United States – October 29, 2026 -- A three-doctor orthopedic practice with a 12% call abandonment rate loses more than $500,000 in revenue a year, while a three-doctor dermatology practice loses roughly $175,000, according to IntelePeer's analysis of healthcare phone access.
The figures exclude the lifetime value of patients who switch providers after a failed call, the company says.
29% of healthcare calls go unanswered, and 85% of held patients do not call back
Across healthcare, the average unanswered call rate is 29%, based on 2023 Accenture and Dental Intelligence data cited by IntelePeer. In dental practices the rate reaches 37%. When patients are put on hold, 60% hang up within a minute, and 85% of those do not call back.
Voice remains the dominant channel despite portals and apps. A 2023 Kyruus Health survey found about 50% of patients still prefer to book appointments by phone. Mark Langanki, IntelePeer's Chief AI Officer, calls the phone "still the front door to healthcare for most patients."
Administrative work drives more than 40% of U.S. hospital expenses
A 2018 JAMA study puts administrative costs at over 40% of total U.S. hospital expenses. Prior authorization, eligibility verification, documentation, billing and collections each require multi-step work across disconnected systems.
IntelePeer describes a burnout loop: staff spend hours on non-clinical tasks, attrition rises, hiring becomes costlier, and remaining teams absorb more administrative load.
PE-backed DSOs and MSOs acquire locations faster than they can scale central services
Platform dental service organizations (DSOs) and management service organizations (MSOs) are adding locations faster than they can expand centralized scheduling, intake and billing. In a high-interest-rate environment, IntelePeer argues, financial engineering and basic economies of scale no longer suffice. The requirement is non-linear scaling, meaning more service capacity without a proportional rise in headcount.
IntelePeer separates call deflection from capacity restoration
Deflection means AI handles a call without completing the work, so the front desk still has to book the appointment or update the record. Capacity restoration means AI finishes the task end-to-end. In a reschedule, that covers verifying identity, checking real-time availability, booking the new slot, cancelling the old one, sending a confirmation and documenting the interaction.
IntelePeer says the boundary depends on write-back to the system of record: read-only AI creates deflection, while bidirectional AI creates capacity.
Scheduling and collections are the first automation targets
The company points to high-frequency, repetitive, policy-governed work. At the front door, that means scheduling requests, appointment changes, prep instructions and basic eligibility questions. In the back office, it means payment plans, statement questions, balance reminders and collections outreach.
IntelePeer's SmartAgent answers inbound calls on the first ring and writes appointments back to EHR and practice management systems. SmartAgent Collections adds multichannel outreach for outstanding balances, PCI-compliant payment capture and prior authorization follow-up. Organizations deploying SmartAgent report 60–80% reductions in inbound call volume to human agents and measurable improvements in collection rates within 90 days, according to the company.