Guide to HIPAA Compliance in HubSpot | OneMetric

If you’ve been in healthcare, you already know nothing makes regulators move faster than a mishandled patient record. HIPAA isn’t just a set of guidelines. It’s the law, and it’s there to protect patient health information (PHI) from ending up in the wrong hands.

And here’s the tricky part: healthcare is going digital at lightning speed. Patient data is moving across systems, emails, forms, and integrations faster than ever. This means the risk of slipping up is higher, especially when your CRM or marketing automation platform becomes part of the equation.

That’s where HubSpot comes into the conversation. It’s not a HIPAA-compliant product right out of the box, but with the right setup, permissions, and agreements, it can absolutely fit into a compliant workflow.

What Is HIPAA Compliance

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act sets clear rules for how PHI should be:

• Collected
• Stored
• Accessed
• Shared

PHI includes anything that could identify a patient, from names and addresses to medical histories and lab results. HIPAA requires that healthcare providers and the vendors they use keep that data safe and private at all times. It also defines penalties for non-compliance. We’re talking fines that can range from a few thousand dollars to millions, depending on the severity. And the reputational damage? That’s harder to put a number on.

How HubSpot Can Ensure HIPAA Compliance

HubSpot wasn’t built specifically for healthcare, but it has tools and configurations that can align with HIPAA requirements. The key is knowing what those features are and actually using them.

Here’s a breakdown of the main areas you need to cover.

1. Data Storage and Transference Security

Encrypted Data Storage

When PHI is stored in HubSpot, it’s encrypted at rest. This means even if someone somehow got their hands on the raw database, the information would be unreadable without the encryption key.

Encrypted Data Transference

Any time patient data moves say through a form submission or an email attachment HubSpot uses TLS (Transport Layer Security) to keep it protected in transit. Without encryption, data can be intercepted and read. With it, you’re closing one of the most common gaps.

Extra tip; If you’re using integrations with HubSpot, make sure those connected tools also encrypt data. HIPAA compliance is only as strong as your weakest link.

2. Secure Access and Multiple Authentication System

Access Based on Roles 

Not every staff member needs to see every piece of patient data. In HubSpot, you can assign permissions so people only see what they need to do their jobs. This limits risk and makes audits a lot cleaner.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Passwords get stolen. MFA means that even if someone gets a password, they still need another verification method like a code sent to a device before getting in.

Pro tip; periodically review user access. People change roles, leave the company, or take on different responsibilities. Old access can become a security gap.

3. Efficient Monitoring And Audit Logs

Comprehensive Audit Logs

HubSpot keeps a record of every significant action data views, changes, deletions so you can see who did what, and when. This is crucial for compliance audits and investigations.

Monitoring in Real-Time

Some suspicious activity can be spotted immediately like a sudden export of hundreds of contacts. HubSpot can alert you so you can act before it turns into a breach.

4. Data Backup And Restoring

Routine Data Backups

Even the most secure systems can experience outages, hardware failures, or worse. HubSpot backs up data regularly so it can be restored quickly if needed.

Recovery Plans and Disaster Management

In the event of something major say a cyberattack or natural disaster HubSpot has plans in place to bring systems back online without losing PHI.

Best practice: Test your recovery process. It’s one thing to have backups; it’s another to be confident you can restore them quickly.

5. Business Associate Agreements (BAAs)

Formal And Lawful Agreements

To ensure compliance with HIPAA guidelines, HubSpot provides Business Associate Agreements (BAAs). A BAA is a law-abiding formal contract that ensures that both parties - healthcare providers and HubSpot - follow the HIPAA guidelines. This agreement means that no party can move away from their responsibilities. 

Clarity of Responsibilities

BAA not only makes sure that both parties comply with the HIPAA guidelines but also clarifies the role each party will play in holding up their ends of the bargain. This clarity explains the responsibilities each party will have in terms of their roles.

6. Training Programs to Raise Awareness

Detailed Training Programs

HubSpot can have all the right security features, but if staff don’t know how to use them, you’re still at risk. Training covers things like secure logins, data entry protocols, and proper sharing methods.

Continued Educative Trainings

Regulations change. HubSpot adds features. Staff turnover happens. That’s why ongoing training is critical. It keeps everyone aligned on best practices.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

From working with healthcare teams, we see the same pitfalls over and over:

• Assuming HubSpot is automatically HIPAA-compliant without any setup
• Storing PHI in free-text fields without encryption
• Forgetting to limit integrations to HIPAA-compliant tools
• Not removing access for ex-employees
• Skipping the BAA because “we’ll get to it later”

Avoid these, and you’re already ahead of many organizations.

Conclusion

HIPAA compliance can feel like a never-ending checklist. And yes, HubSpot can absolutely be part of a compliant workflow but only if you put the right measures in place.

That means encryption, access controls, monitoring, backups, formal agreements, and ongoing training. It’s not a one-and-done setup; it’s a continuous process.

Handled right, HubSpot can help you protect patient data, pass audits, and still give your team the tools they need to manage relationships effectively. And that means you can spend less time worrying about compliance and more time doing what you do best caring for patients.