HIPAA Compliance for Healthtech Startups
Written by Aparna Devalla, CPA
Curated by Rubric Financial
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What Triggers HIPAA
- HIPAA applies if you are a 'Covered Entity' (healthcare provider, health plan, clearinghouse) OR a 'Business Associate' (any vendor handling PHI on behalf of a Covered Entity).
- Most healthtech startups are Business Associates: you're not the doctor's office, but you process their patient data.
- If your product handles ANY Protected Health Information (PHI), whether names + medical conditions, billing codes + identifiers, or even fitness tracker data linked to a patient, you're in scope.
- Telehealth, claims processing, medical billing software, patient portals, clinical decision support, mental health apps: all need HIPAA compliance from day one.
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