Why Healthcare Practices Choose Helpsquad Over MedVA: A Complete Comparison Guide

Choosing the right virtual assistant (VA) provider for your healthcare practice is a critical decision that impacts patient care, operational efficiency, and your bottom line. While MedVA has established itself in the healthcare VA market, many practices are discovering that Helpsquad offers superior value, transparency, and support. This comprehensive comparison will help you understand why Helpsquad may be the better choice for your practice.

The Transparency Problem with MedVA

One of the most significant challenges healthcare administrators face when evaluating MedVA is the lack of pricing transparency. MedVA’s main website pushes potential clients toward consultations rather than providing clear pricing information upfront. Meanwhile, their separate funnel pages mention rates “for just $10 an hour,” creating confusion about actual costs.

Helpsquad’s Approach: Clear, upfront pricing with no hidden consultation requirements. You know exactly what you’re paying before you commit, eliminating the friction and distrust that comes from pricing inconsistencies.

Verification and Credibility: The Trust Factor

MedVA claims impressive statistics like “4.8 stars by over 5,600 happy customers” and various operational metrics, but these numbers lack visible third-party verification or clear methodology. For healthcare practices that need to ensure compliance and quality, unverified claims create unnecessary risk.

Helpsquad’s Approach: All performance metrics and customer satisfaction ratings are tied to verifiable, third-party platforms. You can independently confirm the quality and reliability of services before making a commitment.

The Reality of “Fast Onboarding”

MedVA advertises that VAs can be ready within 2–3 business days after signing. However, for real healthcare workflows involving EHR access, phone systems, payer rules, and clinic-specific protocols, this timeline is often unrealistic. The fine print reveals that clients must shoulder significant setup work, customize training, and arrange for VAs to shadow staff for two weeks.

Helpsquad’s Approach: We provide realistic onboarding timelines with comprehensive training that doesn’t leave you scrambling to train your own assistant. Our VAs come prepared with healthcare-specific knowledge and receive ongoing education to stay current with industry standards.

The Replacement Red Flag

While MedVA emphasizes the ability to replace your VA whenever needed, this messaging subtly suggests that replacements are common. In healthcare settings, frequent VA turnover creates continuity problems, quality issues, and repeated training costs.

Helpsquad’s Approach: We focus on long-term VA retention through better working conditions, competitive compensation, and career development. Our low turnover rate means you build lasting relationships with skilled assistants who truly understand your practice.

Labor Ethics and Compliance Concerns

MedVA’s FAQ explicitly states that U.S. labor laws and protections “do not apply” to their VAs because they’re outside the U.S. For healthcare organizations increasingly focused on ethical sourcing and corporate responsibility, this statement can raise significant concerns.

Helpsquad’s Approach: We maintain high ethical standards and fair labor practices regardless of VA location. Our commitment to worker wellbeing translates directly to better service quality and reliability for your practice.

Contract Flexibility for Small Practices

MedVA requires signed client agreements with terms and exit costs that aren’t immediately clear on their website. This opacity can be a significant barrier for small practices that need flexibility.

Helpsquad’s Approach: Transparent contracts with clearly stated terms, flexible cancellation options, and no hidden exit fees. We believe in earning your business every month, not trapping you in unfavorable agreements.

Detailed Feature Comparison

The Bottom Line: Why Practices Switch to Helpsquad

Healthcare practices that switch from MedVA to Helpsquad consistently report:

1. Better Value: What you pay matches what you get, with no surprise costs or hidden requirements
2. Stronger Performance: VAs who are genuinely prepared to contribute from day one
3. Less Administrative Burden: We handle training and infrastructure so you don’t have to
4. Greater Continuity: Lower turnover means better patient relationships and care consistency
5. Peace of Mind: Ethical practices and transparent operations you can trust
6. Real Partnership: Account management that treats you as a partner, not just a contract

Making the Switch

If you’re currently evaluating virtual assistant providers or considering a change from your current solution, Helpsquad offers:

• Free consultation with honest assessment of your needs (no high-pressure sales)
• Proof-of-Concept periods to ensure the fit is right before long-term commitment
• Migration support if you’re switching from another provider
• Customized solutions tailored to your practice size and specialty

The MedVA HIPAA Compliance Problem: What You Need to Know

Hidden in the Fine Print

Visit MedVA’s website and you’ll see “HIPAA-Compliant Medical Virtual Assistants” prominently featured throughout their marketing. But scroll to the bottom of their homepage and you’ll find this critical disclaimer:

*“MEDVA services are HIPAA compliant only when used with the MEDVA Security Package.”

