JRW / Blog

Cost figures and how-to guides for practices, firms, shops and brokers.

Each figure names its source and sample, and each guide covers one workflow. The calculators use the same numbers. RSS.

Guides

Costs, rules and how-to guides.

21 October 2026 4 min read

AI voice agents and HIPAA: what to ask a vendor

What HIPAA requires of an AI voice agent that answers a practice's phone, the state rules on recording and disclosure, and 14 questions to ask a vendor. Read AI voice agents and HIPAA: what to ask a vendor
15 October 2026 3 min read

Late invoices: how to get paid sooner

What late-paying customers cost a small business, why it is mostly not interest, and a follow-up sequence that gets invoices paid sooner. Read Late invoices: how to get paid sooner
14 September 2026 3 min read

How to reduce patient no-shows

What a randomized trial and two large reviews say lowers the no-show rate: reminders that ask for a confirmation, shorter lead times and a worked waitlist. Read How to reduce patient no-shows
2 September 2026 4 min read

How to replace your medical billing company

How to leave a percentage-of-collections billing company and run claims in-house with an agent. The contract, the staffing math and a 90-day transition. Read How to replace your medical billing company
27 August 2026 5 min read

What a medical billing company costs

What a medical billing company charges as a percentage, what that comes to in dollars, how in-house billing compares, and the fee-splitting rules. Read What a medical billing company costs
10 August 2026 3 min read

Speed to lead for law firms: what the data says

How fast law firms answer a web lead, what five years of secret-shopper data show, where the 21-times claim comes from, and what to do first. Read Speed to lead for law firms: what the data says
3 August 2026 3 min read

How to measure missed calls

The three missed-call numbers people confuse, where each lives in your phone system, and a two-week audit any business can run. Read How to measure missed calls
28 July 2026 3 min read

Quote turnaround in a job shop: the three delays

Why a job-shop quote takes three days and where the time goes: the inbox, the estimate and the follow-up. How to cut each delay. Read Quote turnaround in a job shop: the three delays
22 July 2026 3 min read

Check calls in freight: how to make fewer

A check call is a broker phoning a carrier for a load's status. What they cost a brokerage in dispatcher time, and five ways to make fewer of them. Read Check calls in freight: how to make fewer
15 July 2026 3 min read

How to shorten the month-end close

APQC puts the median month-end close at six days and top performers at five. What separates them, a day-by-day close, and which tasks to automate first. Read How to shorten the month-end close
3 July 2026 3 min read

How to cut prior authorization denials

What AMA, CAQH and KFF data say about why prior authorizations are denied and what lowers the rate, from the payer file to appeals, which win 4 times in 5. Read How to cut prior authorization denials
9 June 2026 5 min read

AI vs live answering service for a law firm

What missed calls cost a law firm, what a live legal answering service and an AI intake agent each cost to fix it, what each does with a new client's call, and where the ABA's ethics guidance applies. Read AI vs live answering service for a law firm
15 May 2026 5 min read

What it costs to answer the phone, compared

Four ways to cover a business phone: what each costs, what each can do with a call, the hours each leaves uncovered, and how each compares with what the missed calls cost. Read What it costs to answer the phone, compared

Statistics

Figures with their sources.

Tools

Calculators with sourced defaults.

Calculator about $84,000 a year at the defaults

Late invoice cost calculator for small businesses

What late-paying customers cost a small business a year in cash tied up, bad debt and hours spent chasing. Then the same with automated follow-up. Open Late invoice cost calculator for small businesses
Calculator about $120,000 a year at the defaults

Accounts payable cost per invoice calculator

What processing supplier invoices costs your finance team a year and per invoice, against APQC's $6.00 median and Ardent's $9.84 survey average. Open Accounts payable cost per invoice calculator
Calculator about $290,000 a year at the defaults

Patient no-show cost calculator

What missed appointments cost a medical practice a year, and what reminders, confirmations and a waitlist save. Built on a randomized trial and MGMA data. Open Patient no-show cost calculator
Calculator about $180,000 a year at the defaults

Medical billing company cost calculator

What a medical billing company costs a practice a year at a percentage of collections, against billing the same claims in-house with an agent. Open Medical billing company cost calculator
Calculator about $560,000 a year at the defaults

Quote turnaround calculator for job shops

What slow quoting costs a job shop a year in lost orders. Set quote requests, days to quote and win rate. Built on The Fabricator and Top Shops data. Open Quote turnaround calculator for job shops
Calculator about $83,000 a year at the defaults

Month-end close cost calculator for accounting teams

What the month-end close costs your accounting team a year in staff time. Set people, tasks, minutes and rework. Built on APQC and Ledge benchmarks. Open Month-end close cost calculator for accounting teams
Calculator about $140,000 a year at the defaults

Check-call cost calculator for freight brokers

What driver check calls cost a freight brokerage a year in dispatcher time. Set calls per rep, minutes per call and wages. Defaults are sourced. Open Check-call cost calculator for freight brokers
Calculator about $140,000 a year at the defaults

Prior authorization cost calculator

What prior authorizations cost a practice a year in staff time: requests per physician, minutes each and denials reworked. Built on AMA and CAQH data. Open Prior authorization cost calculator
Calculator about $380,000 a year at the defaults

Missed call calculator for HVAC and plumbing

What unanswered calls cost an HVAC, plumbing or electrical contractor a year, from calls missed on the job to after-hours calls. Defaults are sourced. Open Missed call calculator for HVAC and plumbing
Calculator about $730,000 a year at the defaults

Missed call calculator for law firms

What unanswered calls cost a law firm a year, from intake calls missed during hours to callers who never leave a message. Defaults are sourced. Open Missed call calculator for law firms
Calculator about $330,000 a year at the defaults

Missed call calculator for medical practices

What unanswered calls cost a medical practice a year, from calls missed during hours to callers lost on hold. Defaults are sourced. Open Missed call calculator for medical practices