The Best EMR Systems

Managing patient medical records safely and efficiently continues to grow in importance, regardless of the size of the practice.

Having digital, searchable, and constantly accessible information about each patient in the practice helps medical professionals make the best healthcare decisions for their patients in the shortest amount of time possible.

Protecting this sensitive data is important too, and the best EMR systems will keep data safe, while making it easily accessible to the people who need it. Proper documentation leads to a more efficient billing system and reduced time spent on paperwork as well.

Here is our collection of the best EMR systems currently on the market, as we aim to help you find the right system for the needs of your particular practice.

The 10 Best Electronic Medical Record Systems

1. AdvancedMD

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• For any size practice
• Detailed scheduling interface
• Prescription tracking
• Many customizable features
• Get Started Now

Regardless of whether you need basic or advanced features in your EMR, AdvancedMD has you covered. It is versatile enough to fit the needs of many different practices. The primary dashboard available through AdvancedMD does require some work to learn to use well, but once you figure this system out, you’ll be able to do some impressive things to help your practice operate more efficiently.

Pros

• Detailed scheduling interface
• Versatile EMR for multiple sizes of practices
• Plenty of customizable features
• Excellent prescription tracking capability

Cons

• Requires some time to learn to use it efficiently
• Price is a little higher than some others

2. Athena Health

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• Web-based EMR
• Easy to learn and use
• Best for small practices
• Wide range of features
• Get Started Now

Small and average sized practices often need an easy-to-use EMR system, as they may not have the time or personnel required to do a deep drill down into a complex piece of software. The AthenaHealth EMR fits this need. It’s fully web-based, so it will work for the practice where personnel use a variety of types of input devices.

Pros

• Extremely easy to learn to use
• Scheduling features are easy to sort and customize
• Web-based EMR is compatible with many kinds of devices
• Good customer service

Cons

• Not made for large sized practices
• Because it’s web-based, you’ll need strict access security measures in place

3. CareCloud

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• Easy to use
• Up-to-date interface
• Track your patient flow
• Very competitive pricing
• Get Started Now

The CareCloud EMR interface gives you the ability to clearly determine how the patient flows through your practice, helping you spot potential bottlenecks. It is a web-based service, so you can use it with any input devices. This system does a good job keeping up with changes in healthcare laws and rules, providing adaptability within the interface.

Pros

• Up-to-date interface is easy to use
• Strong at tracking patient flow
• Very competitive pricing
• Regularly tweaked to match new healthcare regulations

Cons

• May be too simplistic for larger practices
• Small practices must subscribe to Concierge service

4. Greenway Health Intergy

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• Reasonably priced
• Highly flexible
• Outstanding customer service
• Multiple training options
• Get Started Now

Some medical practices tackle a large number of different types of cases and patients, and they may need a highly customizable EMR to fit their needs. The Intergy EMR from Greenway Health is the answer, as its system is highly flexible. It may take you awhile to figure out all of the different aspects of Intergy, but it’s definitely worth the time spent.

Pros

• Highly flexible EMR system
• Nice collection of shortcuts to streamline work
• Outstanding customer service and training options
• Reasonable pricing tiers

Cons

• Interface could use an update
• Will take some time to learn all of the custom options

5. Kareo

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• Made for smaller practices
• Good support & training
• Reasonably priced plans
• Very easy to use
• Get Started Now

For those practices that need ease of use above all else, the Kareo EMR is a smart choice. This system’s interface is a little older than some others, but it still will work nicely for small and average sized practices. Those working at your practice will be able to pick up the basics of the EMR quickly, allowing for you to be up and running with very little time spent.

Pros

• Made especially for smaller sized practices
• Very easy to use
• Pricing is reasonable
• Good support for implementation and training

Cons

• Interface seems a little dated
• Not really made for large or complex practices

6. NextGen Healthcare

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• Easy to start using quickly
• Multiple customization options
• Excellent staff training
• Excellent customer service
• Get Started Now

For average and smaller sized practices, NextGen has the kind of customer support that these practices often need. A practice of this size may not have the tech staff required to run training and other services, but the NextGen customer service and training capabilities are extremely strong. Should your practice need to customize a certain aspect of the EMR, this is relatively easy with the NextGen EMR.

Pros

• Excellent customer service and training
• System is easy to start using quickly
• Offers multiple customization options
• Has some very low priced tiers

Cons

• Not powerful enough for large practices
• Takes a bit of time to learn the system’s nuances

7. Sevocity

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• Best for smaller practices
• Extremely easy to use
• Basic customization features
• 24/7 customer service
• Get Started Now

The Sevocity EMR has quite a few good features for small and mid-sized practices, but it likely will not be powerful enough to meet the needs of larger practices. The interface in this EMR is extremely easy to use, and you can perform basic customization features. The customer service people are available 24 hours a day.

Pros

• Very good customer service features
• Offered at a desirable price point
• Features are easy to use
• Especially good for smaller practices

Cons

• May not have enough customization for large practices
• Some training features are lacking

8. TheraNest

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• 100% web-based
• Mobile app option
• Client access portal
• Minimal learning curve
• Get Started Now

For practices that need to be able to access the EMR interface using multiple types of devices, TheraNest is a smart choice. You can use a traditional computing system to run TheraNest, or you can access it with smartphone apps. It even has a client portal to allow clients to schedule their own appointments or to submit forms.

Pros

• Includes a mobile app option
• All information is web-based
• Includes a client access portal
• Learning curve is less than some other EMRs

Cons

• Some pricing tiers seem a bit high
• Security measures needed for fully web-based system will be off-putting for some practices

9. Virence Health Centricity

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• Easy to use & navigate
• Multiple tracking features
• Well-designed mobile app
• Good all-around EMR
• Get Started Now

For small to medium sized practices, Centricity from Virence Health is an ideal option. It has multiple features that give smaller practices the ability to track data in a similar manner to what a larger practice traditionally has been able to do. Centricity has a mobile app, so personnel at a medical practice can use it in the manner that makes the most sense to them.

