The misconception
Many healthcare organizations believe that becoming HIPAA compliant means switching to an entirely new email provider or forcing staff and patients to use portals.
That’s not true.
The reality? You can keep using your existing email platform and still meet HIPAA requirements—without adding friction to your workflow.
Read more: What is HIPAA compliant email?
Why it matters
Switching email platforms or adopting patient portals can cause more problems than it solves:
- Lost productivity—Employees have to learn a new system, slowing operations.
- Resistance to change—Doctors, staff, and patients don’t want extra steps.
- Hidden costs—New software, training, and IT support add up quickly.
- Decreased patient engagement—Portals require logins, leading to unread messages.
These challenges can slow down communication and put patient care at risk.
Read more: The risks of using patient portals for email security
The compliance challenge
Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 don’t encrypt emails by default—a key requirement for HIPAA compliance.
Relying on manual encryption or patient portals leads to:
- Human error—Forgetting to encrypt an email can result in a HIPAA violation.
- Extra steps for recipients—Patients often ignore portal messages due to login friction.
- Inefficiency—IT teams waste time troubleshooting access issues.
Read more: Google Workspace HIPAA compliance–what you need to know
The solution
Paubox encrypts your existing email automatically—no new platform required.
✅ Works with Google Workspace & Microsoft 365—No switching required.
✅ Encrypts every email by default—No extra steps for senders or recipients.
✅ No portals, logins, or passwords—Patients read emails just like normal.
✅ Saves time for IT and staff—No need for manual encryption or training.
Paubox works with your existing email, ensuring every message meets HIPAA’s encryption requirements—without forcing users to change how they work.
The bottom line
You don’t need to switch email providers to achieve HIPAA compliance. With Paubox, your organization can continue using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 while ensuring every email is encrypted automatically. There’s no need to force staff or patients into clunky portals, worry about human error from manual encryption, or spend extra time training employees on a new system.
Paubox makes HIPAA compliance seamless, secure, and stress-free—so your team can focus on patient care instead of email security. Get started today and keep your existing workflow intact while staying fully compliant.
