AI after-hours answering for physio clinics: cost, setup, privacy
Updated 2026-10-17
AI after-hours answering for physio clinics: cost, setup, privacy
Short answer: In October 2026 a Canadian physio clinic can get AI phone answering for after-hours calls, plus daytime calls your team misses, for about CA$199/month. ZeroMiss, a Vancouver vendor, sells that plan with 200 AI minutes. It also offers CA$149/month to its first 10 "founding" clinics in exchange for feedback and a testimonial (ZeroMiss pricing). How well it works depends on your practice software:
- Jane: No AI receptionist can book straight into Jane today. Jane's own AI receptionist is still "in development" (Jane). Jane said in April 2026 that it is "not looking to work with AI scheduling" tools for now (Jane integrations blog). So with Jane, the AI takes a booking request and your staff confirm it in the morning.
- Cliniko: Several AI receptionists are listed as Cliniko connected apps and say they book directly. Check where they store data. One of them, Aeva, says it stores patient data in Australia (Cliniko: Aeva AI).
Under PHIPA (Ontario's health privacy law) and PIPEDA (the federal private-sector privacy law) you stay responsible for what the vendor does with patient information. Get a written agreement before you switch it on.
Prices checked 2026-10-17 on each vendor's official page.
What the job looks like
A patient calls at 8 p.m. to book a first visit for a sore knee. Nobody is there. An AI voice agent answers, collects their name, number, reason for visit and preferred times, and answers set questions (parking, direct billing, hours). It then sends a summary to your front desk. If the tool connects to your booking system, it may book the slot itself.
Options compared
| Option | Cost (official page) | Works with | Setup (vendor-stated) | Privacy notes | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZeroMiss (Vancouver, BC) | After-Hours & Overflow: CA$199/mo, 200 AI minutes, CA$0.40/extra minute, $0 setup, no contract. Founding offer CA$149/mo for the first 10 clinics, in exchange for feedback and a testimonial. Full-Time plan CA$299/mo, 500 minutes (pricing) | Jane: sends booking requests for staff to confirm. Direct calendar link for Google Calendar and Cal.com (physio page). On the pricing page, direct calendar booking and French are listed only on the CA$299 plan | Not stated | Says it "stores data in Canada" and is "PIPEDA-aligned", though its FAQ says "Canadian data residency options". No PHIPA statement (physio page). A data processing agreement is listed only on the CA$299 plan (pricing). Ask if the CA$199 plan includes one | Try it (Jane clinics), after the privacy questions below |
| Aeva AI (Cliniko connected app) | Not shown on Cliniko listing. Not confirmed | Cliniko: books, reschedules, cancels directly (listing) | Self-serve "takes up to an hour" (listing) | Patient data "stored on encrypted servers in Australia". Compliance claims are for Australian, NZ, UK and EU law, not Canadian (listing) | Watch it: no price, data in Australia |
| Able by Lyngo (Cliniko connected app) | Not listed. Not confirmed | Cliniko: books, reschedules, cancels (listing) | Vendor does the setup. Time not stated | Data location not stated. Claims Australian, NZ, UK and EU compliance (listing) | Watch it: no price, data location unknown |
| Smith.ai AI Receptionist | Free: 25 calls/mo. Pro from $150/mo (shown as "$", likely USD) (pricing) | General use | Not stated | Not suitable for patient health information. Smith.ai says it "is not HIPAA-compliant and cannot handle protected health information" (HIPAA is the US health privacy law) (FAQ) | Skip it for patient calls |
| Jane AI receptionist | Not released | Jane | n/a | Not ready. Listed as "in development" (Jane) | Watch it |
| Jane virtual receptionists (human, not AI) | Pricing on a discovery call (Jane) | Jane | Not stated | Jane says these have "a real, live human on the other side" and are North America-based (Jane) | Watch it: human, not AI; price not published |
Also not ready for Canadian Jane clinics: Mango Voice, a phone system with a Jane integration, is listed by Jane as "US only" (Jane guide).
If a vendor says it books directly into Jane: Jane says it is "not launching an open, public API" (a way for any outside software to connect to Jane) and only works with approved partners (Jane integrations blog). Ask any vendor to show it is an approved Jane integration before you rely on direct booking.
