In 2026, your patients expect the convenience of texting, but regulators expect you to keep every message containing health information locked down and auditable. Secure text messaging for healthcare lets you do both.

In recent times, text messaging has come up as the triumphant communication channel that offers that convenience. Here are some notable stats that prove this:

• 98% of SMS messages are opened (an open rate higher than all other popular channels like emails that only have an open rate of 20%) 
• 90% of texts are opened within 3 minutes.
• 70% of customers say SMS is perfect for businesses to get their attention.

It’s no surprise why secure texting is becoming the first choice for sending healthcare data, as per a survey. The keyword here is secure.

So these questions might arise in your head:

1. How do you ensure this security?
2. What are the rules that you need to follow?
3. When are these regulations not necessary?

This post will be your guide to secure text messaging for healthcare data and answer all these questions. 

What is secure text messaging for healthcare why do you need it?

Secure text messaging for healthcare is the use of HIPAA-compliant platform with:

• End-to-end encryption
• Access controls
• Audit trails to protect sensitive patient data (PHI), unlike standard SMS, which is insecure.

So basically any information about an individual’s health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare is termed as Protected Health Information (or PHI). This information is sensitive and should not be leaked, which is why it’s protected by law. 

Clearly, to communicate this data, you need a system with security measures to ensure there are no slip-ups. But you also don’t want to miss out on convenience. Hence, the need for secure text messaging for healthcare.

To ensure the strict adoption of these security measures, the United States Federal Statute enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA. 

HIPAA sets the standard for sensitive data protection, including guidelines to ensure secure text messaging for healthcare data. 

What is HIPAA Compliant Texting?

HIPAA-compliant texting is an extension of HIPAA. It requires organizations to employ secure messaging apps to ensure the security of electronically protected health information (ePHI) communicated between authorized users. 

Any organization that deals with protected health information (PHI) must ensure that all the required physical, network, and process security measures are in place. 

These organizations include:

• Covered entities (CE) – Organizations that provide treatment, payment, and operations in healthcare. These include healthcare providers, health insurance companies, private practices, etc. 

• Business associates (BA): Third-party organizations that support covered entities with access to patient information. These include third-party billing companies, cloud service providers, software application providers, etc.  

Secure text messaging vs standard SMS

Most healthcare organizations still rely on basic SMS for reminders or quick updates, but SMS on its own is not designed for PHI. This table summarizes the core differences:​

Top-performing HIPAA messaging resources stress that even well-known collaboration tools are only appropriate for PHI once they’re configured for compliance and backed by a BAA. Secure text messaging platforms are built with these safeguards from day one, which is why they’ve become a core part of modern clinical communication strategies

When you can use regular SMS without HIPAA texting?

You can still use standard SMS for some healthcare use cases—as long as PHI is not included or is properly a de-identified information. In 2025, many clinics combine secure messaging platforms for PHI information with standard SMS tools like CallHub for non-sensitive outreach.​

Common examples where HIPAA texting rules typically don’t apply (assuming no identifiers are included) include:​

• Appointment reminders that don’t mention diagnosis, treatment type, or sensitive details
• Messages asking patients to call the office or log into a secure portal
• General clinic updates, seasonal hours, or vaccination drives
• Internal SMS between staff that never references specific patient information

Whenever there’s a risk of including direct identifiers plus health-related context, you should shift to secure messaging or strip out PHI and route the patient back to a portal or phone call.

If you find that your texting requirements don’t need you to send PHI, try out CallHub for SMS communication. This comprehensive tool offers a range of features, such as:   1. SMS Opt-in 2. Calling tool with automated follow-up texts 3. SMS with MMS Broadcast and RCS options 4. Email to send a receipt or get a survey. 4. Text scheduling and personalization 5. Automated text responses Sign up to CallHub for free and take it for a trial run

HIPAA compliance guidelines you need to follow

There are three rules under HIPAA that you need to know about.

