Your phone system handles patient names, voicemails, call recordings, and faxes — all of which can count as protected health information (PHI). Every major provider now describes a HIPAA-supporting configuration and offers to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Below is what each vendor actually says on its own site and docs — not what review sites claim.
Methodology: what we mean by “HIPAA-compliant” here
There is no independent certification that makes a phone system “HIPAA compliant.” In this article, that phrase is only shorthand for: the vendor offers to sign a BAA and advertises HIPAA-supporting features in its own documentation. Real compliance depends on your practice’s configuration and use — encryption settings, retention policies, staff training — not on the vendor alone. This research is documentation-based: every HIPAA claim below is attributed to the vendor that made it. We did not hands-on test any system, and we never state in our own voice that a provider “is HIPAA compliant.” Affiliate disclosure: TradeDial may earn a commission from some provider links. All links below are currently ordinary vendor links, not tracked affiliate links.
Comparison table, checked September 2026
| Provider | BAA (per vendor’s own statement) | HIPAA-supporting features advertised | Starting price (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nextiva | Executes a BAA; customers on HIPAA products must sign a “comprehensive BAA.” | Phone, vFAX, video in HIPAA mode; visual voicemail, voicemail-to-email, in-app playback, email-sent faxes disabled. | $15/user/mo (Core, annual billing) |
| Ooma Office | Admin enables “HIPAA mode” and virtually signs a BAA in the portal. | Encrypts voicemails, recordings, and faxes in transit and at rest; SMS disabled; no audio attachments in voicemail notifications. | $19.95/user/mo (Essentials); “No Contract Necessary” |
| RingCentral | March 2026 HIPAA whitepaper: BAA made available to “paying Covered Entity customers.” | Encryption in transit and at rest; long-running BAA program; RingCX supports HIPAA workflows with a BAA in place. | $20/user/mo (Core, annual — per official snippet; pricing table is JavaScript-gated) |
| Dialpad | Online BAA signing on all paid accounts; “once a BAA is signed, all Dialpad products can be used compliantly.” | SOC 2 Type 2; ISO 27001/27017/27018; customizable retention policy on all account sizes. | $15/user/mo (Standard, annual billing) |
| Zoom Phone | Healthcare-plan customers can enter into a BAA online; Zoom for Healthcare helps enable HIPAA compliance “by executing a BAA.” | Enterprise-grade security, encryption, admin controls; EHR integrations via Zoom for Healthcare. | JavaScript-gated — check Zoom’s site. Exact Zoom Phone tier scope of the BAA is unverified in public docs. |
| Weave | Publishes a Business Associate Addendum (updated April 10, 2026) naming Weave the “Business Associate.” | Patient-communication platform; verified Dentrix, Open Dental, and Eaglesoft integrations — the only such PMS verification here. | Starts at $199/month (billing basis not stated — not presented as per-location pricing) |
What to look for in a phone system for a healthcare practice
- A signed BAA, not just marketing. HIPAA requires a BAA whenever a vendor may handle PHI — a provider that won’t sign one is disqualified.
- A HIPAA “mode” that changes defaults. Nextiva disables voicemail-to-email and in-app voicemail playback in its HIPAA build; Ooma disables SMS and strips audio attachments from voicemail notifications. The riskiest PHI leaks are mundane.
- Documented encryption. RingCentral and Ooma describe encryption in transit and at rest in their own materials. Ask a vendor to point to where it documents encryption, not just where it says “secure.”
- Retention and admin controls. Dialpad’s customizable retention policy stands out: keep recordings exactly as long as policy requires, no longer. Make sure you control who sees what.
- Fax handling inside the BAA. Nextiva keeps virtual fax in its HIPAA build; Ooma encrypts faxes. Confirm fax isn’t an unprotected side channel.
- Staff training. Ooma’s own terms put it plainly: customers remain “ultimately responsible for complying with HIPAA.”
Nextiva
Nextiva is the most explicit vendor about HIPAA on its own blog: it executes a BAA covering its services under HIPAA’s business-associate rules, and requires HIPAA-product customers to sign a “comprehensive” BAA. Phone service, virtual fax, and video stay available; visual voicemail, voicemail-to-email, in-app voicemail playback, and sending faxes from email are disabled. Nextiva also states HIPAA support is available across all plans — Core, Engage, and Scale — with a signed BAA. Core starts at $15/user/month with annual billing (checked September 2026). Nextiva’s own HIPAA page: Is Nextiva HIPAA Compliant?
