Quick answer: Tebra, AdvancedMD, and DrChrono are software platforms that treat billing as an add-on — not dedicated billing companies. Athenahealth requires your staff to handle denials in its standard tier. Transcure is a large outsourced billing operation best suited to enterprise clients. Vector MB is fully outsourced billing with specialty-assigned certified coders, dedicated account managers, and month-to-month terms — working inside whatever EHR you already use.
If you are evaluating outsourced medical billing in 2026, five names come up most in the research: Tebra (formerly Kareo), AdvancedMD, Athenahealth, Transcure, and DrChrono. None of them are the same kind of company — and understanding those differences is the most important step before committing to one.
Before comparing vendors, it also helps to know the 12 questions every practice should ask any billing company — and what answers to disqualify on the spot.
| Factor | Tebra | AdvancedMD | Athenahealth | Transcure | DrChrono | Vector MB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Software + billing referral | Software + partial billing | Tech-assisted billing | Outsourced billing | Software + billing | Fully outsourced billing |
| Coding included | Via partner | No | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes — AAPC & AHIMA certified |
| Works with your EHR | Tebra only | AdvancedMD only | athenaOne only | Any | DrChrono only | Any EHR — no switch needed |
| Named account manager | No | No | No | Not specified | No | Yes — every client |
| Contract terms | Annual/monthly | Annual typical | No long-term | Not stated | Not stated | Month-to-month |
| Setup fee | Yes | Yes | $0 | Not stated | Yes | $0 |
| Net collection rate | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published | 98% |
Based on publicly available information and published reviews as of 2026. Individual experience may vary.
A practice paying $400/provider/month for AdvancedMD software plus 6% on $150,000 in monthly collections pays approximately $9,400/month before any in-house coding staff costs. The same practice using Vector MB at 6% pays $9,000/month with full AAPC-certified coding included — and no software subscription required.
In Athenahealth's standard product, denial follow-up and AR management remain with your practice staff. Tebra's third-party billing partner may or may not handle denials aggressively depending on which partner you are matched with. Neither arrangement fully removes billing from your team's workload.
Vector MB runs a dedicated denial management workflow on every account — every denial categorized by root cause, appealable denials appealed, and systemic errors corrected upstream so the same denial does not recur month after month.
Transcure's 1,100-person team and AI-automated workflow suits high-volume enterprise clients. For independent practices, being a small account inside that operation can mean support queues, account handoffs, and automated processing that struggles with complex denials requiring narrative appeals.
Poor billing management creates measurable losses — see the 7 silent revenue drains most practices miss to understand what underperforming billing actually costs.
Vector MB has 50+ certified billers and coders — reliable at volume, focused enough that every client has a named account manager who knows their specialty, their payers, and their open claims by name.
Tebra is primarily a software platform. For billing outsourcing, Tebra refers you to a third-party billing partner from its network — Tebra's own staff do not handle your claims. The quality of billing you receive depends on which partner you are matched with.
No. AdvancedMD's outsourced billing does not include charge entry or coding management. Practices must address coding separately — even while paying AdvancedMD's billing percentage and monthly software subscription.
Not in the standard athenaCOllector product. Denial follow-up and AR management remain with your practice staff in the standard tier. The managed upgrade (athenaCollector Plus) provides more complete outsourcing at pricing that is not publicly disclosed.
Yes. Vector MB works inside Athenahealth, eClinicalWorks, Tebra/Kareo, AdvancedMD, DrChrono, NextGen, CareCloud, Practice Fusion, CureMD, Office Ally, and most other major platforms. No EHR switch is required.
See how your current billing numbers compare
A free billing audit from Vector MB covers your denial rate, clean claim rate, and aging AR — honest numbers you can hold any billing company to. No obligation, no contract required to find out. Learn more about our medical billing and coding services.
