ChARM EHR – Low License Starting Price, But Any Cons?

by Shlomi

ChARM EHR is one of the medical systems in the industry with a free plan (limited to 50 encounters per month). However, it also has a license pricing that starts from $0.5 per encounter per month, but a minimum of $25 monthly is charged. 

The medical system ChARM EHR is rated 1.4 (low cost) by our expert cost rating system. The rating system 1 for low cost and 5 for high cost considers the total cost of ownership of medical systems. 

ChARM EHR has a low starting license price, but are there any cons to this low cost? Are there any hidden costs or things you should know? Read on for our price research on this medical system. 

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Highlights

  • ChARM EHR features a starting license price of $0.5 per encounter per month. The medical system also has a free plan which is limited to 50 encounters per month.
  • The medical system is rated 1.4 out of 5 (low cost) 
  • The ChARM EHR company offers discounts on annual subscriptions. 

What is the Real ChARM EHR Implementation Cost?

To know the real implementation cost of ChARM EHR, we will have to calculate its total cost of ownership (TCO), and this is what you should do for your practice. To calculate ChARM EHR TCO, you need to know the various direct and indirect costs associated with running this software for your program. 

The good news is, we have done the price research, and below, we will bring you the various costs associated with running ChARM EHR.

  • Customization and Integration — One-time system setup cost for features like BMI, weight, electronic claims, etc. 
  • Data Transfer Costs — Cost for transferring data from old legacy systems to the ChARM EHR system. 
  • Hardware Costs — Hardware system direct cost like the document scanner plugin. 
  • Internal Integration Costs — Costs for integrating internal features like e-commerce, direct provider messaging, Immunization registry, Surescripts, Telehealth, Charm Connect plugin, electronic fax, Text or Voice messages. 
  • Third-party License Integration Cost — Incurred license cost for using third-party features like QuickBooks plugin, transcription services, Bluefin payment gateway solution, Clearinghouses (Optum/Change Healthcare).
  • Training, Onboarding, and Support Cost — Costs for training sessions for staff or providers, Onboarding, and support. 

Cost of ChARM EHR – Breakdown

Some of the costs associated with the ChARM EHR medical system aren’t only charged by them, but you can also find some of these costs in other medical systems. 

Below we will break down these costs and help you understand what it means for a small practice size.

Cost of License

ChARM EHR has a free plan, but its free plan comes with many limitations; e.g., the free plan is limited to 50 encounters per month, maximum of 5 users, and a maximum of 1 provider, among other limitations. 

For premium users, the medical system also has a starting license price of $0.50 per encounter per month (a monthly minimum of $25) for its Encounter Flexi Pricing Plan and $350 per provider per month for its Provider Fixed Pricing Plan. 

Customization and Integration 

Some EHR medical systems charge for customization and integration, while others don’t charge for this service. 

ChARM EHR is one of those medical systems that charge for system customization and integration for their clients. There is a one-time system setup cost for features like BMI, weight, electronic claims, etc., and they cost $250 per model and $10 per device per month.  

Data Transfer Costs

Data migration cost is one of the almost non-avoidable costs in the medical system industry. Most EHR system companies charge for this service, ensuring that their clients transit completely from their legacy or previous EHR systems. 

ChARM EHR provides a data transfer service for their clients, and this service is handled by their internal team, unlike other companies that outsource their data transfer service. However, ChARM EHR didn’t provide specific pricing for this service. 

Using the average industry price for data migration service, a small practice that needs to transfer about 1k data records would need to budget about $500 for this service.   

Hardware Costs 

ChARM EHR is a cloud-based medical system and that has eliminated a vast majority of the hardware costs that can be incurred. However, there is a direct hardware cost that can be incurred when using this EHR software, and that is their document scanner plugin. 

This feature might be necessary for your practice, and it is priced at $10 monthly and $100 yearly. 

Internal Integration Costs

ChARM EHR features internal integrations, which are also known as addons. These internal integrations are vital to ensure full practice needs are attained. Below we will list the various internal integration costs and their official ChARM EHR prices. 

  • Cost for E-commerce: ChARM e-commerce allows you to sell products to your patients, and it is charged at 1% of order value at a monthly minimum of $20.
  • Cost for Direct Provider Messaging: The ChARM connect plugin is vital for communication streamlining, and it is charged at $2 per provider per month. 
  • Cost for Immunization Registry: This is vital to send your immunization information to the government authorities. It has a one-time setup fee of $100 per provider and a monthly subscription plan of $25 per provider.
  • Cost for Surescripts: eRX is priced at $10 per provider per month, EPCS subscription is $250 for 1 year, $450 for 2 years, and $650 for 3 years. PDMP subscription is a one-time $100 per provider fee. 
  • Cost for Telehealth: This internal feature is vital to provide video consultation for your patients, and it is priced at $20 per provider per month. 
  • Cost for Charm Connect Plugin: This plugin is vital to upload patients’ documents into the ChARM medical system, and it is priced at $10 per month and $100 yearly. 
  • Cost for Electronic Fax: ChARM uses the Sfax gateway for inbound and outbound faxing. This feature is priced at $25 per month for 0-200 pages per month and an additional 10 cents for each additional page needed when you exceed this monthly limit.
  • Cost for Text or Voice Messages: The medical system software features a third-party texting gateway charged at $20 per month for 0-250 messages and calls per month. If you exceed the 250 limits, you’ll be charged an additional 8 cents per additional call or text.