Pros

• Good all-around EMR
• Software is easy to navigate
• Works especially well for small and average sized practices
• Includes a well-designed mobile app

Cons

• Its customization features may not be good enough for large practices
• Pricing is a little high

10. WebPT

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• Made for outpatient practices
• Easy to use interface
• Access through mobile devices
• Extremely reasonably priced
• Get Started Now

For practices that specialize in outpatient services, including occupational, speech, and physical therapy, WebPT has a platform that’s ready to use. This is a web-based solution, so personnel at the practice can access it using a multitude of devices. It has a strong customer service reputation, offering access to support at any time.

Pros

• Extremely reasonably priced
• Made specifically for outpatient practices
• Includes access through mobile devices, if needed
• Interface makes it easy to spot the information you need

Cons

• Some aspects of the software are restrictive in how you must enter data
• Not going to work as well for inpatient types of practices

How to Choose The Best EMR System For You

Finding the best electronic medical records system for your particular practice becomes easier when you focus on the specific needs of your practice. Figure out which areas of your practice need the most help, and focus on an EMR system that excels in those areas.

Here are 10 of the areas we weighed when creating our list of the best EMR systems.

1. Automatic Reminders

A big part of managing a patient’s care is maintaining a regular schedule of appointments. With certain EMR systems, you can set up an automatic reminder system that alerts the patient about upcoming appointments or about reminders to set an appointment. The EMR system could send a text message, make an automated call, or send an email to the patient, depending on the patient’s preference.

Automatic reminders will save time for the staff at the practice, freeing them up for other tasks. These reminders also reduce the number of appointments that patients forget about and miss, which makes your practice more efficient.

2. Scanning Documents

By selecting an EMR system that allows for document scanning, you will be able to match whatever needs your billing system requires for supporting documentation for claims.

Rather than submitting these documents via fax, printout, or email, you can simply digitize them and add them to the patient’s EMR. Should the billing service need these documents for an insurance claim, they will be readily available, eliminating wasted time and the potential for lost documents.

3. Sending Prescriptions

Within the majority of EMR systems, you will have the option of submitting patient prescription drug orders electronically to the pharmacy, using an e-prescription system.

Sending prescriptions electronically is safe and efficient, ensuring that the order for controlled substances travels only to the patient’s pharmacy of choice, eliminating the chance of the patient losing a handwritten prescription.

With an e-prescription, you also eliminate the chance of an error at the pharmacy because of unreadable handwriting on the part of a doctor.

4. Specialty Practices

If your practice has a specific area in which it operates, you may need to track atypical data about patients.

You may need an EMR system that gives you the ability to customize data fields and to adjust how the system stores the data. A vendor may need to help you customize the system after installation, so if you have special needs for tracking data, always ask the vendor about how it handles this type of situation.

In other cases, the vendor may have a specialty specific EMR system or add-on service that will perfectly meet your needs. Tracking this type of information can be a significant hindrance to your practice when you must do it by hand, so having an EMR system that can match your specific needs is incredibly important.

5. Systems Integration

If your EMR system has the ability to integrate with multiple systems already in use at your practice, this streamlines record keeping.

This feature is especially important for meshing the EMR system with the billing system you have in place, for example. Whether your practice sends its billing information to an outside service or does billing in-house, having integration between the EMR system and the billing system saves quite a bit of time and reduces coding errors.

Should your practice have an affiliation with a larger network, such as a hospital, integrating your EMR with the hospital’s system simplifies the patient care process. The EMR vendor can help you figure out how its system may be able to integrate with other systems you already have in place.

6. Task Reminders

Every medical practice has hundreds, if not thousands, of mundane tasks to perform on a daily basis. Whether you’re awaiting results from tests sent to an off-site lab or you need reminders to check with other colleagues about a patient’s status, certain EMR systems make this process far easier than others.

With timestamp deadlines attached to the various reminders, a doctor can be certain to have all of the required tasks finished regarding a certain patient’s case before it’s time for the patient’s appointment. With the tasks finished ahead of time, the doctor will not waste time searching for information or making calls while the patient sits idle in the exam room.

7. Template Creation

Say your practice sees a certain type of disease or condition on a regular basis in the community. With the right EMR system, the medical team could create a template that contains information about treating the particular condition, ensuring that all of the doctors and nurses follow the same steps.

This saves time in treating this common condition, while also reducing the possibility of mistakes.

8. Tracking Patient Flow

Something that you may not think about when comparing EMR systems is the way they can track patients flowing through your office.

For example, you don’t want patients occupying exam rooms waiting for a certain doctor, when that doctor cannot see the patient for at least 45 minutes, leaving other patients stuck in the waiting room, rather than being in an exam room, receiving treatment from other doctors.

Your EMR system may be able show exactly where bottlenecks are occurring in the patient flow in your office, helping you become more efficient. However, this is not a feature that all EMRs will provide in an easy-to-understand manner.

9. Tracking Prescriptions

When you have patients who take multiple prescription drugs, keeping on top of potential side effects and drug interactions is a time consuming process. Before the advent of EMR systems, the patient may have given a hand-printed list of drugs to the doctor for inclusion in the patient file. The list may or may not have been accurate or up to date.

By selecting an EMR system that allows prescription drug tracking within the patient’s records, spotting drug interactions will be easier and will occur in a timely manner. Doctors also can see any drugs the patient has tried in the past that did not work or that created unwanted side effects, avoiding trying those drugs again in the future.

Additionally, should a patient show an allergy to a certain class of drug, this information is readily available to the doctor in the digitized patient record. No longer will the doctor need to rely on a patient’s memory regarding drug allergies, which may lead to errors.

10. Vendor Responsiveness

Picking the right vendor is an extremely important part of choosing the EMR system as well. Even if the EMR system is great, it will be nothing but a headache for your practice if the vendor support is not up to par.

Some practices need more responsiveness from the vendor than others. Some practices want to be able to access help or to ask questions of the vendor any day of the week and any time of the day. Others may be able to live with a vendor that’s only accessible during normal working hours.

If your practice does not have a person or department that handles IT, you may be able to hire a vendor that can deliver these features for you.

Summary: Finding the Best EMR Systems

Although you will find some vendors attempting to use the terms EMR and EHR (electronic health records) interchangeably, they technically have a few differences that you should understand.