Privacy check (PHIPA and PIPEDA)
A caller's name, phone number and reason for visit ("my knee after surgery") is personal health information. Before you sign:
- Get a written agreement. With ZeroMiss, a data processing agreement is listed only on the CA$299 plan, so ask before you pick the CA$199 plan (pricing). You remain accountable for information you hand to a service provider, and must protect it by contract or other means (OPC).
- Ask where call recordings and transcripts are stored and processed. That includes any processing outside Canada. The federal privacy commissioner's (OPC) 2026 guidance on vetting vendors lists this check, along with retention, deletion of backups, and what happens when the contract ends (OPC third-party guidance).
- Ask if your calls are used to train the vendor's AI. The same OPC guidance says to check whether consent is needed if a vendor uses data for its own purposes, such as training algorithms.
- Tell callers. The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario asks physios to "be transparent about how AI is embedded in administrative systems" (CPO AI principles). A short greeting line works: "You've reached our after-hours assistant, an automated system."
- Keep it to admin. Set the AI to take messages and booking requests, not give clinical advice. Tell urgent callers to call 911 or go to emergency.
Step-by-step setup
- Count your missed calls. Check your phone system's call log for calls after hours and during busy times for two weeks. This tells you whether a 200-minute plan is enough.
- Pick the tool that matches your software. Jane clinics: a request-capture tool such as ZeroMiss. Cliniko clinics: compare the Cliniko connected-app receptionists. Ask each one where data is stored.
- Ask the privacy questions above in writing. Keep the answers on file.
- Write your approved FAQ list. Hours, address, parking, fees, direct billing, cancellation policy, first-visit prep. The AI should only answer from this list.
- Set the greeting and the rules. It should say it is automated, never give clinical advice, and send emergencies to 911.
- Set call forwarding on your phone line for after-hours or no-answer. Your phone provider or the vendor will tell you how.
- Test it. Call it yourself five ways: a new booking, a cancellation, a question it should not answer, a French caller if you need French, and an "emergency".
- Check every summary for the first two weeks. Fix FAQ answers that were wrong.
- Update your privacy notice and website to say an automated assistant may answer calls.
FAQ
How much does an AI receptionist cost for a physio clinic in Canada?
The lowest Canadian-dollar price we found on an official page is CA$199/month for after-hours and overflow, with 200 AI minutes, from ZeroMiss. Its first 10 clinics can lock in CA$149/month in exchange for feedback and a testimonial (pricing). Smith.ai has a free plan with 25 calls, but says it cannot handle health information (FAQ). Several Cliniko-connected tools do not publish prices.
Can an AI receptionist book directly into Jane App?
Not through an official, open connection today. Jane says it is not launching an open public API, and in April 2026 said it is not working with AI scheduling tools for now (Jane). Jane's own AI receptionist is in development (Jane).
Can an AI receptionist book directly into Cliniko?
Some say they can. Aeva AI's Cliniko listing says it can "book, reschedule, or cancel appointments directly in Cliniko" (listing). Check its data location (Australia) against your privacy obligations.
Is an AI phone answering service PHIPA compliant?
No tool is "PHIPA compliant" on its own. PHIPA applies to you, the custodian. You need to check the vendor's safeguards and have a written agreement. The OPC's vendor checklist is a good place to start (OPC).
Does patient data have to stay in Canada?
PIPEDA does not ban processing outside Canada, but you remain accountable and should tell patients (OPC). Many clinics still prefer Canadian storage. Ask your lawyer or privacy officer about your own situation.
Do I have to tell callers they're talking to AI?
The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario asks physios to be transparent about AI in administrative systems (CPO). Saying so in the greeting is the simple way to do this.
Sources
- ZeroMiss pricing (checked 2026-10-17, CAD)
- ZeroMiss physiotherapy page
- Cliniko connected app: Aeva AI
- Cliniko connected app: Able by Lyngo
- Smith.ai AI receptionist pricing (checked 2026-10-17)
- Smith.ai medical and wellness FAQ
- Jane: virtual assistants and receptionists
- Jane: integrations program blog, April 1, 2026
- Jane: Mango Voice integration hub
- OPC: Guidelines for processing personal data across borders
- OPC: Guidance on assessing third-party service providers
- College of Physiotherapists of Ontario: AI principles