Healthcare providers, hospitals, insurance companies, and billing companies rely on sending mail or Certified Mail for many situations. Given the sensitive and private health information that these providers and companies handle, they must ensure that all of their communications are sent via a method that is secure, confidential, and complies with the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. This is the law that governs how healthcare providers can send sensitive health data.

Certified Mail is often the method of choice for healthcare providers, hospitals, insurance companies, and billing companies when sending information that must be kept confidential. Whether a healthcare provider is sending patient records, lab or test results, or other legal documents, the documents and personal health information within them must stay secure. Not only can online mail solutions deliver this, but they can also help healthcare providers stay compliant with federal regulations like HIPAA. HIPAA designates specific methods in which private health information, also referred to as PHI, can be transmitted. Many frequently used methods of communication in the current day, like email or instant message, are not encrypted nor secure enough to send PHI without violating HIPAA. However, HIPAA specifically designates the United States Postal Service as a service that can deliver PHI without violating HIPAA. Therefore, healthcare providers frequently utilize it to lower their risk of violating the law, often times sending Certified Mail.

Traditionally, healthcare providers have had to rely on antiquated methods for sending Certified Mail, which is very useful for sending secure documents. However, these methods can be complicated, difficult, expensive, and inefficient. For example, sending Certified Mail in person requires the use of paper proof of receipts called “green cards.” They must be filled out by hand, collected and processed, and sent back to the sender. Also, the cards must be physically stored somewhere safe where they can be kept undamaged and produced at a later date if necessary. This is risky for the sender because if the card is lost, they will not be able to prove with evidence that the piece of mail was actually delivered, which negates the entire point of sending certified mail in the first place.

With so many reasons healthcare providers are switching to online mail solutions, we’ve narrowed it down to some of the most important ones:

Quick & Easy Preparation
With an online platform, you can simply upload your contacts and necessary documents and send mail through the US Postal Service with just a few clicks, from the convenience of your office or practice. Simply select printing and mailing options, like size and Certified Mail, then just hit send! No more manual labor of stuffing envelopes, addressing them, weighing them, stamping them, and more. You can also save lots of money by not buying mail supplies.

Kiss Trips to the Post Office Goodbye
Remember physically taking your mail to the post office, waiting in long lines, and dealing with government bureaucracy first hand? Have you ever forgotten you needed to mail something only to show up the minute after the Post Office locks the door? You can kiss that all goodbye! Using online mailing solutions, you never have to go to the Post Office in person again. Save yourself the time, stress, and hassle that you can redirect to more productive things.

Advanced Tracking & Storage
Online mail solutions offer advanced tracking and electronic return receipts for Certified Mail. This is important evidence that is accepted by the IRS, state tax authorities and courts of law as the legal equivalent to the USPS Green Card, in electronic or printed format. Never run the risk of losing your physical green card, and the protection it provides from future legal liability, again.

Check out Switch
Many healthcare providers use Switch to automate and streamline their Certified Mail needs while reducing costs and saving time. With Switch, you can send the mail that you need to both quickly and efficiently, so you can spend less time worrying about your mailing tasks, and more time helping your patients and your practice. Switch is the top online mail solutions provider in the industry, with affordable plans that will save you money and time. Ready to make life a whole lot easier? Sign up with Switch today – and only pay for what you need. To learn more, visit our “How it works” page or create a free account and experience our cutting edge product for yourself!