Best SOC 2 Auditors for Healthcare (41 Firms)
Compare 41 SOC 2 auditors with healthcare industry experience. These firms understand HIPAA alignment, PHI scoping, BAA compliance, and the specific security requirements that healthcare buyers enforce during procurement.
Top Healthcare Picks at a Glance
Best overall: Prescient Security (95% satisfaction) • Best value: KirkpatrickPrice ($12K starting) • Fastest: Prescient Security (3–9 mo). See full Top 10 rankings →
Why Healthcare Needs a Specialist SOC 2 Auditor
Healthcare is the most regulated vertical in SOC 2. Generic auditors miss PHI scoping nuances, HIPAA control mappings, and the specific evidence that healthcare procurement teams require. Specialist firms get this right from day one.
HIPAA Control Overlap
SOC 2's Security, Confidentiality, and Privacy criteria map directly to HIPAA's technical safeguards, access controls, and Privacy Rule. Healthcare-focused auditors know exactly where these frameworks overlap and structure your audit to satisfy both simultaneously—reducing duplicate implementation effort by 30–50%.
BAA Due Diligence
SOC 2 cannot replace a Business Associate Agreement—but it's the strongest evidence you can provide to support one. Healthcare auditors structure reports to address the specific controls Covered Entities review during BAA due diligence, making your SOC 2 report immediately useful in procurement conversations.
PHI Scoping Expertise
Scoping an audit around ePHI is where costs balloon or get controlled. Healthcare specialists help you define the minimum viable boundary—covering only systems that actually touch Protected Health Information—rather than auditing your entire IT environment. This precision saves $10K–$30K in audit fees.
Market Requirement
Healthcare procurement teams increasingly require SOC 2 Type II as a contractual prerequisite—not optional. Large health systems use SOC 2 reports to replace hundreds of custom security questionnaire items with standardized, auditor-verified evidence. Without it, your sales cycle stalls at the security checkpoint.
SOC 2 vs HIPAA: Complementary, Not Competing
| Dimension | HIPAA | SOC 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Legal compliance for PHI protection | Operational security assurance |
| Scope | PHI-specific (Privacy, Security, Breach) | Broader (Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Privacy, Processing Integrity) |
| Verification | Self-assessed or consultant-reviewed | Independent CPA auditor, third-party verified |
| Attestation period | Point-in-time or annual internal review | 3–12 month observation of operational effectiveness |
| Buyer requirement | Mandatory for PHI handling | Increasingly contractual prerequisite |
| Market signal | Legal baseline — expected | Competitive differentiator — demonstrates maturity |
Bottom line: HIPAA is the legal requirement. SOC 2 is how you prove to healthcare buyers that you exceed it. The significant control overlap means pursuing SOC 2 with HIPAA-aligned criteria substantially advances both frameworks at once.
41 Healthcare-Experienced SOC 2 Auditors
Sorted by editorial rank and client satisfaction. All firms below have audited healthcare or HealthTech organizations. For the complete auditor list across all industries, see our full rankings.
Prescient Security
New York, NY
Best For: First-time SOC 2 seekers using Drata/Vanta/Secureframe. B2B SaaS startups (Series A through growth stage) prioritizing speed. AI/ML companies needing SOC 2 + ISO 42001 combination. Cloud-native tech companies wanting auditors who understand modern architectures. Teams already using Slack. International SaaS requiring multi-region coverage and GDPR/ISO expertise. Companies bundling services (audit + pen testing + ISO certification)
A-LIGN
Tampa, FL
Best For: Companies needing multiple compliance frameworks (SOC 2 + ISO + HITRUST + PCI) where A-SCEND's de-duplication creates efficiency. First-time SOC seekers wanting educational approach and technology-enabled audits. Fast-growing companies needing scalable audit relationships
KirkpatrickPrice
Nashville, TN
Best For: Small-to-mid-sized organizations ($5M-$100M revenue) without enterprise budgets. First-time SOC seekers wanting bundled pricing transparency ($30K Year 1 package: Gap + Type I + Type II, then $25K annual renewals). MSPs and IT service providers. Healthcare organizations needing HITRUST + HIPAA. Budget-conscious buyers valuing long-term partnership over transactional audits