Translation: The base MedVA service is NOT HIPAA compliant.

Source: MedVA Official Website

Why This Is a Problem

1. Fundamentally Misleading Their marketing highlights “HIPAA-Compliant™” front and center, but the fine print tells a different story. Most healthcare providers would understandably assume that a service claiming HIPAA compliance actually offers HIPAA compliance.

2. Creates Dangerous Compliance Gaps What happens if you miss the fine print and don’t purchase the Security Package? You’re operating with non-compliant VAs accessing Protected Health Information, a direct HIPAA violation waiting to happen.

3. Hidden Costs MedVA advertises $10/hour pricing, but that doesn’t include actual HIPAA compliance. How much is the Security Package? What else is required? These answers aren’t readily available on their website.

4. Treats Security as Optional By making HIPAA compliance an “add-on,” MedVA implies it’s optional rather than foundational. Their “Secured Facility” features (bio-authentication, dedicated technology, SOC2 compliance) are presented as premium upgrades, not baseline requirements.

Charging extra for basic healthcare security is like an airline charging extra for seatbelts.

Source: MedVA Data Protection & Compliance

The Business Associate Agreement Question

MedVA’s website doesn’t clearly outline:

• Whether they sign a corporate BAA directly with your practice
• Specific provisions included in their BAA
• How liability is allocated in breach scenarios
• Whether VAs are covered under corporate or individual agreements

Under HIPAA, when a third party accesses PHI on your behalf, you MUST have a written Business Associate Agreement with the organization providing the service, not individual contractors.

Source: HHS.gov – Business Associates Guidance

The HelpSquad Difference

At HelpSquad, HIPAA compliance isn’t a luxury feature, it’s the foundation:

✅ Full HIPAA Compliance Included in Base Service No asterisks. No fine print. No add-on packages. Every VA is HIPAA-compliant from day one.

✅ Comprehensive Corporate BAA with Your Practice We take full corporate responsibility as your Business Associate. No shifting liability to individual VAs. Clear structure: Your Practice ↔ HelpSquad Corporate BAA ↔ Our VA Workforce.

✅ Transparent BAA Terms We provide our BAA for your compliance attorney to review with clear provisions on data handling, breach notification, and liability.

✅ Shared Responsibility Proper incident response protocols, insurance coverage, and partnership approach, we’re in this together.

Questions to Ask MedVA

Before signing, demand clear answers:

1. “Is your base service HIPAA compliant, or do I need to purchase the Security Package?”
2. “How much does the Security Package cost and what exactly is included?”
3. “Will your company sign a Business Associate Agreement directly with our practice?”
4. “If there’s a breach, what is your company’s liability versus ours?”
5. “Can I operate legally with just your base service?”

Why This Matters

With HIPAA enforcement intensifying (OCR investigations up 23% year-over-year, average breach costs at $10.93 million), now is not the time to work with services that treat compliance as optional.

Source: HIPAA Journal – Healthcare Data Breach Statistics

The Bottom Line

MedVA’s Approach:

• HIPAA compliance requires additional purchase
• Security features are premium upgrades
• True costs hidden until consultation
• Conditional compliance model

HelpSquad’s Approach:

• HIPAA compliance included in every engagement
• All security features standard
• Clear corporate BAA with your practice
• Transparent costs from day one

Your patients trust you with their health information. You should only trust partners who protect it without asterisks or fine print.

Conclusion

While MedVA has carved out space in the healthcare VA market, the gaps in transparency, technical reliability, realistic expectations, and ethical practices create unnecessary risks for healthcare providers. Helpsquad was built to address these exact pain points, offering a superior alternative that prioritizes your success, your patients’ experience, and the wellbeing of the virtual assistants who serve your practice.

The choice between Helpsquad and MedVA isn’t just about cost per hour, it’s about the total value, reliability, and partnership you receive. When you factor in hidden setup costs, training burden, turnover expenses, and peace of mind, Helpsquad delivers exceptional value that makes the decision clear. Ready to experience the Helpsquad difference? Contact us today for a transparent conversation about how we can support your practice’s growth and efficiency.