How to Make Gmail HIPAA-Compliant

For healthcare providers and organizations required to handle sensitive protected health information (PHI), ensuring HIPAA compliance in digital communications is critical. While Gmail is widely used due to its simplicity and accessibility, to the surprise of many, it doesn’t meet HIPAA requirements straight out of the box.

With this challenge in mind, this post will walk you through why Gmail isn’t inherently HIPAA-compliant, the steps required to make it make Gmail HIPAA-compliant, and how email delivery services like LuxSci’s Secure Email Gateway offer a seamless, trusted solution for Gmail HIPAA compliance.

Why Gmail Is Not HIPAA-Compliant By Default

At its core, Gmail lacks several essential components required for HIPAA compliance, and using it without additional safeguards puts your organization at risk:

1. Limited Encryption: While Gmail does provide Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption, which is acceptable as per the HIPAA Security Rule, this only secures emails in transit if the recipient’s email server also supports TLS.

Consequently, this basic level of encryption does not ensure the security of emails containing PHI – especially when sent to recipients outside Google’s network.

2. No Built-In HIPAA Compliance Features: Gmail on its own does not provide the necessary controls required by HIPAA, such as end-to-end encryption, audit trails, or automatic security policies for managing sensitive patient data.

3. No Business Associate Agreement (BAA) for Free Accounts: A business associate agreement (BAA) is mandatory for HIPAA compliance when a third-party provider, i.e., a business associate, handles PHI.

However, Google only offers a BAA with its paid Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) accounts, not with free Gmail accounts. Unfortunately, many healthcare organizations are unaware of this fact and fall out of HIPAA compliance if they use free Gmail accounts to send PHI.

4. Lack of Control Over User Access and Security Policies: another key HIPAA compliance requirement is strict access control, which ensures that only authorized personnel handle sensitive data.

Gmail’s standard settings are not designed with healthcare-specific compliance in mind, which makes it challenging to maintain the level of access control that the secure handling of patient data demands.

Key Considerations for Gmail and HIPAA Compliance

If you intend to use Gmail without risking the consequences of HIPAA non-compliance, here are the main steps that you need to take:

• Upgrade to Google Workspace: This will grant you access to the enterprise-level tools and features necessary for Gmail HIPAA compliance that the free Gmail option lacks.
• Sign a BAA with Google: Once upgraded, you can sign a BAA with Google. However, while this is an essential requirement, it does not make Gmail fully HIPAA-compliant on its own.
• Add a Secure Email Gateway for End-to-End Encryption: You’ll need an additional layer of security on top of Google Workspace’s TLS encryption, such as a secure email gateway. This provides the end-to-end encryption required to comprehensively protect PHI in emails – when it’s at rest, as well as in transit.
• Implement Staff Training and Security Policies: compliance isn’t just about technology, it’s about competence too. With this in mind, make sure any employees with your company who are required to handle patient data understand HIPAA regulations and PHI best practices, such as refraining from including it in email subject lines, which are not encrypted in Gmail.

Why Choose LuxSci’s Secure Email Gateway for HIPAA-Compliant Gmail

Making Gmail HIPAA-compliant can be complex, but the LuxSci Secure Email Gateway solution simplifies the process. LuxSci can be directly integrated with Google Workspace to provide robust security features that exceed HIPAA requirements, guaranteeing compliance for your Gmail communications and keep your business and your patient and customer data safe.

Here’s why LuxSci’s Secure Email Gateway is an industry-leading choice for healthcare providers and organizations:

• End-to-End Encryption: Protects PHI both in transit and at rest, ensuring end-to-end security regardless of the recipient’s email server.
• Comprehensive Audit and Tracking: Detailed auditing and tracking of all email communications, making it easy to monitor who accesses what information and when, a crucial component for HIPAA compliance.
• Customizable Security Policies: Advanced controls and policies, which enable the configuration of automated safeguards that enforce HIPAA-compliant email practices across your organization.
• User-Friendly Design: While maintaining high-security standards, LuxSci’s interface is intuitive, making it easy for your staff to securely communicate with patients without added complexity.
• Automatic Secure Sending: Communications containing PHI can be automatically routed through secure channels, so there’s no risk of accidental insecure sending. Consequently, there’s no action required by employees to ensure encryption and HIPAA compliance.
• Reliable Support for Compliance Needs: As the most experienced provider of secure HIPAA-compliant healthcare communications, LuxSci has acquired a reputation for providing the highest standard of support in the industry. Our skilled team provides comprehensive support that helps healthcare providers, payers and suppliers navigate the challenges and complications on the road to full HIPAA compliance
• Scalable and Customizable Solutions: Whether you’re a small practice or a large healthcare network, LuxSci offers scalable solutions that adapt to your unique needs and can grow over time.

If you’d like to learn more about making Gmail HIPAA-compliant with LuxSci Secure Email Gateway, contact us for a call or demo today!