Schellman
Tampa, FL
Best For: Defense contractors needing CMMC + FedRAMP, federal agencies requiring top-tier FedRAMP 3PAO, classified systems operators (ONLY auditor with DoD Facility Security Clearance), healthcare organizations needing HITRUST + SOC 2 bundles, companies wanting Top 50 CPA brand with multi-framework expertise
Coalfire
Denver, CO
Best For: Companies pursuing multiple compliance frameworks (SOC 2 + FedRAMP + HITRUST)
Withum
Princeton, NJ
Best For: Emerging industries like cannabis and crypto needing specialized expertise
Aprio
Atlanta, GA
Best For: Southeast US companies and Atlanta tech corridor startups
Cadence Assurance
Boston, MA
Best For: Northeast corridor companies and Boston-area startups
Crowe LLP
Chicago, IL
Best For: Healthcare and financial services companies needing data analytics
BARR Advisory
Kansas City, MO
Best For: Cloud-based organizations in highly regulated industries
Dantia
Melbourne
Best For: Companies with complex security needs
Assent Risk Management
London
Best For: UK SMEs needing SOC 2 preparation
Compliance Point
Denver, CO
Best For: Mountain West tech companies
RSM US
Chicago, IL
Best For: Middle-market companies ($50M-$500M revenue) seeking Big Four quality at lower cost
Moss Adams (Merging with Baker Tilly)
Seattle, WA
Best For: West Coast companies and Pacific Northwest startups (Note: Merging with Baker Tilly in 2026)
Advantage Partners
Miami, FL
Best For: Latin American companies with US operations needing compliance
Carr, Riggs & Ingram (CRI)
Mobile, AL
Best For: Southeast US companies and government contractors
RSM Canada
Toronto
Best For: Canadian middle market companies
Crowe MacKay LLP
Vancouver
Best For: Western Canadian companies
MHM (Manning Elliott)
Vancouver
Best For: BC and Western tech companies
RSM Australia
Melbourne
Best For: Australian mid-market companies
Mazars UK
London
Best For: UK companies seeking efficient compliance
Premier Security Auditors
Miami, FL
Best For: LatAm-connected businesses expanding to US
Atlantic Assurance Group
Philadelphia, PA
Best For: Mid-Atlantic healthcare and finance companies
Armanino LLP
San Ramon, CA
Best For: Mid-market tech companies ($10M-$500M revenue) prioritizing speed and technology integration. Private equity-backed companies needing bundled audit, tax, and compliance services. Bay Area & West Coast startups wanting local presence and tech industry fluency. Companies expanding internationally requiring both SOC 2 and ISO 27001/27701. Organizations valuing efficiency over brand prestige alone
Grant Thornton
Chicago, IL
Best For: PE-backed companies and middle market firms with growth plans
Baker Tilly
Chicago, IL
Best For: Regional companies and mid-market firms seeking personalized service
Schneider Downs
Pittsburgh, PA
Best For: Mid-Atlantic and Rust Belt companies with manufacturing components
Forvis Mazars
Paris/USA offices
Best For: Global mid-market companies
Crowe Global
Global network
Best For: International businesses with multi-country operations
Northern Compliance Partners
Minneapolis, MN
Best For: Midwest manufacturing and tech companies
Deloitte
New York, NY
Best For: Large enterprises and public companies with complex environments
BDO USA
Chicago, IL
Best For: International companies with US subsidiaries needing compliance
Deloitte Canada
Toronto
Best For: Large Canadian organizations
EY Canada
Toronto
Best For: Multinational corporations with Canadian operations
BDO Canada
Toronto
Best For: SMBs and mid-market Canadian organizations
PwC Australia
Sydney
Best For: Australian enterprises and government
BDO Australia
Sydney
Best For: All industries across Australia
PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
New York, NY
Best For: IPO-track companies and Fortune 500 enterprises
EY (Ernst & Young)
New York, NY
Best For: High-growth tech companies preparing for IPO
KPMG
New York, NY
Best For: Regulated industries and companies with international operations
Leveraging HIPAA + SOC 2 Control Overlap
Where the Frameworks Align
SOC 2's Security criterion covers encryption, access controls, MFA, and audit logging—all of which HIPAA's technical safeguards require. The Confidentiality criterion addresses PHI protection directly, and the Privacy criterion overlaps substantially with HIPAA's Privacy Rule on minimum necessary use and patient rights.