• EMR systems: With an EMR system, a single practice will digitize the patient’s chart. This includes all of the information about the patient’s medical history from doctors at the practice only.
• EHR systems: With an EHR system, you’ll have the digitized patient chart found in EMR, but you’ll find records from all doctors who have treated the patient. Multiple practices may share the patient’s EHR with each other.

The EMR system simplifies the ability of a single practice to care for the patient, helping the practice send out reminders to the patient for upcoming tests or health screenings. Finding just the right EMR system will produce significant benefits for patients and for those working in your practice, making the process of caring for patients more streamlined and more successful in the long run.

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The Best Practice Management Software

When operating a medical practice, the primary focus is on helping patients feel better, enjoy their lives more, and improve their health. But to do that effectively, it takes expertise in multiple other areas.

You need to be able to track appointments, stay on top of billing, manage the scheduling of employees, and stay in contact with patients. The best practice management software can help you do all of this, while saving time and effort.

But if the management software for your medical practice is difficult to use, any timesaving benefits disappear. To save the sanity of employees and to allow your practice to run at the best possible efficiency, consider one of our best practice management software recommendations.

The 10 Best Practice Management Software Solutions

You need to present a professional appearance to the patients at your medical practice. Management software does this by enhancing your ability to manage your practice’s day-to-day operations. Some of the key components of this software include:

• Scheduling of appointments
• Generating bills
• Creating insurance claims
• Generating financial reports for the practice
• Generating financial reports for individual patients

If your practice cannot generate accurate bills or cannot book appointments without making errors, patients will begin to lose trust in the medical practice. They may wonder whether the practice can care for their health properly if employees cannot even file insurance claims properly.

When you want to create a professional appearance for your medical office, using any of the 10 best practice management software solutions on our list will help.

AdvancedMD

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• Excellent feature set
• Simplifies scheduling
• Clean interface
• Verification system
• Get Started Now

For those who already own the AdvancedMD EMR software, its compatibility with AdvancedMD’s practice management software is seamless, creating a powerful combination.

But even if you use a different EMR software, you still can use AdvancedMD as your best practice management software, as it has compatibility with many EMR systems.

AdvancedMD’s interface is clean and well-organized, but some users will find it time consuming to figure out all of the various features, especially the advanced features.

Pros

• Has an excellent feature set
• Software’s verification system catches simple coding errors on insurance claims
• Clean interface that simplifies scheduling
• Strong interaction with same brand’s EMR

Cons

• Does take quite a bit of time to learn all of the features
• Overall cost is above average

Advanced Data Systems MedicsPremier

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• Reasonable prices
• Easily customizable
• Helps you reduce errors
• Extensive training services
• Get Started Now

For the right medical practice, MedicsPremier will be an excellent choice. But this is a software package that you must choose carefully, because it doesn’t work for everyone.

It will especially help a medical practice that needs customization options at a reasonable price. It also has strong insurance claim generation features. However, training is expensive, and some users will find the navigation features difficult to understand.

Pros

• Easily customizable for your particular practice
• Tracking insurance claims progress is easy
• Able to help you reduce errors in insurance claim coding
• Extensive training services that are helpful

Cons

• Training is extremely expensive
• Interface is dated and really needs a refresh to make it easier to use

AthenaHealth

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• Streamline billing & claims
• Patient portal feature
• Detailed reports
• Great customer service
• Get Started Now

If your practice struggles when it comes to billing, the creators of athenahealth had you in mind. This software streamlines your billing processes, as well as submission of insurance claims. It even generates highly detailed reports that show areas where your practice’s billing results are lagging behind others in the industry.

We also rank athenahealth highly in terms of the training it provides to its customers, getting them up to speed faster than some other software packages.

Pros

• Excels in billing and insurance claim generation
• Good customer service
• Has a strong patient portal feature
• If you like generating detailed reports, this software excels in this area

Cons

• Doesn’t work as well for practices that fully outsource medical billing
• Takes some time to figure out the advanced features

CareCloud

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• Easy to use
• Well designed patient portal
• Extremely detailed reports
• Verification to reduce errors
• Get Started Now

When you want ease of use above everything else in your practice management software, CareCloud delivers. It has a well-organized interface, making all of the key features easily accessible.

We really like CareCloud’s patient portal, which patients will find easy to use. This encourages them to spend more time entering their own data, saving your employees time in the long run.

CareCloud also offers a strong EMR system, so you can mesh the two easily, if you’re in the market for an EMR system too.

Pros

• Generates extremely detailed reports to help your practice
• Patient portal is well-designed and easy for patients to use
• Calendar feature allows for generation of many kinds of reports
• Has verification features to reduce insurance claim filing errors

Cons

• High initial investment required
• Some key insurance monitoring features require an add-on fee service

DrChrono

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• Very versatile software
• Minimal upfront costs
• Highly efficient patient portal
• Streamlined scheduling
• Get Started Now

With DrChrono, you’ll receive a versatile type of software that can handle the needs of small and large medical practices, offering an efficient interface that will save your employees time. It also has the ability to match any specialty needs that you may have, giving you customization options.

Its cost is below other management software solutions, especially the startup costs.

Pros

• Versatile software for all office sizes
• Includes a highly efficient patient portal
• Upfront costs are minimal
• Streamlined scheduling of patients and employees

Cons

• Customer service responsiveness is hit and miss
• Report generation isn’t as detailed as some others

eClinicalWorks

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• Best for smaller practices
• Easy to use patient portal
• Helpful onsite training
• Reasonably priced
• Get Started Now

When you want a reasonably priced best practice management software that also provides high end billing services, eClinicalWorks is well worth considering. It fits nicely with practices that need extra help with verifying insurance claim codes before submission, which should reduce the number of rejected claims.

If you’d like a software package that can grow with you as your medical practice expands and needs extra services, the multiple customization features in this software give you that option.

Pros

• Nice patient portal that is highly efficient
• Especially strong in billing services and insurance claims
• Reasonably priced, especially for smaller practices
• Delivers helpful onsite training for new customers

Cons

• Has some extra costs for those who need more features
• Customer service responsiveness could be better

Greenway Health Intergy

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• Multiple customization options
• Versatile interface
• Compatible with Excel
• No hidden fees
• Get Started Now

For a medical practice where you’ll have multiple people entering data and using the interface, the Greenway Health Intergy software is helpful.

