Head-to-Head Architecture Comparison
When gastroenterologists evaluate documentation systems, the real bottleneck is rarely note formatting. It is the last mile: getting a finished IBD assessment into the correct Epic Hyperdrive field, under the clinician's own session, without a transfer step. Heidi Health produces capable ambient notes inside its own workspace. Merry AI writes the same class of output directly into the focused Epic note or flowsheet cell through a Chrome extension.
The table below summarizes list pricing and workflow mechanics as publicly documented at the time of writing. Heidi pricing reflects its published Pro tier. Confirm current terms with each vendor before procurement.
| Feature | Merry AI | Heidi Health |
|---|---|---|
| Real pricing (per clinician) | Pro Annual $54/mo ($648/yr), flat rate | Free tier available; Pro listed near $99/mo (~$1,188/yr) |
| Epic Hyperdrive field entry | Direct write into focused note or flowsheet field | Note generated in Heidi workspace, then transferred |
| DOM injection speed | Single action, roughly 1 to 2 seconds | Copy-paste transfer, roughly 30 to 60 seconds per note |
| Group note-splitting | Diarized, one note per enrolled patient | Single consolidated session note by default |
| CPT G2211 capture | Structured longitudinal rationale block | Narrative output; rationale depends on prompt design |
| Attestation logging | Timestamped clinician attestation block per note | Clinician review within workspace |
| Data retention | Audio discarded after finalization; text under BAA | Configurable per account; review vendor DPA |
Timing figures are Merry internal measurements across outpatient GI sessions, not vendor-published benchmarks. We report them so you can reproduce them in your own clinic.
Epic Hyperdrive Field Targeting
Epic Hyperdrive is Chromium-based, so each note editor and flowsheet input is a live, addressable element inside the authenticated session. Merry maps those selectors once per environment, then inserts the draft into whichever field has focus: the Assessment and Plan of a progress note, the Recommendations section of a colonoscopy report, or Mayo score components in a disease-activity flowsheet. No FHIR interface, HL7 feed, or enterprise API licensing tier is required, and Epic records the text under the clinician's own identity and audit trail.
This matters for IBD specifically because disease-activity data belongs in discrete cells, not in narrative paragraphs that downstream reporting cannot read. Structured insertion keeps stool frequency, rectal bleeding scores, and biologic dosing dates queryable for quality programs.
The True Cost of Documentation Labor
Subscription price is the smallest line item in the documentation budget. Heidi Pro at roughly $99/mo totals about $1,188 per clinician per year. Merry Pro Annual at $54/mo totals $648. The $540 difference, about 45 percent, is real but modest. The larger figure sits in staffing.
The $45,000 MA Turnover Liability
Many GI practices rely on medical assistants to scribe, reconcile drafts, and paste content into Epic. Practices we audit commonly estimate that recruiting, onboarding, and lost clinic throughput from MA turnover cost on the order of $45,000 per year across a small group. Each replacement must relearn IBD scoring, biologic nomenclature, and surveillance intervals. A tool that still leaves a copy-paste step keeps that dependency alive. Direct injection removes the transfer task, so a departure no longer interrupts note completion.
Capturing CPT G2211 in Longitudinal IBD Care
CMS defines HCPCS add-on G2211 as visit complexity inherent to E/M services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed care, or ongoing care of a single serious or complex condition. Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis on biologic therapy fit that description closely. G2211 is reportable with office/outpatient codes 99202 to 99205 and 99211 to 99215, and the CMS FAQ also lists home or residence E/M visits.
Merry injects a structured rationale with three parts: a longitudinal relationship statement naming the gastroenterologist as focal point for IBD care; complexity drivers such as steroid dependence, prior biologic failure, and multidisciplinary coordination; and a management plan covering therapeutic drug monitoring, surveillance colonoscopy intervals, and vaccination status.
The Modifier 25 Constraint
Per MLN Matters MM13272, Medicare does not pay G2211 when the associated E/M visit carries modifier 25, with narrow exceptions CMS added for 2025 covering same-day annual wellness visits, vaccine administration, and Part B preventive services. A same-day flexible sigmoidoscopy with a modifier 25 E/M therefore does not support G2211. Merry flags this combination before signature rather than letting coders discover it on denial.
The arithmetic is straightforward. At a national rate near $16 per claim, roughly 975 eligible IBD follow-ups per year, about 20 per clinic week, yields $15,600 in recovered revenue per physician. Peer-reviewed literature on E/M documentation in Epic, searchable through https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/, including an Annals of Internal Medicine analysis of 303,547 clinicians, shows coding patterns shift measurably when documentation requirements change.
Audit Defense and Compliance Posture
Every Merry note closes with a timestamped attestation block recording clinician review, edits, and signature time. The Clinical Logic Bridge links each G2211 or E/M level assertion to the documented findings that support it, which is the evidence a payer auditor requests first.
California AB 3030 adds a separate obligation: patient-facing clinical communications generated with generative AI require a disclaimer and instructions for reaching a human clinician. Merry applies that disclaimer automatically when drafting MyChart messages or after-visit summaries, and leaves provider-facing notes unchanged.
If you want to see these numbers against your own panel, Schedule a 15-Minute Workflow Audit. We will review cost, workflow friction, and coding accuracy with you, chart by chart.