A healthcare-focused auditor structures evidence collection to satisfy both frameworks simultaneously. Controls implemented for SOC 2 Security—role-based access, encrypted data stores, incident response— directly advance your HIPAA compliance posture without separate implementation work.
When to Consider HITRUST
SOC 2 is the right starting point for most healthcare vendors. But if your enterprise clients are large health systems or insurance payers with stringent vendor requirements, HITRUST certification may become necessary. HITRUST integrates HIPAA, NIST, and ISO into a single healthcare-specific framework with prescriptive controls and a maturity scorecard.
The strategic path: start with SOC 2 to establish operational maturity and serve a broad client base, then pursue HITRUST certification as enterprise demand increases. Many auditors on this list handle both.
Healthcare SOC 2 Cost Context
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need both HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 certification?
Yes—HIPAA compliance is a legal requirement if you handle PHI as a Covered Entity or Business Associate, while SOC 2 is a competitive differentiator that demonstrates operational security maturity beyond the legal baseline. The two frameworks overlap significantly: SOC 2's Security, Confidentiality, and Privacy criteria map directly to HIPAA's technical safeguards, access controls, and Privacy Rule requirements. Implementing one substantially advances the other, reducing duplicate effort. SOC 2 Type II is particularly valuable for demonstrating 'reasonable and appropriate' Business Associate oversight—a top source of OCR civil monetary penalties—making it a risk management asset, not just a checkbox.
Can SOC 2 certification replace our Business Associate Agreement (BAA)?
No—a BAA is a federal legal contract mandated by HIPAA statute and cannot be replaced by any security certification. BAAs enforce shared legal responsibilities: permitted PHI uses, required safeguards, and breach reporting obligations to the Covered Entity. Without a signed BAA, organizations cannot legally share PHI regardless of certifications held. SOC 2 reports serve as powerful supporting evidence for BAA due diligence—they demonstrate that controls protecting PHI operate effectively—but the legal agreement itself remains mandatory. In OCR audits, having both a current BAA and a SOC 2 Type II report significantly strengthens your compliance posture.
What PHI protections must be in scope for our healthcare SOC 2 audit?
Healthcare SOC 2 audits must address the Confidentiality and Privacy trust service criteria with controls specific to ePHI. Under Confidentiality, auditors evaluate encryption at rest and in transit, role-based access controls, and workforce training on PHI definitions and permissible uses. The Privacy criterion requires tracking the complete PHI data journey—from creation through disposal—including patient access and correction rights, disclosure controls, and breach accounting. To manage costs, scope your audit to the specific systems that actually process PHI rather than your entire IT environment. Healthcare-focused auditors help define this boundary precisely, which is one reason specialist firms are worth the premium.
Why do healthcare buyers require SOC 2 when we're already HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliance is the legal floor; SOC 2 is how vendors prove they exceed it. Healthcare procurement teams require SOC 2 Type II because it provides independent CPA auditor verification of controls operating effectively over 3–12 months—something HIPAA self-attestation or consultant assessments don't offer. Inadequate Business Associate management is a top source of OCR penalties, so SOC 2 reports help Covered Entities demonstrate reasonable third-party oversight. For large health systems, SOC 2 replaces hundreds of custom security questionnaire questions with standardized, auditor-verified evidence, streamlining procurement. It's increasingly a contractual prerequisite, not an optional differentiator.
How long does SOC 2 Type II certification take for healthcare companies, and what does it cost?
Healthcare organizations should budget 6–12 months for initial SOC 2 Type II certification: 2–6 weeks for readiness assessment and scoping, 1–3 months for control implementation, a 3–6 month observation period (most healthcare organizations choose 6 months), and 1–2 months for the audit and report. Total costs typically range from $40K–$100K including implementation and audit fees. Organizations with existing HIPAA compliance programs can leverage overlapping controls to shorten preparation and reduce costs. Annual surveillance audits run roughly 15–20% of initial certification cost. If your enterprise clients require HITRUST instead of or in addition to SOC 2, budget $100K+ for that assessment separately.
Related Categories
HITRUST Certified
Auditors certified to perform HITRUST CSF assessments—the healthcare-specific certification many enterprise health systems require.
Affordable Auditors
Budget-conscious options for healthcare startups and smaller practices managing compliance spend against growth targets.
US-Based Auditors
US healthcare compliance requires understanding of HIPAA jurisdiction, state privacy laws, and OCR enforcement. US auditors are essential.
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