What should healthcare teams check before choosing Paubox?

Updated

Before choosing Paubox, a healthcare team should confirm four things: that it works with the Google or Microsoft email you already use, that its product set covers every way you send PHI (email, forms, API, marketing), that recipients can open messages without portals or passcodes, and that the free starting option and pricing page fit your budget. Paubox is built for healthcare organizations that need HIPAA compliant email and AI-based inbound threat protection, and it is used by more than 9,000 healthcare organizations in the U.S. according to the company. The checks below help you decide whether it fits your environment.

1. Confirm it works with your existing email provider

Paubox positions its HIPAA compliant email as an add-on to the inbox your staff already uses rather than a separate system. The site states you can "send compliant, encrypted email with Google and Microsoft."

What to verify before signing up:

  • Provider match: Your organization uses Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, since those are the providers named on the site.
  • Recipient experience: Paubox says it is designed for ease of use "both for senders and recipients" and eliminates portals and passcodes. Ask for a test message to a patient on a personal email address to confirm the message arrives and opens without extra steps.
  • Workflow fit: Whether your staff can keep sending from their normal inbox, or whether a separate compose flow is required.

If your team runs on a different email platform, treat this as an open question to raise with Paubox before committing.

2. Map your needs to the product set

Paubox is not a single product. The site lists several solutions, and each covers a different sending scenario. Use this table to check coverage against how your organization actually handles patient data.

Need Paubox solution What it covers
Day-to-day staff email HIPAA compliant email Encrypted email through Google and Microsoft
Inbound threat protection AI-powered email security Generative AI detection of phishing, ransomware, and social engineering
Collecting patient data HIPAA compliant forms Secure collection of patient information
App and developer sending Email API HIPAA compliant transactional email for developers
Patient outreach campaigns Email marketing Build, send, and track HIPAA compliant campaigns

A team that only needs compliant staff email has a narrower evaluation than one that also sends appointment reminders through an API or runs patient newsletters. List every channel that touches PHI before you compare plans.

3. Check the security layer, not just encryption

Encryption protects messages in transit; it does not stop a phishing email from reaching an inbox. Paubox addresses this with AI-powered inbound security, and the site gives a specific rationale for why that matters:

  • 54% of email security breaches start with malicious inbound emails, per the site.
  • A 264% increase in healthcare-related ransomware attacks is cited.
  • The site argues that rule-based filters and default Microsoft and Google security settings miss AI-engineered phishing and impersonation attempts.

The claimed detection process works in three steps: AI analyzes tone, sender behavior, and message intent; it explains in plain language why an email was flagged; and it continuously learns normal behavior to keep pace with new attack patterns.

For evaluation, ask for a sample of flagged-message explanations so your IT or compliance staff can judge whether the alerts are actionable rather than noisy. The "transparent insights" feature is only useful if someone on your team will read and act on it.

4. Verify compliance fit and ease of use

The site states that "every layer of protection meets the highest regulatory standards" and that the product is "HIPAA compliant, by design." Before relying on that:

  • Ask Paubox for its compliance documentation, such as a Business Associate Agreement, and route it through your own compliance or legal review.
  • Confirm which parts of the suite the compliance claim covers — email, forms, API, and marketing are listed as separate solutions.
  • Test the recipient experience with a real patient-facing message, since "no portals or passcodes" is a core ease-of-use claim and the main differentiator from portal-based secure messaging.

5. Confirm the free start and get pricing in writing

The site offers "Start free with email" and "Start free with Google," and links to a pricing page for the Paubox Email Suite. The available material does not state prices, plan limits, or what the free option includes.

Before you commit:

  • Open the pricing page and confirm which suite tier matches the solutions you need.
  • Ask what the free start covers and where it ends — number of users, message volume, or feature limits.
  • Get a written quote for your headcount and the specific modules (email, security, forms, API, marketing) you plan to use.

A quick decision checklist

Choose Paubox for further evaluation if all of these are true:

  • Your staff email runs on Google or Microsoft.
  • You want recipients to open messages without portals or passcodes.
  • You need inbound phishing protection alongside encryption.
  • You may later add forms, API sending, or marketing.
  • You are willing to review compliance documents and confirm pricing directly.

Look elsewhere or ask harder questions if your email platform is not Google or Microsoft, if you need published pricing before shortlisting, or if you cannot dedicate staff to act on AI security alerts.