Third-party License Integration Cost 

ChARM EHR partnered with some third-party companies to provide various system functionalities to their clients, but these functionalities come at a cost. Below we will list the costs and their prices: 

  • Cost for QuickBooks Plugin: ChARM is Integrated with the desktop version of QuickBooks, and this is officially priced at $1000 for one-time integration and a $350 for yearly maintenance charge.
  • Cost for Transcription Services: Vital for language interpretation or translation. There is no official pricing for this service yet, but it is expected to be $20 per translation (industry average). 
  • Cost for Payment Gateway Solution Like Bluefin Payment: No official pricing available, but the price can range from $20-$100 per provider per month. 
  • Cost for Electronic Claims (Clearinghouses like Optum/Change Healthcare): ChARM EHR is integrated with clearinghouses for processing claims, and these are charged at 25 cents per claim. 

Training, Onboarding, and Support Cost 

Team training sessions are vital costs, and you are budgeted for when choosing an EHR software. ChARM EHR charges $150 per hour for an online training session, onboarding and support. 

ChARM EHR Total Cost of Ownership Examples

Quite a long list of expected incurred costs, right? You only need to choose the costs you’ll need for practice, and below we will provide samples of ChARM EHR’s total cost of ownership calculation. 

Now is time to put together some total cost of ownership examples for different practice sizes:  

  • Small Sized Practice: For small clinics with about 1-5 doctors that need minimum system processes, you’d incur a ChARM EHR TCO as calculated: A license fee of $0.50 per encounter per month (a monthly minimum of $25) +$550 per month ($500 for 1-2 minimal system customization and integration at $250 per model and $50 for 5 provider devices at $10 per device) + $500 for about 1000 records transfer + $10 monthly direct hardware cost + Costs for internal integration you might need + Cost for any third-party license integration you might need + $300 for 1-2 hours of training, onboarding or support. 
  • Medium Sized Practice: For medium-sized clinics with about 5-10 doctors that need standard system processes, you’d incur a ChARM EHR TCO as calculated: A license fee of $350 per provider per month + $1750 per month ($1250 for 3-5 standard system customization and integration at $250 per model and $100 for 10 provider devices at $10 per device) + $2500 for about 10,000 records transfer + $100 yearly direct hardware cost + Costs for internal integration you might need + Cost for any third-party license integration you might need + $750 for 3-5 hours of training, onboarding or support.  
  • Large Sized Practice: For hospitals or clinics with about 50+ doctors that need complex system processes, you’d incur a ChARM EHR TCO as calculated: A license fee of $350 per provider per month + $2000 per month ($1500 for 6+ full system customization and integration at $250 per model and $500 for 50+ provider devices at $10 per device) + $5000 for about 100,000 records transfer + $100 yearly direct hardware cost + Costs for internal integration you might need + Cost for any third-party license integration you might need + $1050 for 5-7 hours of training, onboarding or support. 

ChARM EHR Vs. Alternatives

ChARM EHR starting license pricing is considered as low cost when compared to its closest alternatives. ChARM EHR has a $0.5 per encounter starting license price. In contrast, NextGen has a license starting price at $549 per month per provider, WebPT features a $3 per provider starting license price, AdvancedMD features $549 per provider per month license starting price, RevolutionEHR with a license pricing of $420 per provider per month, and RXNT has a license starting price at $150 per provider per month. 

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ChARM EHR FAQ

How much does ChARM EHR cost?

The medical system has a starting license price of $0.50 per encounter per month (a monthly minimum of $25) for its Encounter Flexi Pricing Plan and $350 per provider per month for its Provider Fixed Pricing Plan. 

Is ChARM EHR software considered expensive?

No, ChARM EHR is considered a low cost.  

Is it suitable for medium-large practices?

ChARM EHR is suitable for small practices.

Does ChARM EHR software have a free version?

Yes, ChARM EHR has a free plan.

Is there better Medical software than ChARM EHR?

The medical software has excellent alternatives, but your practice needs and budget will determine a better medical system than ChARM EHR. That means there is no direct answer to the question.  

Is it easy to use ChARM EHR software?

Yes, ChARM EHR is user-friendly. 

What’s Next?

ChARM EHR is an excellent medical system with low-cost pricing. We’ve provided the various cost information you should know about this medical system, and we hope it is helpful. However, if you need a custom quote designed specifically for your practice need and budget, we will assist you through our expert partners. 

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