It allows people to enter data and perform tasks in several different ways, so they can work in the manner that makes the most sense to them. This will confuse some people, but it’s perfect for practices where employees like to learn to use software by jumping in and exploring on their own.

Pros

• Versatile interface that allows for creativity in solving problems
• Multiple customization options
• Reporting feature is compatible with Microsoft Excel
• Doesn’t have hidden fees

Cons

• Training is long and involved
• Interface could use a design update

Kareo

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• Easy to learn to use
• No long term contracts
• Great reporting
• Very reasonably priced
• Get Started Now

When a smaller practice is looking for practice management software that isn’t going to break the bank or require a long subscription commitment, Kareo is an excellent choice. The interface is easy to use, but the design is a little older than some others.

For those who need full billing services, Kareo has an EMR that works seamlessly with its practice management software.

Pros

• Very reasonably priced
• Easy to learn to use, so you’ll be up and running quickly
• Reporting feature outperforms some other low priced options
• Good billing generation features, but they do cost extra

Cons

• Interface is a little dated
• Starter package is basic, so it may not fit those with complex needs

NextGen Healthcare

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• Great for smaller practices
• Easy to setup and use
• Competitively priced
• Very good customer service
• Get Started Now

Small practices that need multiple services will appreciate NextGen Healthcare. Its customer service is better than what you typically find for smaller practices, especially considering this software’s low price point.

If you also need EMR software, NextGen Healthcare’s EMR will mesh well with the brand’s practice management software.

Pros

• Very good customer service
• Works nicely for smaller practices
• Handles all of the basic features that you need in practice management software
• Competitively priced

Cons

• May not be complex enough for larger practices
• Report generation features lag behind other options

SimplePractice

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• Best for specialty practices
• Wide range of features
• Simple interface
• Strong brand loyalty
• Get Started Now

For specialty practices, SimplePractice has features that will help them manage their specific and unique needs versus general practitioners. This is a popular software package among its customers, generating quite a bit of brand loyalty.

It has a competitive price for the small practice, and it has plenty of features to help you stay in contact with patients.

Pros

• Good management features for patient interactions
• Simple interface that still lets you get a lot done
• Has a decent insurance claim generation feature
• Easy to ignore parts of the software that don’t fit your needs

Cons

• Extremely basic, so it may not meet the needs of large offices.
• Customer service responsiveness is below average.

How to Choose The Best Practice Management Software For You

What you’ll quickly learn with practice management software is one product does not fit all clients. With so many choices on the market for helping you manage your medical practice, it’s important to focus in on the features that will help your practice deal with its particular needs.

Calculating Payments

With the billing and patient management information all in one location with practice management software, you have the ability to calculate the out-of-pocket cost for a procedure before it happens. A patient will be able to make smarter financial choices about when and how he or she would like to have a procedure done.

Additionally, when the patient knows exactly what he or she will have to pay out of pocket before coming to the appointment, the medical practice will have a far better chance of being able to collect payment at the time of service, reducing paperwork.

When patients feel as though they have more control over their healthcare decisions and costs, their experience is more satisfying.

Coordination of Scheduling

One of the key components to running a medical practice efficiently is proper scheduling. Double bookings of patients or not having enough nurses in the office introduce hiccups in the office’s workflow.

Medical practice management software keeps the office running smoothly, allowing the proper scheduling that matches the number of planned patients with the personnel required to handle them.

Generating Claims

One of the most frustrating aspects of medical care for patients is the timeliness of billing statements and insurance claims. No patient wants to receive a bill a few months after an appointment because the medical practice failed to anticipate an insurance claim denial, delaying the entire process.

Through practice management software, you can generate reports that show which types of insurance claims often generate rejections on the first attempt, allowing the office to change  how it submits those claims.

You also can generate reports that show any bottlenecks occurring in the processing of patient billing statements, ensuring that patients receive their charges in a timely manner.

Improving Efficiency

Employees at your medical practice often must handle a variety of tasks, especially at a small practice. Your practice management software interface should not be a hindrance to what you’re trying to accomplish. The interface must be easy to understand and use, allowing one employee to handle scheduling or to generate a report on his or her own.

If the software’s features take a long time to learn or add unnecessary steps to performing simple tasks, employees will balk at having to use it.

A complex software package may generate impressive statistics about how your practice is running. But if entering the data takes employees so long that they look for shortcuts or skip entering the data entirely, the data in the generated reports will be worthless.

Self-Managing for Patients

Many practice management software solutions have a patient portal. This system creates a number of benefits, including:

• Patients may set up and manage their own appointments remotely.
• New patients can enter personal data before coming to the office, saving time.
• Existing patients can update insurance provider information or drug lists before an appointment.
• Patients can choose how they would like to receive appointment reminders, which reduces the number of patient no-shows

This automation reduces the number of phone calls into your practice and shortens the length of those phone calls. This allows front desk personnel to handle other tasks, including focusing attention on face-to-face interactions with patients.

Specialty Needs

If your medical practice handles one or more specialty areas, it’s important that the practice management software can handle that specialty. If the software is too general in nature or doesn’t allow customization, it may not work well for your practice.

Figuring out whether a particular piece of software can handle the specific needs for your specialty areas can be tricky. This is one area where you may want to speak to practices who have a similar situation to yours and who are already using the software you’re considering. The vendor should be able to put you in contact with some of its other customers for questions.

Studying Cash Flow

Ultimately, you want your medical practice to succeed. The right practice management software can help by generating reports that show your cash flow and your level of profitability.

Some software will be able to create more detailed reports than others. A basic system’s reports  will show you which types of appointments or physicians are generating the most revenue.

More complex reporting software may be able to drill down to show you the demographics of your patients, allowing you to generate efficient advertising or helping you figure out what equipment purchases you will need to make in the future to match the needs of the client base as it ages.

System Integration

Many medical practices have other types of software already in use. The practice management software you select needs to be able to mesh smoothly with these other types of software.

For example, if you have an EMR solution already in place, some of the information inside the two systems could overlap. Rather than having employees waste time by entering data into two different systems, the two systems need to share data, so employees only need to enter it once.

