Normalize the denominator
- •Pull 90 days of call logs to capture answered volume.
- •Remove transfers, hang-ups, and short calls under 15 seconds.
- •Annualize to derive a realistic handled-call count per FTE.
Finance KPI•Staffing & coverage
Cost per Answered Call
What it really costs to pick up a patient call once you include wages, benefits, coverage gaps, and overtime.
This KPI helps CFOs and practice managers compare live staffing against automation. It converts your fully loaded receptionist spend into a per-call number so you can defend savings assumptions in budget reviews.
Expressed as dollars per fully handled call based on 27,500 calls/year per FTE.
Typical range today
$6–$9 / call
Blended across wages, OT, temp coverage, and rework.
Drivers
Wages · Benefits · Coverage gaps
Each call carries every cost center, not just hourly pay.
Cost breakdown
“Show your work” table
| Line item | Annual spend | Per-unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base wages | $48,000 | $1.75/call | $24/hr × 2,000 hrs after breaks + admin time. |
| Payroll tax & benefits (18%) | $8,640 | $0.31/call | FICA, healthcare, retirement matching. |
| PTO & holiday coverage | $5,400 | $0.20/call | Temps or overtime to backfill ~15 days off. |
| Turnover + training | $3,500 | $0.13/call | Recruiting, onboarding, and shadow time yearly. |
| Overtime & peak coverage | $7,200 | $0.26/call | 5 hrs OT per week to clear surges. |
| After-hours answering | $8,400 | $0.31/call | Night/weekend services or on-call stipends. |
| Scheduling/phone stack | $3,000 | $0.11/call | Phone system, call recording, analytics seats. |
| Missed-call rework | $6,000 | $0.22/call | Manual callbacks + revenue assurance time. |
| Ops overhead (manager, IT, HR) | $6,500 | $0.24/call | Portion of admin team supporting phones. |
Fully load the numerator
- •Start with salary, then add benefits, taxes, and PTO coverage.
- •Layer in overtime, temps, and answering service invoices.
- •Allocate overhead (management, IT tickets, QA time) proportionally.
Assumptions
What this KPI assumes
Call volume baseline
27,500 handled calls per FTE per year (110/day × 250 days × 50% phone focus).
Coverage expectation
Phones live 9–10 hours/day plus answering service on nights or weekends.
Labor market
Metro markets with $21–$26 hourly medical receptionist wages.
Supporting proofs
Share with finance + ops partners
Need help validating your number?
We’ll review your payroll data, call logs, and staffing mix to build a finance-ready worksheet.