You asked: what does an ai virtual receptionist cost compared to a part-time human receptionist?
AI Receptionist Cost Versus a Part-time Human Receptionist
By MedReception AI, physician-built by Paul Toomey, MDPublished
The short answer
MedReception AI costs $299 per month on the Studio plan for 500 minutes, or $495 per month on the managed Essential plan, and answers calls 24/7 with unlimited simultaneous calls. A part-time human receptionist costs wages, payroll costs, training and cover for sick days, and answers one call at a time during scheduled hours only. Practices miss about 30 to 50 percent of calls, so the real comparison is the price of the hours a person covers against the price of every hour the phone rings. The Studio plan, the managed plans and the add-ons are published, while wages vary by local market and should be priced locally.
- The Studio plan is $299 per month for 500 minutes, with $0.95 per additional minute.
- Managed plans run $495, $995 and $1,495 per month, each with a set minute allowance.
- A part-time employee covers scheduled hours only, while MedReception AI answers calls 24/7.
- Practices miss about 30 to 50 percent of calls, which is the cost hidden in either option.
What does MedReception AI cost per month?
MedReception AI offers a Studio plan at $299 per month for 500 minutes, with $0.95 per additional minute, and three managed plans: Essential at $495 per month for 500 minutes, Professional at $995 per month for 1,000 minutes and Elite at $1,495 per month for 2,000 minutes. Each plan answers calls and books appointments, and the minute allowance sets the monthly price. Practices choose the tier that matches their call volume.
The Studio plan carries the lowest monthly price among MedReception AI's plans. EHR integration on Studio is an add-on at $1,500 one time plus $99 per month, so a practice that needs booking inside its record system should include that line in the cost comparison.
After-hours coverage by Annie and voicemail by Victoria are included on Professional and Elite. On Essential, Annie and Victoria are each a $99 per month add-on, which changes the Essential total for a practice that needs nights and voicemail covered.
What does a part-time human receptionist cost?
A part-time human receptionist costs hourly wages for scheduled hours, plus payroll taxes, training time and the work of finding cover for sick days and vacations. Wages differ by city and by role, so a practice should price its own local rate instead of relying on a national average. MedReception AI publishes no wage figures because the number depends on the local market and the benefits the practice offers.
The calculation starts with hours. A part-time receptionist covers only the hours on the schedule, so evenings, weekends, lunch breaks and busy mornings with several calls at once fall back on the remaining staff or on voicemail.
The practice also carries recruiting and onboarding each time a part-time employee leaves. Those costs rarely appear on a payroll line, yet they belong in an honest comparison with a monthly subscription whose price is known before the month begins.
How do coverage hours change the comparison?
MedReception AI answers calls 24/7 and handles unlimited simultaneous calls, while a part-time human receptionist works scheduled hours and answers one call at a time. The comparison therefore weighs a monthly price against the calls that go unanswered. Practices miss about 30 to 50 percent of calls, and each missed call can be a patient who books elsewhere.
Katie handles daytime answering, Annie covers after-hours calls, Victoria takes voicemail and Sallie manages scheduling and recalls. The agents divide the work that a single part-time person would otherwise juggle across a day.
A part-time hire still offers judgment and warmth for patients standing at the desk. MedReception AI addresses the telephone line, so the practice should weigh it against the phone share of a receptionist's day rather than the whole role.
What else belongs in the cost comparison?
The full comparison adds setup, integration, languages and compliance to the monthly price. MedReception AI setup typically takes one week from signup to launch, a BAA is included, HIPAA compliance is verified by Compliancy Group, and the agents speak 59 languages while booking end to end in English, Spanish and Korean. A human hire involves recruiting and training time before the first productive call.
Live EHR integrations include athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, ModMed, Tebra and Nextech, among the others listed. For a system that is not on that list, other systems are available through secure workflow automation.
Language coverage deserves its own line. A part-time hire speaks the languages the person happens to know, while MedReception AI speaks 59 languages, and the practice should list the languages its patients actually use before comparing.
When does a part-time human receptionist fit better?
A part-time human receptionist fits a practice whose main need is in-person greeting, check-in and paperwork at the front desk, with modest call volume that arrives during office hours. MedReception AI fits a practice whose gap is missed calls, after-hours coverage or overflow. Some practices use both, with the person at the desk and MedReception AI on the phone line.
The decision follows the work. If staff already answer every call during the day and the practice has no after-hours need, a subscription adds little. If calls ring through to voicemail, the subscription covers the gap.
A practice can also keep the part-time hire and add Katie for overflow. The wage then pays for work that requires a person in the room, while MedReception AI answers calls that arrive when everyone is busy.
How do other vendors price AI and human answering?
Other answering vendors publish different price structures. Smith.ai prices its human plans and its AI receptionist by the call, while Luma Health, Assort Health and VoxyHealth do not publish per-call or per-minute rates. Smith.ai states on its own site that it is not HIPAA-compliant and cannot handle calls involving protected health information, which matters to a medical practice weighing cost.
