An AI receptionist for a medical practice typically costs from about $25 a month for a basic general-business tool to several hundred dollars a month for a healthcare-specific system with booking, EHR connections and a Business Associate Agreement. Brand Lift 360’s AI Voice Starter is $499 per month per location, with no setup fee and no per-minute charges.
The sticker price is only part of the answer. How a vendor bills, and what happens in your busiest month, matters more. Here’s how to compare.
The Short Answer
- Basic AI receptionist: about $25 to $100 a month. Answers calls and FAQs; limited booking; often no BAA.
- Healthcare-specific AI receptionist: roughly $100 to $600 a month per location or provider. Booking, EHR connections, texting and a BAA.
- Live answering service: commonly billed per minute or per call; cost rises with every busy month.
- In-house receptionist: several thousand dollars a month with benefits and payroll taxes, and one call at a time.
Ranges reflect published 2026 pricing guides and vendor pricing pages we reviewed in October 2026. Prices change often, so confirm current pricing before you sign.
How AI Receptionists Are Priced
- Flat monthly fee: one price regardless of call volume. The most predictable model.
- Per minute: a base fee plus a rate for every minute the AI is on the phone.
- Per call: a base fee plus a charge for each call handled, sometimes only for calls it resolves.
- Per provider: a monthly fee for each clinician, common with platforms that bundle other tools.
Flat pricing protects you in busy seasons. Per-minute and per-call pricing can look cheap on a quiet month and expensive in January.
Typical Price Ranges
| Option | Typical pricing | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic AI receptionist | About $25–$100/month | Call answering and FAQs; limited booking and HIPAA support |
| Healthcare AI receptionist | Roughly $100–$600/month | Booking where supported, EHR connections, texting, BAA |
| AI Voice Starter (Brand Lift 360) | $499/month per location, no setup fee | AI receptionist, missed-call text-back, booking where supported, BAA, configured and managed for you |
| Live medical answering service | Roughly $0.65–$2.25 per minute | A person takes messages, usually after hours |
| In-house receptionist | Several thousand dollars/month with benefits | A person during office hours, one call at a time |
A Worked Comparison
Take a practice that sends 300 calls a month to outside coverage, averaging three minutes each: 900 minutes.
- Live answering service: 900 minutes × $0.65 to $2.25 = about $585 to $2,025 a month, before setup or overage fees.
- Flat-fee AI receptionist: the same price in a busy month as a quiet one. With AI Voice Starter, $499 a month for that location.
The bigger difference is what happens on the call. A live service usually takes a message your team returns later. An AI receptionist can answer the question, book the appointment where your scheduling system allows and text back anyone who hung up.
Hidden Fees to Check
- Setup or onboarding fees
- Per-minute or per-call overages when you exceed the plan
- Integration fees for your EHR, calendar or CRM
- Extra charges for each location, phone number or provider
- A higher tier required for HIPAA features or a signed BAA
- Separate charges for texting, call recording or transcripts
- Annual contracts or cancellation fees
Ask every vendor for the total monthly cost at your current call volume and at your busiest month’s volume.
When It Pays for Itself
Start with what one new patient is worth to your practice after variable care costs. If a new patient contributes $600, a single additional booked patient a month covers a $499 AI receptionist. Every other call it saves is margin.
To find your number, count last month’s missed calls, estimate how many were new patients, and multiply by your average first-visit value and your booking rate. Most practices that do this math find the missed calls cost more than the receptionist.
Questions Practice Owners Ask
Is an AI receptionist cheaper than an answering service?
Usually, once call volume grows. Live medical answering services commonly bill by the minute, so cost climbs in busy months, while a flat-fee AI receptionist stays the same.
Is AI Voice Starter included in your marketing plans?
It depends on the plan. Authority includes Voice + Text AI. Growth includes a 30-day free trial. On its own, AI Voice Starter is $499 per month per location with no 12-month contract. See plans and pricing.
Does a cheaper AI receptionist work for a medical practice?
Only if it signs a BAA, protects patient information and connects to your scheduling system. Many basic tools are built for general businesses and don’t do all three. Read our AI receptionist guide for the full HIPAA checklist.
Get a Number for Your Practice
Book a 15-minute call with Jenn or Danzell. Bring last month’s call report and we’ll estimate what missed calls are costing you. See AI Voice Starter →