athenaOne Reviews & Pricing
What Is athenaOne?
Industry Specialties: Cardiology, Behavioral Health, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Primary Care, OB-GYN and Urgent Care
athenaOne by athenahealth is a cloud-based healthcare management solution tailored for practices of various sizes, particularly in fields like orthopedics, urgent care and primary care.
What makes athenaOne really stand out from other EHR products I’ve reviewed is how much it helps at the point of care. You can check a patient’s insurance eligibility in real time, see if their plan covers services, including specialized stuff like maternity or cosmetic procedures, and collect accurate copays on the spot. All these capabilities and more are why it scored a perfect 100 in this area during our analysis.
Charting is another strong point. The platform automatically saves visit details so you don’t have to re-enter information. Pre-visit questionnaires help gather key health info ahead of time and customizable templates speed things up during appointments.
athenaOne also plays well with other tools. It integrates with popular billing systems, telehealth platforms, scheduling tools (like TeleRay, MedTrainer, ClearGage, PayZen, Clearwave and Relaymed) and even wearables. With built-in API support, you can connect just about anything else you need.
The reporting features are solid, too. You can build custom reports or use ready-made ones to track revenue, unpaid claims, patient balances and more.
Users like how much the system can do in one place, specifically calling out fast chart navigation, automated reminders and strong customization options. That said, a few common complaints include high setup and ongoing costs, occasional system crashes (especially after updates) and some clunky navigation that can slow things down.
Pricing isn’t listed publicly, but users mention that costs tend to increase over time — particularly as you grow or need more support. For details, reach out to SelectHub for a custom price quote.
Our Research Process for athenaOne
Our internal data provided us with the scores for each feature. I then compared the platform with competitors like Oracle Ambulatory EHR, NextGen Enterprise and DrChrono to identify its key strengths.
To get a fuller picture, I also dug into over 70 user reviews and read several case studies to understand how it performs in real-world use.
athenaOne Pricing
Based on our most recent analysis, athenaOne pricing starts in the range of $100 - $500.
- Price
- $$$$$
- Starting From
- Custom Quote
- Pricing Model
- Quote-Based
- Free Trial
- No
Training Resources
athenaOne is supported with the following types of training:
- Documentation
- In Person
- Live Online
- Videos
- Webinars
Support
The following support services are available for athenaOne:
- Phone
- Chat
- FAQ
- Forum
- Help Desk
- Knowledge Base
- Tickets
- Training
- 24/7 Live Support
athenaOne Benefits and Insights
Key differentiators & advantages of athenaOne
- Speed Up Charting: In our analysis, athenaOne scored 100 for features that help doctors chart patient information quickly and accurately. It automatically saves visit details, so you don’t have to re-enter information. Pre-screening questionnaires help you collect key health details before visits, reducing paperwork during appointments.
- Sync Data: Based on data from our software selection platform, athenaOne scored 93 for its integrative capabilities, outperforming Oracle Ambulatory EHR (88). Right out of the box, it connects with tools you’re probably already using, like care management platforms, billing systems, scheduling solutions, telehealth apps and even wearable devices.
- Analyze Data to Make Informed Decisions: In our analysis, the product earned a perfect 100 for dashboard and reporting capabilities. With ready-made and custom reports, you can track outstanding balances, transaction histories, revenue trends and write-offs at a glance.
- Handle Point of Care Tasks: athenaOne scored 100 for features that let you check insurance eligibility in real time, verify coverage details and collect copays accurately. You can also manage encounters, capture charges, handle referrals and complete prior authorizations all in one place.
- Pre-Appointment Management: The platform scored really well for features that make managing appointments and patient information simple. Doctors can easily schedule appointments, send reminders, collect patient details online and track follow-up care. Patients can book, reschedule and pay for appointments, fill out forms and view medical information through a patient portal, all in one place.
Industry Expertise
Serves behavioral health, orthopedics, pediatrics, primary care, OB-GYN and urgent care specialties. It also caters to provider organizations like start-up practices, medium to large medical groups, federally qualified health centers and member-centric care companies.
athenaOne Reviews
Based on our most recent analysis, athenaOne reviews indicate a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% based on 1030 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.
Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews
Based on an aggregate of athenaOne reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst.
Pros
Cons
Researcher's Summary:
Having reviewed medical billing platforms for the past few years, I can confidently say athenaOne is one of the few that nail the basics like charting, scheduling and checking insurance. But it’s not perfect: mobile support is limited, telehealth features are basic and a steep price tag might leave you frustrated.
Here’s a quick rundown of what works and what doesn’t.
What’s Good:
- Efficiency at the Point of Care: I’ve got to give credit where it’s due — athenaOne makes checking insurance eligibility, collecting copays and managing patient encounters easy and quick. If you’re looking for a platform that handles all your daily key tasks in one easily accessible platform, athenaOne delivers.
- Charting Is a Breeze: One of the things that really stands out is how easy it makes charting. It auto-saves details, and with pre-visit questionnaires and customizable templates, you can knock out documentation quickly without worrying about redundant data entry.
- Integrates With What You’re Already Using: athenaOne connects smoothly with your existing tools, from billing systems to telehealth apps and wearables. I love that it has built-in API support, giving you the flexibility to add what you need without creating a mess of disconnected systems.
