What this comparison covers
ModMed and PHIGuard do not compete. One is a specialty EHR; the other is a compliance operations layer. This page explains what each tool covers, where the coverage ends, and why specialty practices running ModMed typically have compliance program gaps that their EHR doesn’t address.
What ModMed covers
ModMed (formerly Modernizing Medicine) builds the EMA electronic health record platform designed for specialty practices — dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and other specialty verticals. Clinical features include:
- Specialty-specific EMA documentation templates
- e-Prescribing and medication management
- Medical billing and revenue cycle management
- Patient portal (ModMed Patient Portal)
- Telehealth (ModMed Telehealth)
- Practice analytics and reporting
ModMed publishes security and compliance information at modmed.com/security. As an EHR vendor, ModMed operates as a business associate and provides a BAA with its service. The audit log inside ModMed captures clinical activity — what notes were created, who accessed which records, what prescriptions were sent.
That clinical audit log is not the same as a compliance program audit trail. Specialty practices need both.
What PHIGuard covers
PHIGuard does not handle clinical notes, e-prescribing, billing, or any clinical workflow.
PHIGuard manages the compliance program that exists around the EHR:
- Compliance task management for all compliance-related action items, with assigned owners and due dates
- BAA tracking across all business associates — ModMed plus every other vendor in the practice’s ecosystem
- Workforce training records with documented completion dates and periodic renewal tracking
- Incident response workflow that creates a timestamped record from first report through resolution and notification decisions
- Policy review and acknowledgment cycles with documented staff sign-off
- Immutable audit trail for operational compliance activity — distinct from clinical activity logs
The distinction between the two audit trails is important. ModMed logs what happens to the clinical record. PHIGuard logs what your compliance program does: who completed training, who signed the updated policies, who handled the incident, and how the practice responded. HHS expects documentation on both sides.
Feature comparison
| Feature | ModMed | PHIGuard |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty clinical documentation (EMA) | Yes | No |
| e-Prescribing | Yes | No |
| Medical billing and RCM | Yes | No |
| Patient portal | Yes | No |
| Telehealth | Yes | No |
| Practice analytics | Yes | No |
| BAA with vendor | Yes | Yes |
| Compliance program management | No | Yes |
| BAA tracking for all vendors | No | Yes |
| Workforce training logs | No | Yes |
| Incident response workflow | No | Yes |
| Policy acknowledgment tracking | No | Yes |
| Immutable operational audit trail | No | Yes |
| Pricing details are published on the pricing page (pricing details published on the pricing page) | No | Yes |
Pricing
ModMed does not publish per-practice pricing publicly. Pricing is available through their sales process and typically involves per-provider costs. Contact ModMed directly for current pricing.
PHIGuard uses current plan details published on the pricing page:
A BAA is included at every PHIGuard tier. A specialty practice with ten providers pays the same PHIGuard price as one with two providers.
Where ModMed falls short on compliance operations
ModMed is HIPAA-compliant as a platform. It handles the security requirements for the data it stores and transmits. What it does not do is manage the covered entity’s compliance program.
A specialty practice using ModMed still needs to:
- Maintain a current risk analysis
- Track BA agreements with every vendor — not just ModMed
- Document that staff have completed HIPAA training
- Follow a documented incident response process when something goes wrong
- Maintain signed policy acknowledgments from all workforce members
ModMed does not provide tools for any of those requirements. The practice is left to manage compliance activities through email, spreadsheets, or whatever generic system they have on hand.
PHIGuard provides that layer. The audit trail inside ModMed covers clinical activity. The audit trail inside PHIGuard covers compliance activity. Together they give a specialty practice a complete documented compliance posture.
See the PHIGuard pricing page for tier details.
Bottom line
PHIGuard is the stronger compliance workspace when the clinic needs lightweight ownership and evidence around HIPAA tasks, not another clinical or enterprise system. That narrower shape makes it easier for small teams to keep the work moving.
ModMed still makes sense when the clinic needs a specialty EHR. If that is the real need, respect it. If the need is running HIPAA week after week inside a clinic, choose PHIGuard.