Medical Answering Service for Healthcare Practices
Let Abby answer so your team can focus on patients.
A HIPAA-compliant medical answering service for clinics, practices and providers of every size. Abby’s U.S.-based human receptionists answer patient calls 24/7 in your practice’s name, schedule appointments, capture new-patient intake, take secure messages and escalate urgent calls to your on-call clinician the way your protocol says. Add the AI Receptionist for calls that carry no protected health information and stretch your plan twice as far. From $165 a month with a free trial and no setup fee.
Never Miss a Patient Call Again
Front desks are busy places. Between check-ins, insurance questions and the phone ringing during a procedure, calls go to voicemail, and new patients rarely leave one. Abby answers in your practice’s name, follows your instructions for each type of caller, schedules and confirms appointments, captures intake details and delivers messages securely within minutes. Urgent calls reach your on-call clinician exactly the way your protocol specifies, at any hour, and your clinical staff stop being interrupted for calls a receptionist can handle.
What Is a Medical Answering Service?
A medical answering service answers your practice’s phone when your front desk cannot: during appointments and procedures, over lunch, after hours, on weekends and whenever call volume outruns your staff. Receptionists answer in your practice’s name, follow your instructions for each type of call and deliver messages the way you specify: a secure message, a live transfer or a booked appointment.
For a clinic or practice the calls are patients: appointment requests and cancellations, new patients asking whether you accept their insurance, refill and results requests that need a secure message to the right person, and after-hours calls that must reach the on-call clinician. A medical answering service is built around those call types and around HIPAA: how patient information is handled on the call, how messages are delivered and who can see them.
Abby’s version is one service used three ways. HIPAA-compliant call handling and secure message delivery by U.S.-based human receptionists who all work in Abby’s Las Vegas office, an AI Receptionist that answers instantly at any hour for calls that carry no protected health information (office hours, directions, general questions), or both on the same plan, with a handoff from the AI to a person whenever a caller needs one. Abby has answered calls for healthcare practices for more than 20 years, and that experience trains the AI Receptionist too.
Six Advantages of a Medical Answering Service
Every patient call answered, 24/7, with no after-hours upcharge
Nights, weekends and holidays are included on every plan. Patients reach a real receptionist instead of a voicemail box, and your on-call clinician hears only about the calls your protocol says are urgent.
HIPAA-compliant handling and secure message delivery
Abby’s human receptionists are trained to handle patient information securely and responsibly, and messages are delivered through secure channels rather than a voicemail transcript in an open inbox. HIPAA-compliant call handling is available with human receptionists; see how HIPAA-compliant call answering protects patient privacy.
Appointments scheduled, confirmed and reminded
Human receptionists book appointments through Calendly; the AI Receptionist books directly into hundreds of scheduling platforms. Outbound confirmation and follow-up calls are available on any plan, which means fewer no-shows and a fuller schedule without adding front-desk staff.
New-patient intake captured on the first call
Abby collects the intake details you specify (contact information, reason for the visit, insurance carrier, referral source) and delivers them to your team or your practice system, so a new patient is booked and ready before your staff pick up the phone. See client and patient intake.
Fewer interruptions for clinical staff
Abby screens and routes: appointment requests are booked, routine questions are answered from the information you provide, vendor and solicitation calls are handled without reaching your team, and only the calls you define as urgent are transferred live.
Your practice systems connected
Abby connects to SimplePractice, Tebra, Jane App, DrChrono and Cliniko, books into Calendly and Google Calendar, and reaches more than 1,000 tools in total. Browse all integrations.
Virtual Medical Receptionists: Human, AI, or Both
A virtual medical receptionist is a trained receptionist who answers your practice’s calls remotely, in your practice’s name, following your protocols. With Abby you choose who that receptionist is for each type of call.
Human Receptionists. Real people, all working in Abby’s Las Vegas office (none from home), trained on your call handling instructions and on handling patient information securely. HIPAA-compliant call handling and secure message delivery are provided by human receptionists, which makes them the right choice for every call that involves a patient’s health information, symptoms, results or medications.
The AI Receptionist. Answers instantly at any hour for calls that carry no protected health information: office hours, directions, parking, whether you are accepting new patients, general questions about your services. It books appointments directly into your scheduling platform and hands the call to a human receptionist whenever a caller asks for one or your rules say so. A minute with the AI Receptionist uses half an Abby Minute.
