HIPAA Compliance
Last updated: February 2026
Overview
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information. LucidRead is designed to be fully compatible with HIPAA requirements.
Why HIPAA Matters for Browser Extensions
Healthcare professionals and patients may use browser extensions while viewing Protected Health Information (PHI) online — patient portals, electronic health records, medical documentation. Any extension that processes or transmits page content could pose a HIPAA risk.
How LucidRead Protects PHI
LucidRead never accesses, stores, transmits, or processes PHI. All operations are purely local.
- No data transmission: LucidRead does not send any page content to external servers
- No data storage beyond preferences: Only your display preferences (font size, colors) are stored
- No analytics or tracking: No usage data, page content, or browsing activity is recorded
- No external API calls with page content: Text-to-speech uses the browser's built-in Web Speech API
Technical Safeguards
Encryption
Chrome's built-in storage encryption for preferences
Access Control
Extension only activates when explicitly opened by the user
Audit Trail
No data to audit — nothing is collected or transmitted
Transmission Security
No PHI is ever transmitted
Business Associate Agreement (BAA)
A BAA is typically required when a vendor handles PHI on behalf of a covered entity. Because LucidRead never accesses, stores, or transmits PHI, a BAA is not applicable. The extension operates entirely within the browser with no server-side component.
Safe for Healthcare Settings
LucidRead can be deployed in healthcare environments including hospitals, clinics, and health IT departments. It enhances reading accessibility without introducing any HIPAA compliance risk.
Contact
For HIPAA-related questions, email jim@tapspeak.org.