A medical answering service is a call center designed to handle calls for medical practices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. The service is staffed by trained professionals who take various calls, including appointment scheduling, prescription refills, and medical advice.
Medical answering service allows healthcare providers to focus on patient care rather than being bogged down by phone calls. This can be particularly useful for practices that see a high volume of patients or for providers who are on call and may not have time to answer the phone.
Medical answering service costs depend on the services. The physician answering service cost would help you determine what you want.
In addition to handling calls for appointments and prescription refills, medical answering services may also be able to provide basic medical information and triage calls from patients with non-emergency medical questions or concerns. For example, a patient is experiencing a symptom they are unsure about. In that case, they can call the service and speak with a medical professional who can guide whether they need further medical attention.
Medical answering services can also provide after-hours support for patients who need to reach a healthcare provider outside regular business hours. This can be particularly useful for patients who need to speak with a healthcare provider but do not want to visit an emergency room for non-emergency issues.
Medical answering services can be an invaluable resource for healthcare providers and patients. It allows providers to focus on patient care and helps ensure patients have access to the medical support and information they need, even when their healthcare provider is unavailable.
Understanding the Cost of Medical Answering Services
Calculating the cost of outsourcing your medical calls to a call center is relatively simple once you understand the factors that impact pricing. The average price of a medical answering service can vary based on several factors. For example, higher inbound call volumes may result in lower per-call prices, while longer call lengths or more specialized services (such as appointment scheduling or triage) may increase the cost. It’s also important to consider the training and experience of the call center staff, as well as the hours of operation and any additional services offered. Considering these factors, you can more accurately estimate the cost of medical answering services and choose the best option for your healthcare facility. Overall, outsourcing your medical calls can be a cost-effective solution that allows you to focus on patient care and provide more convenient access to medical support for your patients.
How Much Do Med Answering Services Cost?
The starting cost for a medical answering service typically begins at around $39 per month. It includes the following features:
- A dedicated local or toll-free phone number
- A customizable script
- A team of trained and certified medical answering specialists
- A web-based call log and message delivery system
- A HIPAA-compliant service
Then there are companies that offer a flat rate answering service with unlimited calls for a fixed price of $69. This pricing structure offers many advantages over others.
Per call answering services charge between $0.63 to $1.94. Some companies also offer minute plans for a month. A 100-150 minutes plan may cost $175-$350 with additional charges.
A 500 minutes usually costs around $1100.
Factors That Impact the Price of a Medical Answering Service
In many cases, you can expect to receive a free trial period of 1-2 weeks when you sign up for a medical answering service. During this trial, the call center will be able to gather data on the volume of calls you receive, the length of each call, and any special needs your practice may have. This information will provide you with an accurate quote for future services. The trial period also lets you see if you are satisfied with the value of the call center to your business.
Most call centers bill for their services in time-based increments because the nature of their business is very labor-intensive. Every minute their operator spends on a call with your patients incurs a labor cost for the virtual receptionist. However, some providers may offer flat rate packages or pay-as-you-go options, although these may not be available if the cost of providing services exceeds the ability to earn a profit. These services should also agree with the HIPAA rules.
Determining the Best Price for Your Medical Answering Service Needs
It’s important to note that higher prices don’t always equate to better service. To ensure that you find a call center that meets your needs, we recommend testing out at least three options and requesting a free trial period of 1-2 weeks. This will allow you to see if the call center can handle your call volumes and provide services such as appointment setting and quick answering times. It will also allow the call center to assess your needs and provide an accurate quote for future services. They also have TTY or IP Relay service for hearing-impaired patients.
The Relationship Between Call Volume and Medical Answering Service Pricing
Labor costs are often the biggest expense for medical call centers, just as they are for many businesses. These centers must remain open 24/7, including weekends and holidays, so they must staff hourly employees even during periods of low call volume. These employees are entitled to benefits such as health insurance and paid leave, just like any other worker. As a result, it’s natural to expect that the cost of handling a larger volume of calls will be greater than that of a smaller volume. Just as a 3-minute taxi ride will typically cost more than a 20-mile ride, the cost of 200 calls is likely to be higher than 50 calls due to the labor required to handle them. This is because the call center must pay its employees for their time and expertise, regardless of the volume of calls they receive.