Ooma Office
Ooma offers a self-service “HIPAA mode”: its official guide says the admin selects the HIPAA option in the Office Manager portal, clicks ACCEPT TERMS, and virtually signs a BAA — then the system encrypts voicemails, recordings, and faxes in transit and at rest, disables SMS, and strips audio attachments from voicemail notifications. Both caveats from Ooma itself: its FAQ frames HIPAA Mode around Ooma Office Pro ($24.95/user/month), and its terms disclaim that using its services renders any party compliant with HIPAA. From $19.95/user/month with “No Contract Necessary” advertising — the cheapest no-commitment entry here for a practice wanting a BAA (checked September 2026). Ooma’s own guide: A Guide to HIPAA Compliance for Business Phone Systems
RingCentral
RingCentral publishes the most formal HIPAA documentation of the group: a March 2026 whitepaper stating it “makes available a business associate agreement (BAA) for our paying Covered Entity customers,” describing encryption in transit and at rest, and noting BAA requirements flow down to subcontractors. Its RingCX contact center supports HIPAA workflows “for organizations that have a BAA in place.” The gap is pricing transparency: the pricing page is JavaScript-gated, so we could only verify via an official snippet that RingEX Core is $20/user/month and Advanced $25/user/month with annual billing (checked September 2026). RingCentral’s whitepaper: RingCentral and HIPAA (March 2026)
Dialpad
Dialpad’s help docs say Company Admins can sign a BAA for their company, with online signing on all paid accounts — and “once a BAA is signed, all Dialpad products can be used compliantly by healthcare industry customers” (updated September 10, 2026). Dialpad names SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001/27017/27018 certifications, a customizable retention policy on all account sizes, and contractual assurance that subcontractors follow the same safeguards. For practices wanting analytics and AI call features under a BAA without an enterprise sales process: from $15/user/month annually or $27 month-to-month (checked September 2026). Dialpad’s BAA help article: Sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
Zoom Phone
Zoom’s HIPAA story is real but needs a caveat. Its support article describes how healthcare-plan customers enter into a BAA through the web portal, and Zoom for Healthcare’s FAQ says it “helps enable customers’ HIPAA compliance by executing a BAA.” That’s verified general healthcare BAA language in Zoom’s own docs, but the exact Zoom Phone tier scope of the BAA is not — get written confirmation of which tier it covers. Zoom’s pricing page is JavaScript-gated, so we list no official prices; check Zoom’s site (checked September 2026). Zoom’s BAA support article: HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
Weave
Weave is the specialist pick for dental and small healthcare practices, and it publishes its actual BAA: a full Business Associate Addendum on its legal page (updated April 10, 2026) naming Weave Communications, Inc. the “Business Associate” and the client the “Covered Entity,” intended to “ensure the parties’ compliance with” HIPAA. Its system is built around patient communication — texting, reminders, reviews, payments alongside voice — and it’s the only provider here with directly verified Dentrix, Open Dental, and Eaglesoft integrations. Only the starting price is officially verified: plans start at $199/month (Weave’s pricing page, checked September 2026); the billing basis isn’t stated, so get the quote in writing rather than assuming per-location pricing. Weave’s BAA: Business Associate Agreement | Weave
Frequently asked questions
Can a phone system be HIPAA compliant by itself?
No. As Ooma itself states in its terms, the practice remains “ultimately responsible for complying with HIPAA.” A signed BAA plus HIPAA-supporting vendor features are necessary foundations; configuration, training, and daily PHI handling do the rest.
Which phone providers will sign a BAA?
Per their own documentation: Nextiva executes a BAA across its plans; Ooma has admins virtually sign one when enabling HIPAA mode; RingCentral makes one available to paying covered-entity customers; Dialpad offers signing on all paid accounts; Zoom says healthcare-plan customers can enter into one online; Weave publishes a full Business Associate Addendum. All six describe a BAA path — what differs is how self-service it is and which features it covers.
What’s the cheapest option for a small practice?
Entry pricing checked September 2026: Nextiva Core $15/user/month and Dialpad Standard $15/user/month (annual billing), Ooma Essentials $19.95/user/month, RingCentral Core $20/user/month (annual, per official snippet). Ooma also advertises “No Contract Necessary.”
Does HIPAA mode change how the phone system works?
Yes. Nextiva’s HIPAA build disables visual voicemail, voicemail-to-email, and in-app voicemail playback; Ooma’s HIPAA mode disables SMS and strips audio attachments from voicemail notifications. Expect friction wherever a vendor is serious — a provider that changes nothing when you mention HIPAA is a red flag.
What healthcare-specific features matter beyond the BAA?
Weave is built around small-practice workflows with verified PMS integrations (Dentrix, Open Dental, Eaglesoft). Zoom for Healthcare describes EHR integrations and telehealth workflows. Dialpad’s retention controls and Nextiva’s included virtual fax matter operationally. A BAA is table stakes — the workflows are the differentiators.
The bottom line
All six providers document a BAA path and HIPAA-supporting features in their own materials. Nextiva is our overall pick: BAA stated across all plans with no enterprise gate, risky features disabled in its HIPAA build, from $15/user/month annually (checked September 2026). Ooma is the budget pick — self-service HIPAA mode with a virtual BAA and no-contract pricing from $19.95/user/month, though its own terms disclaim any guarantee of compliance. Dialpad is the analytics/AI pick: BAA on all paid accounts, strong named certifications, retention controls. Weave is the dental-practice pick where patient communication and PMS integration matter most, from a verified $199/month starting price (billing basis unstated — confirm the quote). RingCentral suits larger organizations wanting the most formal HIPAA documentation. Zoom fits existing Zoom shops — just get written confirmation of which Zoom Phone tier the BAA covers, since that scope is unverified in public docs. Whichever you choose: sign the BAA, configure the HIPAA settings, train your staff. The paperwork is the easy part.
Last updated: September 2026. Pricing and BAA terms change — verify on each vendor’s site before you buy.
Related guides
Looking at phone systems for a dental practice specifically? See our dental offices guide, dental phone system cost guide, and Weave alternatives for dental offices.