patient numbers under their practice umbrella by 40-50%. Irreparable reputational damage also resulted in the management company filing for bankruptcy.

Why healthcare providers trust RingCentral for HIPAA compliant VoIP

RingCentral offers AI-powered communications solutions for businesses of all sizes. Our 400,000 customers include many in the healthcare industry, for which we prioritize HIPAA compliance and data protection.

RingCentral offers several advantages over other HIPAA compliant VoIP and text messaging providers.

  • We offer signed BAAs for all healthcare customers and covered entities
  • All communication channels are secure with end-to-end encryption, including online faxes
  • Comprehensive compliance certifications, including HITRUST CSF, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001
  • We provide a 99.999% uptime SLA, ensuring reliability for critical healthcare communications and PHI management
  • Our unified platform combines voice, video, messaging, and fax in one HIPAA-compliant package
  • Our solution streamlines AI adoption in healthcare communications with intelligent virtual assistants, app integrations, and workflow automations
  • RingCentral for Healthcare, powered by SpinCi, connects to leading EHR systems including Epic, Oracle Health, Allscripts, and MEDTECH

HIPAA compliant case studies: RingCentral in the real world

LA’s go-to for modern primary care, The Doctor, was struggling to keep up with increasing demand for their services while coordinating a growing number of remote healthcare professionals and patient coordinators. With RingCentral, Founder and CEO Max Tselevich had this to say,

”Thanks to RingEX, unifying our communications into a single platform reduced telecom expenses by 67%. To find that degree of savings and at the same time adding so many new capabilities to our communications workflows is just amazing.”

Our platform also helped The Doctor reduce call handling times by 25% and boost operational efficiency, all while ensuring HIPAA compliance for every interaction.

In another case study, medical equipment supplier MedCare was experiencing service outages and a lack of seamless integrations with its current cloud communications solutions. Their search for a powerful and HIPAA compliant VoIP service ended when they found RingCentral.

According to the IT Manager, Zac Shannon, RingCentral had “functionality, flexibility, cost-savings, uptime, everything.” While maintaining HIPAA compliance with customers, such as family doctor offices, the company resolved customer issues 20% faster, thanks to RingSense for RingCX providing AI coaching and guidance.

HIPAA compliant VoIP protects patients and providers

While HIPAA compliance is vital to protect your organization from financial penalties and criminal charges, don’t lose sight of what’s most important: the patients. It’s up to your business to set up safeguards and protocols that secure sensitive patient health information.

When it comes to protecting ePHI, that means you need to use the right tools.

RingCentral is a HIPAA compliant VoIP platform that unifies and streamlines healthcare communications, all while prioritizing PHI security. Our platform is HITRUST CSF certified—reach out to customers through voice calls, video conferences, SMS text messaging, and online faxing, knowing every interaction is encrypted and secure in transit and at rest.

Contact our sales team to learn how you can transform and secure your healthcare communications with RingCentral today.

HIPAA compliant VoIP FAQs

Are phone calls HIPAA compliant?

Yes, traditional landline phone calls can be HIPAA compliant for discussing PHI. However, they’re only compliant when the required security measures and protocols are followed, such as verifying patient identities and avoiding PHI in voicemails. It should be noted that once calls involve digital technology, such as VoIP systems, call recordings, or voicemail, they create ePHI that must meet the HIPAA Security Rule requirements.

Is VoIP HIPAA compliant?

Whether VoIP is HIPAA compliant depends on a few factors. VoIP technology itself isn’t inherently HIPAA compliant or non-compliant. It’s up to the provider to offer the necessary security measures and for organizations to implement them properly. A HIPAA compliant VoIP system requires a signed BAA, end-to-end encryption, proper access controls, and communication protocols to meet all Security Rule requirements.

How do I ensure HIPAA compliant communications?

You can ensure HIPAA compliant communications by choosing the right VoIP solution. Choose a provider that signs BAAs and offers built-in compliance features like encryption and audit trails. Train your staff on HIPAA requirements and how to safely use your communications tools and channels. Lastly, conduct regular audits to verify compliance, monitor access logs, and update security settings as needed.

Updated Nov 27, 2025