The Impact of Call Duration on Medical Call Center Pricing
The average duration of your calls can also affect the cost of a medical answering service, just as the number of calls does. Calls that require the collection of basic information may only last 45 seconds, while others that involve appointment scheduling or other more complex tasks may take as long as 3-4 minutes. Generally, shorter calls will cost less than longer ones due to the lower labor required. It’s important to consider the average duration of your calls when budgeting for a medical answering service, as longer calls can significantly impact your overall costs. Answering services offer different pricing models; some are a flat fee answering service, while others may charge per minute of the call.
Understanding the Costs of Call Transfer and Patching Services
When you sign up for a medical answering service, the call center will typically have you forward your phone lines to a local or toll-free number. Transferring calls to a local number is generally free, but forwarding to a toll-free number may incur a small fee. This is because when the call center transfers a call from its toll-free number, the phone company still charges a fee for the use of the number even if the call center’s agents are no longer on the line. The call center must then estimate the duration of the call and bill accordingly, either on a fixed rate per month or per transferred call. This means that even if the call only lasts a few minutes, the call center must still cover the cost of the toll-free usage. It’s important to understand these fees and how they may impact your costs when considering a medical answering service.
The Price of Appointment Scheduling with a Medical Answering Service
In most cases, using popular online calendars like Google Calendar to schedule appointments does not incur additional costs for medical call centers. However, some healthcare facilities may require operators to use their in-house appointment scheduling software, which can be more expensive for the call center. This is because the call center must continually train its staff on how to use the software, which can be time-consuming and costly. It’s important to consider these costs when choosing a medical answering service, especially if your practice has specific requirements for appointment scheduling.
Included Services in the Cost of a Medical Answering Service
Many features are included in the standard rates of medical answering services and do not incur additional costs. These can consist of 24/7/365 call support, appointment reminders (when using certain software), message delivery via SMS text, email, or fax, and bilingual operators. These features are typically included in the standard packages offered by phone answering services, so you can expect access to them without paying extra. It’s important to check with the specific service you are considering to determine which features are included in their standard rates and which may incur additional costs.
Conclusion
Medical answering services can be valuable for healthcare providers and patients. It allows providers to focus on patient care and ensures patients have access to the medical support and information they need, even when their healthcare provider is unavailable. Medical answering services can also provide after-hours support and can be more cost-effective than hiring additional staff to handle calls in-house. Medical answering services can help to improve the accessibility, professionalism, and quality of care for both healthcare providers and patients. If you are a medical practitioner looking for an answering service, get in touch with us to know about answering service costs.
Frequently Answered Questions
What is a medical answering service?
A medical answering service is a call center designed to handle calls for medical practices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. The service is staffed by trained professionals who take various calls, including appointment scheduling, prescription refills, and medical advice.
How do medical answering services work?
When patients call a medical practice, they are typically forwarded to the medical answering service. The service’s trained operators will then handle the call, providing the patient with the appropriate assistance or routing the call to the relevant healthcare provider if necessary.
What are the benefits of using a medical answering service?
Medical answering services allow healthcare providers to focus on patient care rather than being bogged down by phone calls. They provide after-hours support for patients who need to reach a healthcare provider outside regular business hours. Some benefits of using a medical answering service include improved patient care, increased accessibility for patients, cost-effectiveness, and professionalism.
How much does a medical answering service cost?
The cost of a medical answering service can vary depending on the volume of calls, the length of each call, and the specific needs of the healthcare facility. However, other factors, such as the level of training and experience of the call center staff, the services offered, and the hours of operation, may also impact the cost.
Can a medical answering service handle calls in multiple languages?
Yes, many medical answering services are equipped to handle calls in multiple languages. This can be especially useful for healthcare providers serving diverse patients.
How do I know if a medical answering service is HIPAA compliant?
You should ask the medical answering service about their HIPAA compliance policies and procedures. They should be able to provide you with information about how they protect patient confidentiality and comply with HIPAA regulations.
Can a medical answering service handle appointment scheduling?
Yes, many medical answering services offer appointment scheduling as a part of their services. They may use online calendars like Google Calendar or specialized appointment scheduling software to manage appointments.
Can a medical answering service handle prescription refills?
Yes, medical answering services can handle prescription refills as part of their services. They may ask the patient for their prescription information and then contact the appropriate healthcare provider to request the refill on the patient’s behalf.