What is WestFax?

WestFax provides cloud-based fax services with a focus on healthcare compliance. The platform offers HIPAA-compliant faxing for organizations transmitting protected health information (PHI), along with general business faxing capabilities for any industry.

Despite seeming outdated, fax remains legally and operationally required in healthcare, legal, and government sectors. WestFax modernizes this necessary function with cloud delivery, security compliance, and integration capabilities.

Key Features

HIPAA Compliance

WestFax signs Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) required for HIPAA compliance. Encryption, audit trails, and access controls protect PHI transmitted via fax. Healthcare organizations can fax patient information legally and securely.

Cloud Fax Portal

Send and receive faxes through a web interface without physical fax machines. Upload documents, enter recipient numbers, and transmit. Received faxes appear in your online inbox for viewing, downloading, or forwarding.

Email-to-Fax

Send faxes by attaching documents to emails. The recipient's fax number becomes the email address. Receive faxes as email attachments. Workflow stays in email for users who live in their inboxes.

API Integration

Developers integrate fax capabilities into applications, EHR systems, and business software. Programmatic sending and receiving automates fax workflows. Popular with healthcare IT vendors building compliant systems.

High-Volume Faxing

Broadcast faxing handles large distribution lists. Medical practices send referrals, pharmacies transmit prescriptions, and businesses distribute documents at scale.

Number Porting

Keep existing fax numbers when switching to WestFax. Number portability ensures business continuity—recipients continue using familiar numbers.

Pricing

WestFax offers plans based on page volume. Pay-as-you-go charges per page for low-volume users. Monthly plans include page allocations at lower per-page costs. Enterprise pricing serves high-volume organizations with custom arrangements.

Healthcare-specific plans include BAA execution and compliance features. Contact WestFax for healthcare pricing details.

Who Uses WestFax?

Healthcare organizations—hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, insurance companies—fax medical records, prescriptions, and claims. HIPAA compliance makes WestFax appropriate for PHI transmission.

Legal firms fax documents where signatures and legal filings require fax delivery. Court systems and regulatory bodies often mandate fax for official submissions.

Government agencies exchange documents via fax for security and compliance reasons. WestFax serves public sector needs with appropriate security controls.

Any business replacing physical fax machines benefits from cloud faxing's convenience. Eliminate hardware, phone lines, and manual paper handling.

Integrations

WestFax integrates with EHR/EMR systems through APIs. Direct integrations exist for major healthcare software. Email integration works universally. Developer documentation supports custom integrations.

WestFax vs Competitors

WestFax vs eFax

eFax serves general business faxing with broad features. WestFax emphasizes healthcare compliance and HIPAA focus. eFax for general business; WestFax for healthcare-specific needs.

WestFax vs RingCentral Fax

RingCentral bundles fax with broader UCaaS offerings. WestFax provides dedicated fax with healthcare compliance focus. RingCentral for unified communications; WestFax for compliance-focused faxing.

WestFax vs SRFax

SRFax offers HIPAA-compliant faxing at competitive prices. Both serve healthcare effectively. Comparison depends on specific feature needs, pricing, and integration requirements.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Strong HIPAA compliance focus
• BAA available for healthcare organizations
• API for EHR/EMR integration
• Multiple access methods (web, email, API)
• Number porting from existing services
• High-volume capabilities

Cons

• Interface less modern than some competitors
• Fax itself is outdated technology
• Per-page pricing adds up at volume
• Limited international coverage

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fax actually HIPAA compliant?

Fax transmission over phone lines has specific HIPAA treatment—it's considered more secure than unencrypted email. Cloud fax with proper encryption and BAAs maintains compliance. WestFax provides the infrastructure; organizations must implement appropriate policies.

Can I keep my fax number?

Yes, WestFax supports number porting from other services and carriers. Porting maintains business continuity—partners and patients continue using familiar numbers.

Do I need a fax machine?

No, WestFax is entirely cloud-based. Send and receive through web portal, email, or API. Physical fax machines become unnecessary.

How reliable is delivery?

WestFax provides delivery confirmation and retry logic for failed transmissions. Monitor delivery status through the portal. Reliability matches or exceeds traditional fax when recipient machines are functional.

Final Verdict

WestFax delivers HIPAA-compliant faxing that healthcare organizations require. While fax technology feels antiquated, regulatory and operational realities make it necessary. WestFax modernizes the experience while maintaining compliance.

For healthcare organizations and businesses in regulated industries, WestFax provides secure, compliant faxing without the burden of physical fax infrastructure.

Rating: 4.1/5