Practice management software should be able to share data with software running billing systems, as well as EMR and EHR software. (Because of the occasional overlap, if you are wondering whether you need both EMR/EHR and practice management software solutions, understand that EMR/EHR software contains medical information about patients, while practice management software gears itself toward the clerical operation of the practice.)

Summary: Delivering Efficiency With Best Practice Management Software

When patients visit your medical practice, they want to feel better as quickly as possible. They don’t really care all that much about the day-to-day work that your employees must do behind the scenes to make that happen in an efficient manner.

But you have to care. Making your medical office run efficiently often means having the best practice management software in hand. With the right software, your employees spend less time on mundane office tasks and more time meeting the needs of patients.

Keeping your patients happy and healthy is far easier with the right practice management software, and it will help employees feel happier too.

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The Best Medical Transcription Services

Having someone transcribe exam notes after a long day of seeing patients at your medical practice is a tough, but necessary, part of running an office.

But in a small practice, finding someone on-site who can handle this job for you may not be practical, especially if you don’t know how much transcription work you will have week to week. Additionally, you may not have the budget to hire an on-site transcriptionist with experience in the medical field.

The best option may very well be outsourcing your transcription needs. By using the best medical transcription services, you can save some money and gain some flexibility, all while receiving the benefit of a professional transcriptionist.

The 8 Best Medical Transcription Services

For your patient notes, you may consider using a voice to text software package that attempts to automatically transcribe your spoken word. These automatic transcription packages sometimes exist inside EMR or EHR software packages that you already own.

However, to receive truly accurate notes, you’re still going to need a human to go over the automatically generated transcription and make editing changes. The automatic transcription software simply isn’t accurate enough, sometimes misinterpreting the intent of the speaker or misidentifying words and phrases outright.

Here are the eight best medical transcription services to help your practice save time and money on transcribing exam notes, giving your doctors and nurses the information they need to treat patients efficiently.

Acusis

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• Extremely reliable
• High level of security
• Guaranteed HIPAA compliance
• Versatile service plans
• Get a Free Quote

When you want a best medical transcription service that has been around for a long time, giving trustworthy results to its clients, Acusis is a well-known brand name.

In addition to reliability, this service has flexible usage options, so you can use the features most important to you but that also fit in your budget. You can upload your audio files through a traditional telephone line or through an iPhone app.

Acusis provides the highest possible levels of security, protecting your sensitive medical data all the way through the transcription chain.

Pros

• Extremely reliable transcription service
• Provides versatility in how you can use the service
• High level of security and guaranteed HIPAA compliance
• Accepts jobs where you only want editing and fact checking of transcripts you created in-house

Cons

• Pricing varies, but it has a slightly above average cost versus the industry
• At the time of this writing, there’s no support for Android smartphones in the app

Aquity Solutions

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• Excellent commitment to service
• Handles big workloads
• Wide range of services
• Multiple pricing plans
• Get a Free Quote

When you need a transcription service for your medical practice that can handle a big volume of work and can turn it around quickly, you need a service that has an adequate number of transcriptionists to handle big workloads. Aquity has that ability, as it is one of the largest medical transcription services on the market.

For those who need the transcription service to fit into a particular budget, Aquity can help you, as it offers multiple price points, levels of accuracy, and turnaround times.

Pros

• Able to handle huge volumes of work
• Has a strong track record of excellent service
• Multiple pricing level choices
• Is able to connect and work through many different EMR/EHR systems

Cons

• Requires a 1-year contract and minimum levels of work
• Doesn’t reveal the encryption security levels it uses (but it does meet HIPAA guidelines)

EHR Transcriptions

Visit EHR

• Extremely easy to use
• Based 100% in the USA
• High encryption standards
• Test drive with a free trial
• Get a Free Quote

EHR provides one of the easiest medical transcription services to access and use, so medical personnel who want to keep things simple will appreciate it. However, it must sacrifice advanced customization features to maintain an easy-to-use interface, so it’s not the best option for those who have advanced needs for their transcripts.

EHR does provide an excellent level of accuracy and file security, so you can trust the service you’ll receive.

Pros

• Offers a free trial period
• Extremely easy to use
• Based fully in the United States
• One of the highest encryption standards at 528-bit

Cons

• Not the most complex transcription service available
• Lacks support for the Android mobile platform

InSync Healthcare Solutions

Visit InSync

• Fast and accurate
• Multiple upload options
• Includes a mobile app
• Very competitive pricing
• Get a Free Quote

The InSync service is one of the best medical transcription services, as it offers excellent service, well-rounded features, and multiple add-on options, so you can customize the offering to match your medical practice’s needs.

InSync even allows audio uploads using whatever method makes it easy for clients, including by telephone, by digital file, or by a mobile app.

Pros

• Strong levels of accuracy and turnaround time
• Favorable price point versus others
• Offers compatibility with many EMR/EHR services
• Includes a mobile app to upload your audio

Cons

• Doesn’t use the strongest encryption available (but still meets HIPAA guidelines)
• Only offers two layers of quality assurance

Med-Scribe

Visit Med-Scribe

• Extremely fast service
• Flat rate pricing
• Double data center protection
• Decent quality control
• Get a Free Quote

If you need extremely fast turnaround times on your audio files, Med-Scribe has one of the fastest guarantees at less than an hour. As an added bonus, this service does not charge extra when you need to take advantage of its fastest turnaround times.

Unfortunately, Med-Scribe has some above average setup fees for the majority of new clients, unless they commit to providing a high level of work. Its overall pricing is also above average versus other services, so unless you need extremely fast results, this service probably is overkill for you.

Pros

• Extremely fast turnaround times
• Uses a flat rate pricing method that’s easy to understand
• Maintains two data centers to protect your files from accidental loss
• Offers compatibility with dozens of EMR/EHR systems

Cons

• Higher fees than others
• Doesn’t audit the transcripts with as many levels of quality control as some other services

MTBC

Visit MTBC

• Works with other MTBC products
• No contract required
• Discounts for existing customers
• Multiple transcript formats
• Get a Free Quote

If you are a customer of the MTBC practice management software or the MTBC EMR software, you will receive a significant discount in pricing with the MTBC medical transcription service. This discount can reduce your cost to about half the average cost of these services from other providers, which is impressive.

