FirstOps vs eAssist: dental billing and payment posting compared (2026)
eAssist is full-service outsourced dental billing; FirstOps posts insurance payments. Compare published prices, scope and terms, and who each one fits.
eAssist and FirstOps solve different-sized problems. eAssist takes over your whole insurance billing function with a team of remote billers. FirstOps takes over the part that piles up first, posting insurance payments, and checks eligibility before the visit, while your team keeps submitting claims.
At a glance#
| FirstOps | eAssist | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Payment posting with eligibility checks, run by software agents and the FirstOps team | Full-service outsourced dental billing by remote billers |
| Claim submission | Stays with your office | Done by eAssist |
| Denials and appeals | Flagged with what to do and by when; your office refiles | Worked by eAssist |
| Price | $750/mo under 250 claims; $249/mo + $2 per claim from 250 to 1,000; custom above | $1,400/mo per location under $40K insurance collections; then 3.5%, 3% and 2.5% by band |
| Extras | None | Clearinghouse $79–$89/mo |
| Setup | $500 one-time | See eAssist |
| Contract | Month to month, 2-week free trial | See eAssist |
eAssist prices are from dentalbilling.com/pricing, October 2026.
What it costs#
| Practice | FirstOps | eAssist (before clearinghouse) |
|---|---|---|
| 150 claims, $30,000 insurance collections a month | $750 | $1,400 |
| 400 claims, $80,000 a month | $1,049 | $2,800 |
The scope is different, so compare eAssist's fee with FirstOps plus the time your team spends submitting claims and working denials.
When eAssist is the better fit#
- You want to hand off the whole billing function, claim submission and appeals included, to a named biller.
- You have no one in the office who can submit claims or work a denial.
When FirstOps is the better fit#
- Your team submits claims well, but posting is behind. You don't need to outsource everything to fix the backlog.
- You are under $40,000 a month in insurance collections. eAssist's $1,400 flat fee is about 4.7% of collections at $30,000 a month; FirstOps is $750.
- You want to keep control. Your team keeps the claims; FirstOps posts the payments and tells you every week which denials are worth fighting.
- You want month to month with a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How much does eAssist cost?
eAssist publishes $1,400 a month per location for practices under $40,000 in monthly insurance collections, then 3.5% of collections, stepping down to 3% and 2.5% at higher bands, plus $79 to $89 a month for its clearinghouse.
Is FirstOps an eAssist alternative?
For payment posting, yes. FirstOps posts insurance payments and checks eligibility, from $750 a month. If you want claim submission and appeals handled too, a full-service company like eAssist covers more.
Can I use FirstOps with my current billing setup?
Yes. FirstOps works in your existing practice management system; your team keeps submitting claims the way it does today.