HeroMed vs NetPractice — Claims-First Billing, or the Whole Practice in One Platform?
NetPractice is a focused South African claims and billing system: real-time medical-aid submission with live acceptance and rejection status, invoices and statements, patient and visit capture, scripts and basic clinical notes, aged-debtor reporting, and pay-per-claim pricing with no monthly contract. HeroMed covers that same claim-to-payment path in HeroMed Core AI and then keeps going — AI clinical scribing and online booking included in Core AI, with AI reception, AI marketing and patient messaging as optional modules on one platform, one bill. If your practice is small, quiet or purely claims-driven, NetPractice's per-claim model is hard to beat on cost; if you want the admin itself automated, HeroMed is the broader system.
At a glance: HeroMed vs NetPractice
| Capability | HeroMed | NetPractice |
|---|---|---|
| Practice management (calendar, clients, notes, billing) | Claims, billing, visits and basic notes | |
| AI clinical scribe included | ||
| AI virtual receptionist / voice | Optional AI Hero module | |
| AI marketing / patient re-engagement | Optional AI Hero module | |
| Online booking widget | Optional AI Hero module | Internal booking, not patient self-booking |
| WhatsApp + SMS messaging | ||
| Custom patient intake forms | ||
| Predictable subscription (no per-note credit surprises) | Core plan + optional modules | Per-claim: 10 free, then R9.50/claim |
| Multi-region ready (SA, UK, EU, AU, US, ME) | South Africa only | |
| Single platform, single login | Single system, narrower scope |
When NetPractice is the right choice
NetPractice is a genuinely good fit for a low-volume or new practice that mainly needs claims out the door: the first ten claims each month are free, then it is a flat per-claim fee with no plan, no contract and setup inside a day, so a quiet month costs nothing. Billing bureaus and managing billers also get a dedicated partner programme for running many practices from one account.
Learn more directly from NetPractice: netpractice.co.za
When HeroMed is the better fit
You want documentation handled, not just claims
HeroMed's AI Scribe writes the structured clinical note during the consult and passes codes to the invoice — NetPractice generates scripts and notes, but doesn't document the consultation for you.
Your phone and diary are the bottleneck
AI Reception answers calls and books into the live calendar, and patients can self-book from a branded page with intake and consent captured up front.
You want patient re-engagement, reminders and marketing
Reminders, recall journeys and campaign tooling sit on the same platform, one bill instead of being handled by hand or another service.
Claim volume makes per-claim pricing unpredictable
A busy multi-provider practice pays per claim every month. A HeroMed Core AI plan makes the baseline cost predictable and includes AI credits; add Reception, Marketing and other modules as you need them.
Pricing at a glance
HeroMed Core AI is a published monthly plan per practice with an included AI credit allowance and optional AI Hero modules, and it covers South African scheme claiming. Rates are on our pricing page.
See HeroMed pricingNetPractice publishes a pay-per-claim model — the first 10 claims each month free, then a flat per-claim fee (R9.50 at the time of writing) with no monthly plan or contract.
See NetPractice pricingRun your own numbers: multiply your monthly claim count by the per-claim fee, add whatever you currently spend on scribing, reminders and reception cover, then compare that total against a single HeroMed Core AI plan. Confirm current rates on NetPractice's own site.
Common questions
Is HeroMed a NetPractice alternative?
Yes, with more scope. HeroMed handles the same real-time South African medical aid claiming and billing in HeroMed Core AI, and adds an AI clinical scribe, AI reception, online booking, marketing and patient messaging in the same platform.
Is per-claim or Core AI plan pricing cheaper?
For a low-volume or seasonal practice, per-claim pricing usually wins. Once claim volume is steady across several providers, a Core AI plan is normally both cheaper and easier to forecast — and AI Scribe is included; add Reception, Marketing and other modules as you need them.
Does HeroMed support billing bureaus running multiple practices?
HeroMed is software a practice runs itself, with the admin automated. NetPractice has a dedicated partner programme for bureaus and managing billers, so if that's your business model it's the better structural fit today.
What does switching involve?
Contact us and our team will help move patients, visit history and outstanding balances across, then configure your tariffs, codes and note templates before go-live.
See the difference in a live practice — no credit card required.