HelpSquad vs HelloRache: Healthcare Virtual Assistants Compared

HelpSquad and HelloRache both place virtual assistants with healthcare practices, but they are built differently. The biggest difference is who signs your Business Associate Agreement (BAA). HelloRache has each individual virtual assistant sign a BAA with your practice, while HelpSquad signs the BAA as a company and manages the assistant it places with you. That one choice shapes who is accountable for patient data, who handles problems, and how much of the management work lands on your desk.

This comparison uses HelloRache’s own website and FAQ, public review sites, and federal HIPAA guidance, checked in October 2026. We are a competitor, so weigh our view accordingly, and check the linked sources yourself.

The Quick Take

• BAA: HelloRache’s individual VAs sign BAAs with clients. HelpSquad signs a company-level BAA with your practice.
• Model: HelloRache describes its assistants as independent. HelpSquad is a managed service, with a dedicated account manager behind every assistant.
• Onboarding: HelloRache advertises a match in as little as 24 hours. HelpSquad typically has a trained assistant working in about two weeks.
• Pricing: HelloRache advertises a flat $9.50 an hour. HelpSquad publishes $8 to $13 an hour for full-time staffing, depending on the role.
• Reviews: HelpSquad is rated 5.0 on Clutch. We found no HelloRache reviews on Trustpilot or Clutch.

HelloRache was founded in 2017 by Dr. Mark Carnett, D.O., and markets itself as “For Doctors. Built by a Doctor.” HelpSquad has been in business since 2015 and staffs HIPAA-trained virtual assistants for healthcare practices.

The BAA Question: Who Is Accountable for Patient Data?

This is the difference that matters most, and it is easy to miss.

HelloRache’s FAQ states: “Our clients have the individual HVAs sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with them. Our corporation does not have access to any clients PHI, therefore no need for us to sign a BAA.” (HelloRache FAQ)

Why This Matters

Under HIPAA, a business associate is a person or organization that handles protected health information (PHI) on a covered entity’s behalf, other than as a member of that entity’s own workforce (45 CFR 160.103). When a company places workers who access your patients’ records, that company is normally your business associate and signs the BAA. Workers count as your own workforce only when they are under your practice’s direct control. (HHS business associate guidance)

So the structures look like this:

Company-level BAA: Your practice → BAA with the company → the company manages its assistants

Individual BAAs: Your practice → a BAA with each assistant → the company says it has no access to PHI

If you work with individually contracted assistants, ask your compliance advisor whether those assistants are your workforce, and what that means for your training, oversight and breach obligations.

HelloRache’s FAQ also points practices to the Philippines Data Privacy Act of 2012 if an intentional breach happens overseas. That law protects data in the Philippines, but it does not replace your obligations under HIPAA. If patient data is exposed, the Office for Civil Rights looks first at the covered entity, your practice. Since 2013, business associates are also directly liable under HIPAA, which is one more reason to want a business associate that has signed a BAA with you.

HelpSquad’s approach: HelpSquad signs the BAA with your practice as a company. Every assistant is HIPAA-trained, certified through HIPAATraining.com, before they touch patient data, and works on a HIPAA-compliant virtual desktop with no copy, paste or download of patient information.

Onboarding: A Fast Match vs. a Trained Assistant

HelloRache advertises that you can “get matched with a pre-vetted Healthcare VA in as little as 24 hours.” Its assistants are trained for about four weeks in Practice Fusion, according to its FAQ.

A fast match is useful, but a match is not the same as an assistant who knows your practice. Every practice runs its own EHR, phone system, payer mix and scheduling rules, and someone has to train the assistant on them.

HelpSquad’s approach: Most practices have a working assistant in about two weeks. Candidates come from the top 3% of applicants we screen, you can interview and approve them, and they are trained on your EHR and workflows during onboarding, with a dedicated account manager running the setup.

Who Manages the Assistant?

HelloRache has described its team as “independent Healthcare Virtual Assistants,” and clients set their assistant’s schedule and sign the BAA with them directly. In practice, that puts much of the day-to-day management on the practice: tasks, attendance and quality.

HelpSquad is a managed service. You direct the work, but HelpSquad stays accountable for the assistant: hiring and vetting, HIPAA training, the secure desktop, performance, and the account relationship.

Feature	HelloRache	HelpSquad
Who signs the BAA	Individual VAs	HelpSquad, as a company
How assistants are described	Independent Healthcare VAs	Dedicated assistant, managed by HelpSquad
Account manager	Not described for the practice relationship on the FAQ	Dedicated account manager for every client
Training	About 4 weeks in Practice Fusion	HIPAA-trained first, then trained on your EHR and workflows
Time to start	Match in as little as 24 hours	Working assistant in about 2 weeks
If the fit is wrong	No replacement timeline stated on the site	Replacement at no cost

How Assistants Are Treated

How a company treats its assistants shows up in the service you get, so it is worth a look.