Both. Many practices run a mix: human receptionists on patient conversations and after-hours clinical calls, the AI Receptionist on general questions and appointment requests that carry no health details, and a handoff on the same call whenever it matters. It is one subscription, measured in Abby Minutes, and you can change the mix at any time.
| Human Receptionists | AI Receptionist | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Patient conversations, intake, secure messages, on-call escalation (HIPAA-compliant handling) | Office hours, directions, general questions and appointment requests without health details | Instant answers on routine calls, a person on every call that involves patient information |
| Cost per minute | One Abby Minute | Half an Abby Minute | Each portion at its own rate |
| Change the mix | Any time, no plan change | Any time, no plan change | Any time, no plan change |
Practices That Use a Medical Answering Service
Abby answers for independent practices and multi-provider groups across healthcare. The call handling is set up around each practice’s protocols, so the receptionist who answers knows what your patients usually need.
- Primary care, pediatrics and family medicine: appointment requests, same-day sick visits, refill messages and after-hours triage routed to the on-call clinician.
- Mental health and counseling: discreet, warm first contact for new clients, scheduling, and secure messages for the clinician.
- Physical therapy, chiropractic and rehabilitation: new-patient intake, recurring appointment scheduling and cancellations. See the chiropractic answering service.
- Dental offices: new-patient calls, emergency protocols and confirmations. See the dental answering service.
- Dermatology, med spas and specialty clinics: consultation booking, pre-visit questions and a professional voice for every caller. See answering for salons, spas and wellness.
Whatever the specialty, the same rules apply: every call answered in your practice’s name, patient information handled securely by human receptionists, and messages delivered the way you specify within minutes.
ABBY'S SERVICE
Abby’s Service, Three Ways
One service, set up your way. Start with Human Receptionist Service, AI, or both together, and change the mix anytime.
Human + AI
Each call is handled by a human or AI based on the call type or your instructions, so every caller reaches the right kind of help.
Human or AI, by Call Type or Your Rules
Seamless Handoff on the Same Call
Stretch Your Plan Further With AI
Human Receptionist
Live, professional receptionists, backed by 20 years of answering experience.
US-Based, In-House, Dedicated Receptionist Team
Custom Answering Hours Including 24/7 Answering
Caller insights with portal and app
AI Receptionist
24/7 AI receptionist delivering conversational, personalized caller experiences.
Natural, Human-like Conversations
Self-Serve Controls & Ongoing Support
Always Improving With Human Quality Assurance
Client Success Stories
A Practice Owner on Abby: “How Nice My Front Desk Is”
“The people who answer are very professional with the friendliest voices you can imagine. They are able to either transfer calls to me if I am available or take accurate messages and get them to me quickly so that I can return calls. I have never had any issues and my clients have even mentioned how nice my “front desk” is.”
PRICING
STARTER
BEST FOR
Small offices catching overflow or after-hours calls
essential
BEST FOR
A solid baseline for most small businesses
PROFESSIONAL
BEST FOR
Growing teams that need full-time coverage
Most Popular
Growth
BEST FOR
High-volume coverage with support and bulk savings
ENTERPRISE
Need more than the Growth Plan?
We build custom plans fit for your business needs.
BEST FOR
Higher call volumes and tailored workflows beyond Growth
Overage is billed at your plan's Abby Minute rate. You can move up a plan at any time.
No Setup Fee
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Free Trial On Every Plan
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24/7 Coverage
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Human Quality Assurance
•
20+ Year Reputation
•
1,000+ Integrations
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US-Based
•
Month-To-Month
•
No Setup Fee
•
Free Trial On Every Plan
•
24/7 Coverage
•
Human Quality Assurance
•
20+ Year Reputation
•
1,000+ Integrations
•
US-Based
•
Month-To-Month
•
THE HUMAN + AI ADVANTAGE
How Abby Minutes Work
Usage on every plan is measured in Abby Minutes, which cover both Human and AI answering. Overage is billed at your plan's Abby Minute rate. You can move up a plan at any time.
Human Answering
1 Abby Minute = 1 minute
AI Answering
1 Abby Minute = 2 minutes
goes 2× further
Human + AI Answering
ON THE SAME CALL
The AI portion bills at the AI rate, the human portion at the human rate.
Example of Abby Minutes: Professional Plan
Abby minutes cover both Human and AI answering. The more you use AI, the further your plan will stretch.
ALL HUMAN
200
minutes answered
200 Human Minutes
A MIX OF BOTH
300
minutes answered
100 Human Minutes + 200 AI Minutes
ALL AI
400
minutes answered
400 AI Minutes
U.S.-Based Answering Service
for Healthcare Practices
Unlike services that route calls overseas or to receptionists working from home, every one of Abby’s receptionists works in our Las Vegas office. For a medical practice that matters twice: patient information stays on supervised office systems, and a team that trains together follows your protocols consistently, call after call. Your dedicated team learns your providers, your scheduling rules and your escalation protocol, and a Client Success Manager keeps everything current as your practice grows.
Suite of Customizable Solutions for Healthcare Providers
Abby offers one service used three ways for clinics, practices and providers: U.S.-based Human Receptionists, the AI Receptionist, or both on the same plan.
