HelpSquad vs Medical Staff Relief
Both companies publish a rate, so they can actually be compared. Everything below is quoted from each company’s own website with the date we read it. Blank means the company publishes nothing on that point — click ⓘ to see which pages we checked.
| HelpSquad | Medical Staff Relief | |
|---|---|---|
| Published rate | $8.00/hr Verified i$8.00/hr comes from this sentence on their site: “$8 to $13 per hour depending on the role.” | $10.00/hr Verified i$10.00/hr comes from this sentence on their site: “STARTING AT $10/HOUR” |
| Setup fee | None Verified iNone comes from this sentence on their site: “No setup fees, no replacement costs.” | None Verified iNone comes from this sentence on their site: “Services have no long-term contracts, setup fees, hidden fees, or cancellation penalties.” |
| Minimum commitment | Not disclosed Not stated i | No minimum Verified iNo minimum comes from this sentence on their site: “Experience a hassle-free healthcare VA hiring process with complete flexibility—cancel anytime without commitment.” |
| Free trial | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| Replacement guarantee | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| Assistants based in | Not disclosed Not stated i | Philippines, Latin America Verified iPhilippines, Latin America comes from this sentence on their site: “At Medical Staff Relief, we offer high-quality virtual medical assistant services at competitive pricing by leveraging talent from the Philippines and Latin America (LATAM) for bilingual support.” |
| Qualifications held | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| Dedicated or shared | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| Works your time zone | Not disclosed Not stated i | Yes Verified iYes comes from this sentence on their site: “We adapt to your specific timezone for seamless integration.” |
| Background checks | Not disclosed Not stated i | Yes Verified iYes comes from this sentence on their site: “Medical Staff Relief protects patient information through HIPAA-certified assistants, background checks, secure hardware, antivirus software, multi-factor authentication, and encrypted cloud storage.” |
| Fastest stated start | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| Cover when assistant is out | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| The BAA is between | With the provider — they are the business associate Stated iWith the provider — they are the business associate is what this company states, in these words: “Because HelpSquad is a US-based company, your Business Associate Agreement is with us, not with an offshore VA or agency.” | A BAA is mentioned, but not who signs it Stated iA BAA is mentioned, but not who signs it is what this company states, in these words: “Practices may also use restricted EMR access, secure remote desktop software, and a Business Associate Agreement.” |
| Claims HIPAA training | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
| EHR systems named | Not disclosed Not stated i | Not disclosed Not stated i |
Before you decide
- Ask both for the actual Business Associate Agreement, not a sentence about one.
- Ask what happens on a sick day — the answer varies far more than the price does.
- Ask which EHR, by name, and for how long.
- If a figure here is out of date, tell us and we will re-check it within a day.