1. Privacy rule
2. Security rule
3. Breach notification rule

Let’s look at them in detail.

Privacy rule for secure text messaging for healthcare

The Privacy Rule dictates the use and disclosure of an individual’s health information by organizations. It also includes norms for an individual’s rights to understand and control how their health information is used. 

It assures people that their data is adequately protected while being distributed to provide them with high-quality care.

Typically, the “health information” includes: 

• An individual’s past, present, or future mental health or physical condition. 
• The care being provided to the individual.
• Past, present, or future payment data for the provision of health care.

The privacy rule doesn’t apply to de-identified health information. 

Security rule for secure text messaging for healthcare

The Security Rule informs safeguards that must be in place to ensure the appropriate protection of electronically protected health information (ePHI). 

It does not apply to information that is transmitted orally or in writing. 

There are three safeguards that every organization must have to comply with the security rule:  

Breach notification rule for secure text messaging for healthcare

The Breach Notification Rule requires organizations with access to PHI to notify the following groups in case of a breach:

• Individuals affected by the breach. They can be notified through direct mail or email. 
• Secretary of the HHS by filling out and submitting an online breach report. 
• Media, in case the breach affects over 500 residents of a state or jurisdiction. 

A breach is defined as any unauthorized use or sharing of PHI that jeopardizes a person’s information security and privacy. This breach could occur due to:

• Unauthorized access by an employee or a third party 
• A malware attack 
• Theft of devices containing ePHI  

A notification is not required if the PHI cannot be used or read by unauthorized personnel (due to encryption).

Implementation: 3-step checklist for your organization

Top industry articles emphasize that technology is only part of the story; policies and training matter just as much. A simple rollout path in 2025 looks like this:​

1. Define your messaging policies
   • Decide when staff should use secure messaging vs standard SMS, email, or phone calls.​
   • Document what constitutes PHI in your context and establish firm rules on what may never be sent via standard SMS.​
2. Select a secure messaging solution (and pair with CallHub)
   • Use the feature checklist above to evaluate vendors, including BAAs and integration options.​
   • Decide how CallHub will support non-PHI outreach (e.g., appointment reminders, community campaigns, registration drives) alongside your secure messaging platform.​
3. Train, monitor, and improve
   • Train clinicians and staff on do’s and don’ts, including consent, PHI boundaries, and how to use secure apps.​
   • Monitor audit logs and periodically review a sample of messages to confirm policies are followed.​

Following these steps will help you enjoy the convenience of secure text messaging of healthcare data without breaking any laws.

HIPAA-compliant texting apps

Here are five HIPAA-focused messaging solutions that frequently appear in recent “best of” lists, along with what makes each stand out.​

1. Blaze

Blaze is a no-code application platform that lets you design custom HIPAA-compliant messaging and workflow tools without heavy engineering effort. You can build secure intake forms, internal chat, and patient-facing messaging flows that plug into your existing databases and EHR-adjacent systems, which is especially useful if your organization has unique processes that off‑the‑shelf apps can’t handle.

​For pricing they have two options, called internal at $1350 and Custom (get the pricing from them).

Blaze is best when:

• You want a tailored secure messaging experience instead of a one-size-fits-all app.
• You need to integrate messaging with custom dashboards, reports, or internal tools.​

2. TigerConnect

TigerConnect is a clinical collaboration platform built specifically for hospitals and large provider groups, combining secure messaging, voice, video, and alerting in one system. It supports on-call routing, escalation workflows, and EHR integration so that messages, alerts, and patient context appear in one place for physicians and care teams.

​For pricing visit their webiste.

TigerConnect is best when:

• You need real-time coordination across physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff.
• You want tight integration with clinical systems and critical alert workflows.​

3. Spruce Health

Spruce Health offers a unified communication platform for practices that want secure messaging, telehealth, phone, and fax under one login. Patients can use the Spruce app to send messages, photos, and forms securely, while staff manage conversations, triage, and follow‑ups from a shared inbox with team collaboration features.