Live Human Receptionist
AI Receptionist
ABBY INTEGRATIONS
Abby Integrations for Healthcare Practices
For more than 20 years, Abby has streamlined communications for healthcare practices by centralizing calls, messages and appointments. Our integrations connect patient interactions with the practice management, scheduling and intake tools you use every day, so booked appointments and intake details land where your team works.
Build Lasting Relationships with Your Patients
Don’t let missed calls cost you patients or leave an urgent call waiting.
With Abby’s medical answering service, every patient call is answered in your practice’s name, handled with HIPAA-compliant care by human receptionists, scheduled or escalated the way your protocol says, and delivered to you within minutes. Get started with a free trial today.
Abby has served over 6,200 businesses, including clinics and practices across healthcare.
Abby by the numbers
A minute with the AI Receptionist uses half an Abby Minute, so AI-handled calls make the same plan go
TESTIMONIALS
Give Your Practice an Edge with Abby Call Data
See every patient call, appointment request and message in one place.
Abby’s caller intelligence tools show practice managers exactly what is happening on the phone, in the AbbyGO app and the web portal:
Dedicated Call Handling Experts
for Healthcare Practices and Providers
Patients call before your doors open and long after they close. Abby’s receptionists answer 24/7, following the protocol your Client Success Manager sets up with you: which calls to schedule, which to message securely, which to escalate to the on-call clinician and which to screen out. Every call ends with a summary, a recording and a transcript in the AbbyGO app, and patient information is handled securely by human receptionists on every call. Your dedicated team learns your providers and your scheduling rules, and you can change any instruction at any time.
FAQS
Is Abby’s medical answering service HIPAA compliant?
Yes. Abby offers HIPAA-compliant call handling for healthcare practices with its U.S.-based human receptionists, who are trained to handle patient information securely and responsibly, including secure message delivery. HIPAA-compliant handling is a human-receptionist option; the AI Receptionist is used for calls that carry no protected health information.
What does a medical answering service handle?
Appointment requests, cancellations and confirmations, new-patient intake, insurance and general questions answered from the information you provide, secure messages for refill and results requests, and after-hours calls escalated to your on-call clinician the way your protocol specifies. Every call is answered in your practice’s name.
How does Abby handle urgent and after-hours patient calls?
You set the protocol and Abby follows it on every call: which symptoms or situations count as urgent, who is on call at what hour and how they should be reached. Urgent calls are escalated immediately, 24/7, and everything else becomes a secure message for the morning. Nights, weekends and holidays carry no after-hours upcharge.
How does Abby schedule appointments for my practice?
Human receptionists book appointments through Calendly, and the AI Receptionist books directly into hundreds of scheduling platforms. Outbound appointment confirmations and follow-up calls are available on any plan, which cuts no-shows without adding front-desk staff.
Can Abby capture new-patient intake?
Yes. Abby collects the intake details you specify, such as contact information, reason for the visit, insurance carrier and referral source, and delivers them to your team or your practice system on the first call. See client and patient intake.
Which practice systems does Abby integrate with?
Abby connects natively to SimplePractice, Tebra, Jane App, DrChrono, Cliniko, IntakeQ and ActiveCampaign, books into Calendly and Google Calendar, and reaches more than 1,000 tools in total. Every integration is set up and managed for you.
How much does a medical answering service cost?
Abby plans start at $165 a month for 50 Abby Minutes (Starter), then $329 for 100 (Essential), $599 for 200 (Professional) and $1,380 for 500 (Growth), with Enterprise plans on request. A minute with a human receptionist uses one Abby Minute and a minute with the AI Receptionist uses half. Every plan is month-to-month with a free trial and no setup fee. See plans and pricing.
Can I use the AI Receptionist in a medical practice?
Yes, for calls that carry no protected health information: office hours, directions, whether you accept new patients, general questions and appointment requests without health details. The AI Receptionist hands a call to a human receptionist whenever a caller asks for one or your rules say so, and its minutes count as half an Abby Minute.
Do you answer patient calls in Spanish?
Yes. Bilingual English and Spanish answering is included on every plan, for both human receptionists and the AI Receptionist, at no extra cost.
Does Abby work for dental, chiropractic and mental health practices?
Yes. Abby answers for practices across healthcare, including dental offices, chiropractic clinics, counseling and mental health practices, physical therapy, dermatology and med spas, each with its own call handling protocol. See the dental and chiropractic answering service pages.
Is there a contract or a setup fee?
No. Every Abby plan is month-to-month with a free trial and no setup fee, and you can move up or down a plan whenever your call volume changes. See how the free trial works.
Build Lasting Relationships with Your Patients
Don’t let missed calls cost you patient relationships. In healthcare, every call is a chance to provide care and build trust, and Abby answers every one of them in your practice’s name, with HIPAA-compliant handling by human receptionists, 24/7. Get started with a free trial today.