A HIPAA AI receptionist for healthcare practices

A HIPAA AI receptionist is an AI phone assistant set up for healthcare practices that handle protected health information. It answers patient calls, books appointments and captures details, with safeguards in place for how that information is shared and stored.

With Vocenya, you get it by adding HIPAA mode to your AI receptionist. HIPAA mode includes:

• A signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA).
• Patient-safe alerts.
• Call recordings kept in GH-controlled systems.

HIPAA mode is $150 per month on top of your plan. Your practice remains responsible for its own HIPAA program; HIPAA mode is how Vocenya does its part as your business associate.

HIPAA mode is for human healthcare practices, including:

• Dentists, orthodontists and oral surgeons.
• Primary care practices, pediatricians and specialty practices.
• Chiropractors and physical therapists.
• Therapists and counselors and behavioral health clinics.
• Dermatologists, optometrists and podiatrists.

Veterinary practices are not covered by HIPAA, so they use the standard AI receptionist without HIPAA mode.

If you are unsure whether your practice needs HIPAA mode, a simple test helps: if callers will share information about their health, treatment or appointments with a human healthcare provider, turn it on before the receptionist answers patient calls. Med spas, home health agencies and similar businesses should check with their own compliance advisor.

It handles the calls that tie up your front desk:

• New patient calls and appointment requests.
• Rescheduling and cancellations.
• Questions about hours, location, parking and what to bring.
• Questions about which insurance plans you accept, from your own notes.

It books into Google Calendar or Microsoft 365, and it can warm transfer calls to your front desk or on-call line. It identifies as a virtual assistant and does not give medical advice. For clinical questions or urgent symptoms, it follows your rules, such as directing the caller to 911 or transferring to a clinician.

There is no official HIPAA certification for any company or product. HIPAA sets rules, and covered entities and their business associates are responsible for meeting them.

What Vocenya offers is HIPAA mode: a signed BAA, patient-safe alerts and recordings kept in GH-controlled systems. Be cautious of any vendor that calls itself “HIPAA certified,” since that label is not issued by the government.

If your practice needs a BAA before using an AI receptionist, turn on HIPAA mode before the receptionist answers patient calls.

Ask any vendor that will handle patient calls for a signed BAA and a clear explanation of where recordings are kept. HIPAA mode opens to new practices once our Business Associate Agreement is published; contact us to be told when it is.

Comparing options? See how healthcare-focused alternatives such as MedReception AI and FrontDesk publish their BAAs and prices next to ours, and our buyer’s checklist for any AI receptionist.

HIPAA mode is $150 per month, added to any Vocenya plan:

• Value, $49/mo: 250 AI minutes.
• Starter, $99/mo: 300 minutes and a local number.
• Growth, $249/mo: 1,000 minutes, calendar booking, warm transfers and recordings.
• Pro, $499/mo: 2,500 minutes and multiple locations.

If your phones are busy, Growth and Pro add calendar booking and warm transfers to your front desk. Every plan has a 14-day free trial with no contract.

HIPAA mode is only for human healthcare. Veterinary practices and non-healthcare businesses use the standard plans without it and pay nothing extra.