HelloRache’s employee ratings are positive overall, but some reviewers on Indeed and Glassdoor report an unpaid training period of one to two months, and a few mention no annual raises or bonuses. These are a handful of individual reviews, not company policy, so read them yourself.

HelpSquad’s approach: HelpSquad pays its assistants from day one, including during training. We think that is the right way to treat people, and it is also how you keep a good assistant.

Reviews: What You Can Verify

Third-party reviews are one of the few things you can check before you sign.

• HelpSquad is rated 5.0 on Clutch across 11 verified client reviews, and Clutch named HelpSquad a 2026 Top Virtual Assistant Company and a 2026 Top Medical Billing Company.
• HelloRache has a Trustpilot page with no reviews, and we found no Clutch profile. Its website does feature video testimonials from doctors.

Pricing: What Is Included?

HelloRache advertises flat-rate pricing at $9.50 an hour, and until early 2026 its homepage called that “the lowest in the industry.” Its site does not say what happens when an assistant is out, or how quickly an assistant who is not working out is replaced.

HelpSquad’s approach: Our rates are published: $8 to $13 an hour for full-time staffing, depending on whether the role is back office or patient-facing. Part-time schedules, from 20 hours a week, are quoted individually. Every engagement includes a dedicated account manager, the HIPAA-compliant virtual desktop and a company-level BAA, and there are no setup fees for standard staffing and no fee to replace an assistant. See pricing.

Why Practices Choose HelpSquad 2.pdf “Click to download PDF”

Support

HelloRache lists a support email, a US phone number and a sales email on its site. We did not find stated support hours or a replacement timeline.

HelpSquad’s approach: Every client has a dedicated account manager, and you can reach us by phone or by live chat on our website.

Side-by-Side Summary

Feature	HelpSquad	HelloRache
Signs BAA as a company	Yes	No, individual VAs sign
Management model	Managed service	Independent VAs
Dedicated account manager	Yes	Not stated for clients
Time to start	About 2 weeks, trained on your setup	Match in as little as 24 hours
Paid training for assistants	Yes, from day one	Some reviewers report unpaid training
Published pricing	$8 to $13/hr full-time	$9.50/hr flat
Replacement	No cost	No timeline stated
Clutch rating	5.0 (11 reviews)	No profile found

What a Client Says About HelpSquad

“The management team was incredibly easy to work with and communicated effectively every step of the way. The support staff, based outside of the US, was professional, eager, and genuinely took the time to understand our specific needs. Once they were on board, they executed every request quickly and efficiently. It’s rare to find a team that’s this dedicated, responsive, and capable.”

- Chief Operating Officer

Download the Patient Communications Support case study (PDF)

The Bottom Line

Both companies can put a healthcare virtual assistant in your practice. The question is what stands behind that assistant. If you want a company that signs your BAA, manages the assistant, publishes its pricing and replaces a poor fit at no cost, that is the model HelpSquad is built on.

Before you choose any provider, ask the same questions of each one: Who signs the BAA? Who manages the assistant day to day? What happens if the assistant is out or is not the right fit? What does the price include? If you are ready to compare, see our healthcare virtual assistant service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between HelpSquad and HelloRache?

The BAA and management model. HelloRache has individual assistants sign BAAs with clients and describes them as independent. HelpSquad signs a company-level BAA and manages the assistant it places with you, with a dedicated account manager.

Does HelloRache sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?

Not as a company. HelloRache’s FAQ says its clients have the individual assistants sign a BAA, and that the corporation does not sign one because it does not access client PHI.

Does HelpSquad sign a BAA with healthcare practices?

Yes. HelpSquad signs a Business Associate Agreement with your practice as a company, before any assistant touches patient data.

Why is a company-level BAA important?

Under HIPAA, a company whose workers handle patient data on your behalf is normally your business associate. A company-level BAA puts the agreement, and the obligations that come with it, on the organization that hires, trains and manages the assistant.

How long does it take to get started with each company?

HelloRache advertises a match in as little as 24 hours. HelpSquad typically has a working assistant in about two weeks, including training on your EHR and workflows.

How much does each company cost?

HelloRache advertises $9.50 an hour. HelpSquad charges $8 to $13 an hour for full-time staffing, depending on the role, with part-time schedules quoted individually and no setup or replacement fees for standard staffing.

Are HelloRache reviews available on trusted platforms?

As of October 2026, HelloRache’s Trustpilot page had no reviews and we found no Clutch profile. HelpSquad is rated 5.0 on Clutch across 11 reviews.

Are HelpSquad’s assistants paid during training?

Yes. HelpSquad pays its assistants from day one, including during training.

What happens if a HelpSquad assistant is not the right fit?

HelpSquad replaces the assistant at no cost, and your account manager handles the handoff.