​For pricing, they offer 2 plans called Basic at $24 and Communicator at $49.

Spruce is best when:

• You run a virtual-first or multi-location practice that needs one hub for all patient communication.
• You want to replace fragmented tools (personal phones, ad hoc texting, fax) with a structured, secure workflow.​

4. Paubox

Paubox focuses on HIPAA-compliant email, delivering encrypted messages straight to patients’ regular inboxes—no portals or extra passwords required. For many organizations, email is still the primary channel for sharing documents, summaries, and follow-up instructions, and Paubox makes this process secure without adding friction for patients.

​For pricing they offer free trail, along with that there are 3 other plans available called Standard at $32, Plus at $65 and Premium at $75.

Paubox is best when:

• You send a lot of PHI via email and want encryption handled automatically.
• You need secure communication that feels like “normal email” for patients and referring providers.​

5. Luma Health

Luma Health is a patient communication and engagement platform that offers HIPAA-compliant messaging, appointment reminders, and self-service workflows tightly integrated with your EHR. It routes messages containing PHI into a secure chat environment, supports patient identity verification, and maintains detailed logs of all patient conversations in its Collaboration Hub.

​For pricing, check their webiste.

Luma is best when:

• You need features like digital call deflection, patient self-scheduling, and multilingual messaging that reduce call volume and manual staff work while keeping PHI inside a HIPAA-compliant workflow.

• You want a text-first, EHR-integrated patient engagement layer that covers reminders, recalls, patient-initiated texting, and follow-up campaigns from one place.​

Remember, while these apps comply with the standard HIPAA rules, they may not cater to your organization’s policies. Hence, it’s recommended that you carefully tally your requirements with their provisions before making a choice. 

Example: Policy snippet you can adapt

Here is a short template-style snippet you can customize with your compliance team:

“Staff must not send PHI via standard SMS. Any message that includes patient identifiers plus health-related information—such as diagnosis, treatment details, or test results—must be sent through the approved secure messaging application. For appointment reminders, staff may use CallHub’s SMS tools but must not reference specific conditions, medications, or sensitive services.”​

You can expand this into a full policy with sections on consent, message retention, device security, and escalation paths for potential breaches.​

Sample patient reminder text (non-PHI, TCPA-aware)

A simple, non-PHI reminder that works well for US clinics:

“Hi [First name], this is [Practice name]. You have an appointment on [Date] at [Time]. Reply C to confirm or call [Number] to reschedule. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.”​

This approach respects opt-out requirements and keeps health details out of the message itself, leaving clinical specifics for secure channels.

To conclude

Previously, deploying secure text messaging for healthcare would have seemed like a stretch. But thanks to technology, that’s not the case anymore. 

As more patients and health care providers begin to use smartphones, they expect to avail of its convenience in multiple aspects, including receiving and accessing health information over texts. 

HIPAA compliant texting measures enable that. Hopefully, the above points give you a better understanding of how to put these measures into action. 

FAQs: Secure text messaging for healthcare

1. Free HIPAA‑compliant apps?

Very few exist. Most secure texting apps require a paid plan with encryption, audit logs, and a BAA. Some platforms like Hucu.ai offer limited free tiers.

2. Can medical professionals text HIPAA‑compliantly?

Yes, if using apps with encryption, access controls, audit logs, and a BAA. Standard SMS is not compliant.

3. HIPAA‑compliant phone calls?

Yes, calls can be compliant if PHI is handled securely. Digital calls (VoIP) require encryption and a BAA; standard calls still need privacy safeguards and patient consent.

Feature image source: Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Nandhaan Verma

Nandhaan is a marketer with nearly 5 years of experience researching & writing about communication for nonprofits, advocacies, & political campaigns. His insights have empowered multiple organizations to streamline communications & drive change.