- Solid Reporting: You won’t have to dig through spreadsheets to track your practice’s performance. athenaOne’s customizable dashboards and reports give you a clear view of financials, claim statuses and patient data.
What’s Not So Great:
- Weak Mobile Capabilities: Based on our internal data, athenaOne scored just 72 for mobile capabilities, which falls way behind competitors like NextGen Enterprise (96). It doesn’t support barcode scanning or offline access, making it a tough choice if you need to manage patient data on the go.
- Limited Telehealth Features: If telehealth is important to your practice, athenaOne might not be the best choice. It scored just 64 for telehealth, much lower than platforms like DrChrono (73) and NextGen Enterprise (81). It doesn’t support in-built video/audio/text consultations, nor does it offer features like annotations or collaboration between providers during telehealth visits.
- High Costs: Let’s be real — athenaOne doesn’t come cheap. The price can quickly add up, especially as you scale or need additional support. If you’re a smaller practice or have a tight budget, you might find it hard to justify the cost.
- Clunky Navigation: Even though athenaOne packs a lot of features, it doesn’t always make it easy to get around. According to some users, moving between modules (like billing, patient charts and scheduling) feels like a chore. It’s not the smoothest experience, and if you’re juggling a busy schedule, those extra clicks can really add up.
- Billing Support Needs Improvement: When it comes to billing support, athenaOne doesn’t exactly shine. Users have pointed out that the support team isn’t always able to handle complex billing issues efficiently.
- System Stability Issues: A platform this crucial to your practice should be rock solid, but, unfortunately, athenaOne has stability issues. Users have reported frequent crashes, especially after updates. Downtime in a healthcare setting is no joke, and if the system keeps freezing or failing, it could impact your day-to-day operations.
athenaOne is a solid option for larger practices that can afford the price and work around some of its navigation quirks. But if you’re a smaller practice, need better mobile support or rely heavily on telehealth, athenaOne might leave something to be desired. The price, combined with some technical shortcomings, means it’s not the best fit for everyone. Make sure to weigh these factors carefully before moving forward.
Key Features
- Documentation: Use customizable templates and macros to speed up documentation, tailoring forms to fit specific specialties or individual provider preferences. Access pre-encounter preparation tools to review patient histories, lab results and any relevant details, preparing effectively for patient appointments.
- Patient Portal: Let patients view medical histories, sign documents, pay bills, manage appointments and more using mobile devices. Physicians can communicate with patients through messaging, notes or even video calls.
- Medical Coding: Access certified coding support for accurate ICD-10-CM and CPT coding, ensuring alignment with current coding standards. Benefit from automated coding suggestions and alerts for potential code mismatches, reducing coding errors.
- Claims Resolution: Manage denied and rejected claims with tools that offer real-time claim status tracking and detailed feedback on claim issues. Receive automated alerts and guidance for correcting errors, allowing faster re-submission and reducing denial rates.
- Insurance Verification: Automate patient eligibility verification before appointments to ensure coverage and minimize denied claims. Receive alerts for potential eligibility issues, enabling front-office staff to resolve discrepancies early.
- Billing Rules Engine: Automatically flag and correct potential issues in coding, documentation and claim formatting, increasing first-pass acceptance rates. Continuously update rules to stay aligned with payer requirements and industry regulations, minimizing rework.
- Telehealth Billing: Use special codes that tell insurance companies this is a virtual visit, so they know exactly how to pay. Automatically add these codes when creating bills so that they match what insurance needs. Add a “place of service” code that shows the visit happened online, not in a clinic or office. Make sure bills reflect that the service was remote, so insurance pays correctly.
- Population Health: Combine clinical, financial and payer data to build a comprehensive view of patient populations, identifying health trends and potential risk factors. Use care management tools to pinpoint care gaps, monitor chronic conditions and coordinate patient care across various settings and providers.
- Authorization Management: Initiate same or next-day authorizations for urgent situations requiring immediate care, with a two-hour initiation window for same-day requests. Track and manage prior authorizations directly within the billing system. Automate follow-ups for pending authorizations to get necessary approvals before you provide the services.
- Dashboard and Reporting: Access financial performance metrics like days in accounts receivable, total receivables and unpaid claims. Track claim statuses from submission to payment in one centralized view. Use customizable reporting tools to analyze practice financials, claim performance and payer trends.
Want Numbers? Let’s Take a Look at Some Real-World Examples
- Peachtree Orthopedics saw a 240% increase in time-of-service collections, a 22% reduction in denial rate and a 37% reduction in charge entry lag.
- SCP Health observed a 67% reduction in eligibility-related denials and saved $6,000 per month in payment posting-related costs.
- Spine Colorado PC noticed a 99.5% authorization success rate and 100% visibility in the authorization process.
- Georgia Hand, Shoulder & Elbow saw $1.5M average increase in collections per year over the first four years and 92.9% of claims accepted on the first submission.
- Premier Inpatient Partners observed a 15% revenue increase and 90% clean claims rate.
Limitations
- The initial setup and implementation phase can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
- Certain users find the system's customization capabilities insufficient for tailoring workflows to their practice's specific needs.