For those who don’t use other MTBC products, you can use the MTBC transcription service at the regular price rate. This service requires no contracts, but it also doesn’t provide a lot of information about how it achieves its projected accuracy rate.

Pros

• Great service for those who use MTBC products already
• No contract required
• Made for medical practices that have varying levels of work to provide
• Offers to submit transcripts to you in a few different ways

Cons

• Transcription clearly is not the company’s primary focus
• Doesn’t offer a lot of high-end versatility in its offerings

SmartMD

Visit SmartMD

• Very versatile
• 100% American-based
• Secure cloud storage
• Free trial available
• Get a Free Quote

Clients of SmartMD appreciate the service’s flexibility in pricing and in its offerings. One of our favorite services that SmartMD offers is an online archive of your transcriptions in a secure cloud account, so you can access them from anywhere and at any time. You will have to pay a little extra for these cloud storage services.

SmartMD uses a workforce of American-based transcriptionists, which gives it a higher level of accuracy than some other services that rely on transcriptionists where English is not their first language.

Pros

• Plenty of versatility for clients
• Completely American-based
• Has a wide range of medical practice software features that you may also want to use
• Gives you a free trial option

Cons

• Offers a mobile app, but its interface needs to be better
• Reasonable overall pricing, but extra costs for some of the add-on features

World Wide Dictation

Visit World Wide Dictation

• Plans with maximum flexibility
• No long term contracts
• 256-bit encryption
• Free trial available
• Get a Free Quote

If your medical practice needs maximum flexibility from a transcription service, World Wide Dictation excels in this area. You do not have to commit to contracts, and you can provide varying levels of work for the company without penalty.

Even though World Wide Dictation offers transcription services for multiple types of industries, when it takes on a medical practice as a client, it guarantees that you will receive a dedicated medical transcriptionist for your work.

Pros

• Offers a free trial period
• Does not require long term contracts
• Multiple methods for submitting audio, including a mobile app
• Gives you 256-bit encryption

Cons

• Will work with your EMR/EHR software, but you have to pay extra
• Turnaround times are not as fast as some others

How to Choose The Best Medical Transcription Service For You

When you’re in the market for the best medical transcription service, you will want to pay attention to a number of features these services offer. Because of the expense involved in this type of work, you want to be absolutely certain the transcription service’s offerings truly match what your medical office needs, so you aren’t paying for services you won’t use.

HIPAA Compatibility

HIPAA, short for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a set of regulations health care providers must follow for protecting the medical information of their patients. Failure to abide by these regulations results in significant fines and penalties.

If you are using a best medical transcription service, and this service will be transcribing notes regarding patient care, it is vital that the service is able to protect this information, while following all HIPAA guidelines.

For services based in the United States, HIPAA compatibility should be easy to find. But for services located outside the United States, finding those that follow HIPAA guidelines may be more difficult.

Understand that some services will have American addresses, but they may use transcriptionists based in other parts of the world. The transcription service needs to spell out exactly how it protects this sensitive health information in a case like this, while following HIPAA guidelines and protecting your medical office from potential violations.

Software System Compatibility

When you have EMR or EHR software in use at your medical practice, you’ll be using this software to store your patient records. To simplify the process of keeping your records organized and safe, you’ll want to link the transcription to the correct patient record.

Some medical transcription services will offer compatibility with numerous EMR/EHR software packages, allowing them to transfer the transcription files into your software, linking them to the right patient. This will save your staff from having to organize the transcription files once they arrive from the transcription service, giving them more time to handle other tasks.

Audio File Compatibility

When recording patient notes, the medical personnel in your practice probably have a certain system they like to use. Depending on the preferences of the doctors in your practice, you may use multiple audio file formats.

Any medical transcription service you select must be able to handle whatever audio file formats you want to use. This should be a relatively easy process, as the majority of medical transcription services will handle many file formats. However, if your medical practice uses an uncommon audio file format, you may have to search around to find a compatible service.

Some medical transcription services allow you to record your patient notes directly through a telephone call to the service, which some doctors prefer.

Turnaround Time

Medical transcription services will use a term called TAT, which is short for turnaround time. This refers to the amount of time it will take the service to deliver your transcription after it receives the audio file.

The majority of services require a day or two, but they may offer “rush” jobs, where they can return the transcript within an hour or two, usually for a higher cost. Some services allow you to select the exact TAT you want to use. Some services even promise to turn around the audio files you send at 6 p.m. by 6 a.m. the following day.

When you have particular needs for TAT, you may need to shop around to find the service that will offer what you require at the price you’re seeking.

Quality Assurance

Any medical transcription service needs to have multiple layers of quality checks in place to ensure accuracy. You need an accurate transcript, or you run the risk of making a mistake in treating a patient by having inaccurate information in the patient’s file.

Some transcription services will let you select what level of accuracy you would like to have, as more layers of fact checking and editing will cost more than one or two levels of editing. Be wary of any service that says it can guarantee 98% to 100% accuracy with just one level of fact checking. Most services will offer a minimum of three levels.

Matching Your Specialized Terminology

If your medical practice frequently uses non-standard terminology during the care of your patients, or if you have a particular specialty that you emphasize in your practice, the medical transcription service you select must be able to accurately handle it. The transcriptionists must recognize the uncommon terms you’re using and be able to spell them correctly.

Many of the best medical transcription services will include particular specialty area endorsements in their marketing materials. Pay attention to these when shopping for a service.

Fees

Medical transcription services will charge for their work in a variety of ways, including:

• By the length of the audio in minutes.
• By the number of lines in the transcript (usually 65 characters per line).
• By the number of characters in the transcript.
• By the number of words in the transcript.

This can be extremely confusing, especially when you’re trying to compare the fees of various services who don’t use the same method of charging you. It’s hard to compare one service that charges by the minute to one that charges by the character.

Additionally, some services that charge by the character will charge you for spaces between words, while others will not. Services that do not charge for spaces base their fees on VBCs (visible black characters).

You may have to pay extra if you have a particularly difficult or unusual type of medical terminology in the exam notes that you need transcribed.

