Zoom offers a BAA on paid plans that covers Meetings, Phone, and Team Chat. But a compliant video platform is not the same as a patient messaging solution.
Get started for freeSchedule a demo →Yes, with conditions. Zoom offers a Business Associate Agreement on its Pro, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise plans. The BAA covers audio, video, chat, screen sharing, and attachments. The free Basic plan does not qualify for a BAA. Zoom is a video-first platform — its Team Chat feature is covered under the BAA but is designed for internal team collaboration, not for ongoing patient messaging.
Zoom offers a Business Associate Agreement on its Pro, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise plans. The free Basic plan is not eligible. Pro customers can accept the BAA online during checkout or enable it in their account settings. Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise customers contact Zoom sales. Without a BAA, any use of Zoom for protected health information violates HIPAA.
Source: Zoom BAA support articleThe HIPAA Security Rule places the compliance burden on the covered entity, not on the vendor. Zoom states that no additional manual configuration is required after BAA execution, but the organization must still maintain its own risk assessments, workforce training, breach notification procedures, and policies governing which Zoom features staff may use for PHI.
Source: HHS HIPAA Security RuleZoom is widely used in healthcare for telehealth visits and remote consultations. Team Chat exists alongside Meetings, Phone, and Webinars as part of a unified communications suite. It is covered under the BAA, but it is not designed for the ongoing patient messaging workflow that healthcare teams need for day-to-day communication with patients who may never join a video call.
Source: Zoom for HealthcareZoom Team Chat requires all participants to have a Zoom account. There is no way to message a patient who does not have Zoom — no SMS fallback, no app-free reply path, and no way for a patient to respond without creating an account and installing the app.
Source: Zoom for HealthcareZoom's HIPAA compliance page states: "Zoom helps customers enable HIPAA compliant programs by executing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and safeguarding protected health information (PHI)." Zoom aligns its controls to the HITRUST Common Security Framework and provides a SOC 2 + HITRUST report.Source: Zoom HIPAA compliance
Required plan: Zoom Pro, Business, Business Plus, or Enterprise (any paid plan)
Zoom's BAA execution is straightforward — Pro customers can self-serve online, and Zoom states no additional configuration is needed. The organization remains responsible for its own HIPAA compliance program, including risk assessments, policies, and breach notification procedures.
Purpose-built HIPAA messaging that ships compliant out of the box. Signed BAA included at signup on every plan, including the free plan. Patients reply via SMS without downloading an app or creating an account.
Enterprise clinical messaging platform used by hospitals and health systems. Includes role-based routing, EHR integrations, and care team assignments.
HIPAA-compliant communication platform for medical practices with secure messaging, phone, fax, and telehealth in one system.
For a detailed comparison, see BloomText vs Zoom.
Yes, on paid plans. Zoom offers a BAA on its Pro, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise plans. The BAA covers Meetings, Phone, Team Chat, screen sharing, and attachments. The free Basic plan does not qualify for a BAA and cannot be used for PHI.
Yes. Zoom offers a BAA on all paid plans — Pro, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise. Pro customers can accept the BAA online during checkout or through their account settings. Larger plans execute the BAA through Zoom sales.
Zoom Team Chat is covered under Zoom's BAA on paid plans. However, Team Chat is designed for internal team collaboration within a Zoom workspace. All participants need a Zoom account — there is no way to message patients who do not have Zoom, no SMS fallback, and no app-free reply path.
No. Zoom Team Chat requires all participants to have a Zoom account with the app installed. If you need to reach patients who will not download an app or create an account, you need a messaging platform with an SMS or web-based reply path.
Zoom is well-suited for HIPAA-compliant video visits and telehealth. For ongoing patient messaging — appointment reminders, care coordination, follow-up communication — a purpose-built HIPAA messaging platform provides SMS-based patient replies, conversation auditing, and a signed BAA without requiring patients to create accounts.
Last verified August 25, 2026.
