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Software · head to head

MDLive vs Athenahealth

MDLive logo

MDLive

Software

On-demand telehealth and virtual doctor visits

From
$59/visit
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Athenahealth logo

Athenahealth

Software

Cloud-based medical practice management

From
$140/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: MDLive visit prices vary widely by service and insurance, from $0 up to $89 for urgent care, $179 for an initial therapy appointment and $299 for an initial psychiatry appointment; Athenahealth high implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
  • They diverge on capability: MDLive covers Video Consultations, Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MDLive and Athenahealth actually diverge.

Attributes where MDLive and Athenahealth differ
AttributeMDLiveAthenahealth
Starting price$59/visit$140/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20021997

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in MDLive

  • Video Consultations
  • Mental Health Services
  • Psychiatry
  • Prescription Services
  • Urgent Care
  • Insurance
  • EHR Systems

Only in Athenahealth

  • Electronic Health Records
  • Medical Billing
  • Patient Engagement
  • Telehealth
  • Analytics
  • Labs
  • Pharmacies
  • Clearinghouses

Both cover

  • HIPAA
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

MDLive

  • Insured patients wanting upfront-priced telehealth visits across urgent care, primary care, mental health and dermatologynot Athenahealth

Athenahealth

  • Patient Carenot MDLive
  • Medical Recordsnot MDLive
  • Practice Managementnot MDLive
  • Telehealthnot MDLive

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

MDLive

  • Visit prices vary widely by service and insurance, from $0 up to $89 for urgent care, $179 for an initial therapy appointment and $299 for an initial psychiatry appointment
  • Follow-up mental health visits are billed at a flat rate before insurance: $140 for therapy and $159 for psychiatry
  • Not all insurance plans cover all MDLIVE services, so out-of-pocket cost depends on the specific plan

Athenahealth

  • High implementation costs ranging up to $50,000+ for enterprise deployments
  • Pricing tiers not transparently listed, requiring custom quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

MDLive

$59/visit
  • Primary Care Visit$59/visit
    • Board-certified doctors
    • 24/7 availability
    • Prescriptions

Athenahealth

$140/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Athenahealth review.

Which should you pick?

Choose MDLive if

  • You need video consultations.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want mental health services.
MDLive review

Choose Athenahealth if

  • You need electronic health records.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want medical billing.
Athenahealth review

Questions people ask

Is MDLive or Athenahealth better?
Neither clearly leads. MDLive starts at $59/visit and Athenahealth at $140/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MDLive or Athenahealth?
MDLive starts at $59/visit and Athenahealth at $140/month.
Does MDLive or Athenahealth run on more platforms?
MDLive runs on Web, Mobile. Athenahealth runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is MDLive best used for?
MDLive is most often used for insured patients wanting upfront-priced telehealth visits across urgent care, primary care, mental health and dermatology. Of those, insured patients wanting upfront-priced telehealth visits across urgent care, primary care, mental health and dermatology is not what Athenahealth is typically brought in for.
What can MDLive do that Athenahealth cannot?
MDLive covers Video Consultations, Mental Health Services, Psychiatry, Prescription Services. Athenahealth covers Electronic Health Records, Medical Billing, Patient Engagement, Telehealth. Both handle HIPAA, Cloud deployment, Web support, Mobile support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Athenahealth: What platforms does Athenahealth serve?

Athenahealth's athenaOne serves small to medium-sized physician practices and hospitals with integrated clinical, financial, and operational workflows.

Source
Athenahealth: What is the pricing model for athenaOne?

Athenahealth uses customized pricing with percent-based or encounter-based models. Starting price reported at $140/month with implementation costs ranging from $5,000-$20,000 for small businesses.

Source
Athenahealth: Does Athenahealth include revenue cycle management?

Yes, athenaOne includes network-driven claims scrubbing with 95%+ first-pass rates, denial management, and A/R optimization.

Source
Athenahealth: What patient engagement features does Athenahealth offer?

Athenahealth provides athenaCommunicator for patient portals, automated appointment reminders, online scheduling, telehealth integration, digital intake, and broadcast messaging.

Source
Athenahealth: How many pre-built integrations does Athenahealth have?

Athenahealth's marketplace includes over 250 pre-integrated third-party apps, allowing practices to extend functionality without custom development.

Source
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Related pages

More on MDLive

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