Contract Terms

With some medical transcription services, you can just submit jobs whenever you want with no contract required. However, for the best level of service, you probably will want to sign a contract. With a contract in hand, you will be a priority for the service. Without a contract, you may find that your jobs are not a priority.

Additionally, with a contract in hand, you can specify that you need a certain level of accuracy and a certain TAT. Without a contract, you may receive verbal promises about accuracy and TAT, but the transcription service has no consequences for failing to meet its promises. With a written contract, there is a clear outline of the potential penalties for missing promised levels of performance.

Some services offer month to month contracts, while others require a 12-month contract. Some offer other lengths of contracts. Don’t be afraid to request a certain contract length, as this is an area transcription services often will bargain with you.

Customer Service

If you have an issue with your transcript, you want to be able to contact the transcription service immediately and have the problem resolved. Some services are only open during normal business hours, while others provide around-the-clock service.

Additionally, some services have phone, email, or direct messaging customer service options. Others may limit you to one type of communication.

Look for a customer service option that matches how you want to use the service.

Summary: Putting the Best Medical Transcription Service to Work

Having accurate patient notes, as generated with a medical transcription service, will create a cost to your practice.

But you’ll receive significant benefits with these patient notes, including allowing your medical professionals to work more efficiently. By having highly accurate previous exam notes in the patient file, doctors and nurses will have the information they need at hand without having to take extra time to search for information from past exams, creating efficiency.

A more efficient office can see more patients during the day, resulting in an improved bottom line. We can’t guarantee using the best medical transcription service will pay for itself over time, but it’s also hard to put a financial benefit on the efficiency you’ll gain.

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The Best Employee Retirement Plans

Studies show that retirement plans are a benefit the vast majority of employees want. In fact, 81 percent of workers say they would like it if their employer enrolled them in a 401(k) automatically. Despite this, a mere 22 percent of employers actually do so.

So what accounts for the disconnect? In many cases, business owners, and especially small business owners, are intimidated by the prospect of employee retirement plans. Admittedly, retirement plans can seem complicated. They can also involve high administrative costs and various fees.

If you take time to learn a little bit about employee retirement plans, however, you’ll see they’re not as overwhelming as they sound. There are also low-cost plans available. Here’s a look at some of the top employee retirement plans, along with tips for picking the best one for your business.

The 5 Best Employee Retirement Plans

It’s no secret that companies that offer a generous benefits package tend to attract the top talent. If you’re a small business owner, this is where you can get a jump on the competition. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just 47 percent of companies with fewer than 50 workers offer a retirement plan.

Fortunately, there are a number of excellent employee retirement plans available, with some tailored toward small businesses and others marketed toward companies with hundreds or thousands of workers. There are even retirement plans for gig workers, freelancers, and self-employed business owners.

Generally, you can break these plans down into two groups: 401(k)s and IRAs. Which type of plan you choose will depend on the nature of your business, as well as your financial needs and those of your workforce.

The more popular offering is the 401(k) and probably the plan most people are used to hearing about. The 401(k) is a common choice among employees because it allows for greater contribution limits and lets workers opt for pretax contributions.

However, IRAs also have their perks. While they tend to feature lower contribution limits compared to a 401(k), they are generally easier and less costly to set up and administer. IRAs also come in a few different variations, including the Roth IRA and the SIMPLE IRA.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at five of the best employee retirement plans on the market today.

1. ShareBuilder 401(k)

Visit ShareBuilder 401k

• Hassle-free setup
• Handles all regulations
• Multiple options
• Affordable for any business
• Get Started Now

If you’re looking for a hassle-free setup, ShareBuilder 401(k) is worth a look. ShareBuilder takes the guesswork out of employee retirement plans by handling all the federal government regulations, custodianship issues, recordkeeping requirements, investment management tasks, and administration. Once you set up your account, ShareBuilder takes care of the rest.

ShareBuilder offers a traditional 401(k) plan to small businesses with up to 100 employees. It also gives companies the option to select an individual 401(k) plan, a Roth option, or a safe harbor 401(k). With a safe harbor plan, employers must match all employee contributions equaling the same percentage of each worker’s salary. Additionally, employer contributions must vest automatically.

ShareBuilder makes an effort to keep its retirement plans affordable for any business owner regardless of the business’s size.

With some exceptions, ShareBuilder charges a $495 setup fee for its safe harbor 401(k), plus $95 per month in administrative costs. While ShareBuilder doesn’t require employers to sign a contract, it imposes a $1,000 cancellation fee if a business owner chooses to cancel its plan.

For a traditional 401(k), the set up fee is $750, and the monthly administrative fee is $110 per month. As with the safe harbor 401(k), ShareBuilder charges a $1,000 cancellation fee. According to ShareBuilder, this fee covers the cost of filing paperwork with the government and transferring the plan benefits to another provider.

If you’re a self-employed business owner, you can also set up an individual 401(k). The setup fee is $150, and the monthly administration cost is $25. If you cancel, you’ll pay just $150.

2. Fidelity SIMPLE IRA

Visit Fidelity

• Great for small businesses
• No setup or maintenance fee
• Affordable options
• Access to investment advisors
• Get Started Now

If you’re self-employed or own a business with fewer than 100 employees, the Fidelity SIMPLE IRA can offer significant cost-savings.

Unlike other types of employee retirement plans, the Fidelity SIMPLE IRA doesn’t charge a setup fee or monthly maintenance fee. Instead, plan participants cover trade fees only.

Plan participants also get complimentary access to Fidelity investment advisors. This is an excellent perk, as Fidelity advisors, who boast a customer network of 28 million and manage $7 trillion in assets, are experts in the industry.

For business owners concerned about expense, the Fidelity SIMPLE IRA is probably the most affordable option available. The only fees employers pay are a 3% employee contribution match or a 2% contribution across every employee account.

One potential drawback with Fidelity is the inability to apply online. While you can download the application from the Fidelity website, you can’t submit a completed form over the internet. Rather, Fidelity only accepts applications through regular mail. Additionally, Fidelity customers don’t get access to a personal retirement advisor. Instead, you must call a general customer service number if you have questions or concerns.