Smith.ai publishes human plans from 300 dollars a month for 30 calls to 2,100 dollars for 300 calls, and an AI receptionist from a free 25-call tier to 500 dollars a month, as published on Nov 2, 2026.
Luma Health, Assort Health and VoxyHealth quote by request or by usage, so a practice should ask each for the price, implementation fee and contract term in writing before comparing them with a monthly plan.
Your options, compared honestly
The table lists MedReception AI and the other vendors below, with each vendor's published position as of the dates in the notes. Prices and compliance statements come from the vendors' own sites. A practice comparing cost with a part-time human should read the notes for price structure and for HIPAA statements, since a low monthly fee matters less when a vendor cannot take patient calls.
| Service | Best for | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| MedReception AIUs | Medical and dental practices that want calls answered 24/7 and booked, at a published monthly price | Studio $299 per month for 500 minutes; managed plans $495, $995 and $1,495 per month. Physician-built, HIPAA compliance verified by Compliancy Group, BAA included. |
| Smith.ai | Practices that want human receptionists or a human and AI mix | Human plans from 300 dollars a month for 30 calls to 2,100 dollars for 300 calls; AI receptionist from a free 25-call tier to 500 dollars a month (as published on Nov 2, 2026). We found no HIPAA or BAA statement on its pricing, AI receptionist or industries pages. |
| Luma Health | Groups and health systems that want outreach, reminders and an AI agent on one platform | Navigator handles routine inbound calls, including after hours; integrations named include Epic, athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, NextGen and Nextech. Lists HITRUST, ISO 27001 and an AICPA SOC certification. Publishes its HIPAA compliance policies and a Business Associate Agreement at policy.lumahealth.io. No prices published as of Nov 2, 2026. |
| Assort Health | Specialty groups and health systems automating a central patient access call center, especially on athenahealth. | AI voice agent for healthcare; names ophthalmology, dermatology, pain management and urology; 24/7 scheduling; 15 or more platform integrations; Trust Center linked; no public pricing. |
| VoxyHealth | Clinics, physician groups, health systems and health plans wanting an AI voice agent for inbound and outbound patient calls | AI voice agent for providers and payers. Usage-based pricing with no published rates; states HIPAA compliance, SOC 2 and a BAA with every customer (Nov 4, 2026). |
Frequently asked questions
Buyers comparing an AI receptionist with a part-time hire tend to ask about price, hours, compliance and speed. The answers below use only published MedReception AI figures and each competitor's own published statements. Wage figures are left to the practice, since they depend on the local market.
what does an ai virtual receptionist cost compared to a part-time human receptionist?
MedReception AI starts at $299 per month on the Studio plan for 500 minutes, with managed plans at $495, $995 and $1,495 per month, and it answers 24/7. A part-time human receptionist costs wages and payroll costs for scheduled hours only. The practice should price its local wage and compare it with the plan that matches its call volume.
How much is the MedReception AI Studio plan?
The Studio plan is $299 per month for 500 minutes, with $0.95 per additional minute. EHR integration on Studio is an add-on at $1,500 one time plus $99 per month. The managed plans, Essential, Professional and Elite, add more minutes and are priced at $495, $995 and $1,495 per month. Practices pick by monthly call volume.
Does an AI receptionist cover nights and weekends?
MedReception AI answers calls 24/7, with Annie handling after-hours calls and Victoria handling voicemail. After-hours coverage and voicemail are included on Professional and Elite, and each is a $99 per month add-on on Essential. A part-time human receptionist covers only the hours scheduled, so nights and weekends need extra staff.
Is MedReception AI HIPAA compliant?
MedReception AI has HIPAA compliance verified by Compliancy Group, and a BAA is included. MedReception AI is a business associate, not a covered entity. Practices comparing vendors on cost should confirm each vendor's HIPAA and BAA position in writing, because Smith.ai states it is not HIPAA-compliant and cannot handle calls involving protected health information.
How long does setup take compared with hiring someone?
Setup for MedReception AI typically takes one week from signup to launch. A human hire involves posting the job, interviewing, onboarding and training, and the timeline depends on the local labor market. Medical and dental practices can both use MedReception AI, while veterinary practices are not served.
Related reading
The pages below cover the neighbouring decisions: what the service costs, how it connects to your scheduling system, and how after-hours and voicemail coverage fit together. Each one answers its own question in the same direct format.
AI medical receptionist for clinics and private practices
How MedReception AI answers, books and routes calls for medical practices.
MedReception AI pricing
Plans, minute allowances and add-ons in one place.
AI receptionist cost
What an AI receptionist costs a medical or dental practice.
AI answering service vs part-time receptionist
A closer look at coverage and workload differences.
AI receptionist comparison
How AI receptionist vendors compare side by side.
All comparisons
Browse every comparison page.
Hear it on your own calls
A 20 minute walkthrough shows how MedReception AI would answer, book and route your practice's calls, built around your scheduling rules and escalation protocols. Setup typically takes one week from signup to launch.
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