3. Guideline 401(k)

Visit Guideline

• Two plan options
• All-in-one fees
• HR and payroll integration
• Straightforward pricing
• Get Started Now

Guideline has only been around since 2016, but it has already made a big footprint in the retirement benefits industry. It offers all-in-one fees and HR and payroll integration with a network of top providers that include Gusto, ADP, and Intuit Quickbooks.

Business owners who have avoided employee retirement plans due to the expense and hassle of administration are likely to be impressed with Guideline’s straightforward pricing structure, which the company describes as “transparent and predictable.”

Guideline offers two main types of plans: a startup plan and a prime plan. For the startup plan, employers pay a $39 per month base fee plus $8 per month per employee. The cost of the prime plan is $99 per month plus $8 per month per employee. For both plans, the cancellation fee is $250, which is much lower than most plans offered by other companies.

For many employers, retirement account compliance issues can be a constant source of headaches. This is where Guideline can help. Because it handles all compliance requirements, employers don’t have to worry about fines or hire an in-house or third party company to oversee the plan’s administration.

While Guideline doesn’t assign employees a personal benefits advisor, the company has a fully staffed customer service department available by email, chat, and phone between the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.

4. Human Interest

Visit Human Interest

• Straightforward pricing
• Services 2,000+ companies
• Managed administrative tasks
• Personalized support
• Get Started Now

Human Interest markets its retirement plan to small and medium-sized businesses. It offers straightforward pricing as well as all the compliance, administration, and record-keeping tasks associated with its plans. According to its website, Human Interest services employee retirement plans for over 60,000 workers and 2,000 companies.

Pricing is available in clear terms on the Human Interest website. For a 401(k), employers pay $120 per month plus $4 per month per employee. There is also a one-time $499 setup fee. Unlike some other companies that market low-cost plans to small businesses, Human Interest requires employers to sign a one-year contract. There is also a $750 plan termination fee, which is a bit lower than the industry average of $1,000.

Human interest also takes care of the administrative tasks associated with its retirement plans. Employers receive automated signup and onboarding for employees, as well as record-keeping and payroll synchronization. Additionally, Human Interest takes care of IRS forms, HR, and compliance.

With Human Interest, employers don’t have to sacrifice personalized support for affordability. Every employer and employee received a dedicated support team for both the setup process and ongoing administration.

5. Vanguard

Visit Vanguard

• Great for the self-employed
• No setup fees
• Online-only brokerage
• Comprehensive info & tools
• Get Started Now

If you’re self-employed, it’s worth taking a look at the individual 401(k) offered by Vanguard. There are also no setup fees, and no age or income restrictions. Vanguard does charge an annual $20 fee per fund held in an individual 401(k), however, the company says it may waive this fee if the account maintains a $50,000 balance.

Employers can contribute up to 25% of compensation capped at $57,000 for the year 2020, and contributions are tax-deductible. Employees can defer 100% of their compensation up to $19,500 for the year 2020. This contribution limit increases to $26,000 for employees age 50 and up.

If you’re a self-employed business owner, however, you’re considered both an employer and an employee. This means you can contribute as both, however your combined contributions are capped at $57,000 for the year 2020. If you’re 50 or older, this limit increases to $62,000.

Vanguard is an online-only brokerage, so you can’t visit a physical office or meet with an advisor in person. Rather, everything with your account is managed online. However, this is common among affordable employee retirement plans, so it’s probably not a dealbreaker for most people.

Vanguard also offers comprehensive information and tools about retirement planning on its site. Some of these tools include well-developed calculators that let you estimate your retirement expenses so you can make adjustments. Vanguard also offers a broad menu of other types of retirement accounts, including IRAs and Roth IRAs, so you can convert your 401(k) if your circumstances change or you think a different kind of plan might better suit your goals.

How to Choose the Best Employee Retirement Plans for You

Most employers, and especially small business owners, don’t have the internal resources to devote to managing employee retirement accounts. When you’re running a business, you don’t have time to take care of things like account onboarding, compliance, and administration.

When searching for an employee retirement plan that fits your business, it’s important to focus on ease of administration and affordability. The employee retirement plans listed above satisfy these criteria.

However, you should look for other things, too. Here are five factors to keep in mind when you’re shopping around for an employee retirement plan.

1. Administrative Support

Employee retirement plans like 401(k)s are regulated by the government. Companies that fail to comply with contribution limits and tax laws could be subject to costly fines and other types of liability.

Some employee retirement plans let businesses shift those responsibilities to the third party that offers the plan. Look for a retirement plan provider that bundles administration, compliance, advisory support, and recordkeeping requirements in one service.

2. Cost

Many employers shy away from employee retirement plans because they assume they can’t afford them. While this may very well be true for certain providers, there are plenty of low-cost and low maintenance employee retirement plans on the market today.

3. Clear Information About Costs

Cost is definitely a factor, but so is the accessibility of cost information. In other words, is the company up front about its fees and charges? Does it post a detailed cost breakdown on its website, so business owners can see exactly how much they’ll pay for a retirement plan?

You should also carefully review any plan documents beforehand. Look for hidden costs and additional fees. You don’t want to be surprised by extra expenses after you’ve gone through the setup process and enrolled your entire workforce in a retirement plan, as terminating the plan and moving to another provider will almost always involve a fee.

4. Customer Service

No matter how streamlined and hassle-free a retirement plan is, you and your employees are bound to have questions. When you do, you want to know there’s a way to get prompt assistance from your retirement plan provider. Consider whether the company has live support by phone, or if it has restricted call hours or support via email only.

You should also decide whether you prefer a personal retirement advisor or a general help center. Some retirement companies automatically assign each account holder their own advisor, which can be a nice feature for employers and employees when they have a question.

5. Web and Mobile Access

There’s a good chance many of your employees already handle most of their finances online. From checking their bank balance to paying credit card bills, many people use the internet to conduct these types of transactions.

The ability to manage their retirement account online and on mobile is a perk many employees will appreciate. It’s also good for employers, as it gives workers direct access to resources and help numbers they can turn to when they have a question.

Conclusion

Offering your workers an employee retirement plan can reduce your turnover and boost productivity. Studies show that employees are happier when they have access to high-quality employment benefits. With so many affordable and low maintenance employee retirement plans available, choosing a plan that works for your business and your workforce has never been easier.

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