If you're looking for help with referral intake, Tennr is probably on your list.
TriFetch is on the same list for many clinics. Both tools read referrals and work prior authorizations. The difference is who each one is built for: Tennr's customers include DME suppliers, infusion providers and specialty pharmacies as well as physician groups, and TriFetch was built to run a clinic's front desk, from the first patient call to an approved visit.
We wrote this to help you compare the two on the things that matter to a clinic's front desk. We're TriFetch, so we've stuck to what Tennr publishes about itself and linked our sources at the end.
What does Tennr do?
Tennr automates the work of taking in referred patients. Its software reads incoming patient data from fax, portals and internal orders and routes it into the right workflow.
Tennr also does prior authorizations. It "prepares and submits cases the way the payer requires and tracks them through to a decision", and for health systems it says it "submits a fully approvable request". It runs real-time eligibility checks and calls payers for benefits detail, patients and referring offices. On its physician groups page, Tennr says that "whenever patients call, Tennr picks up."
What does TriFetch do?
TriFetch's AI front-desk agent, Linda, handles the admin work between a patient's first call and their visit. She answers calls around the clock, up to 50 at once. She reads referral faxes and enters them into your EMR. Then she verifies eligibility, submits the prior authorization, tracks it and appeals the denial if there is one.
TriFetch works with mid-size to large healthcare clinics and health systems, across specialties like gastroenterology, cardiology, ENT and ophthalmology.
How do TriFetch and Tennr compare?
Here's how the two line up on the work a clinic front desk actually does.
| Feature | Tennr | TriFetch (Linda) |
|---|---|---|
| Referral fax intake | Yes, from fax, portals and internal orders | Yes, entered into your EMR same day |
| Eligibility + prior auth submission | Yes, submits and tracks to a decision | Yes, same day |
| Denial tracking + appeals | Says it reduces first-pass denials. Appeals not listed | Yes |
| Patient calls | Answers patient calls and calls payers, patients and referrers | Yes, 24/7, up to 50 calls at once |
| Books the patient | Follows patients "all the way to scheduling" | Yes, books onto your schedule in the EMR |
| EMR connection | Creates structured records in your EHR | Own login in any browser-based EMR, no API |
| Time to go live | Not published on its website | One week |
| Built for | DME, infusion, specialty pharmacy, fertility, physician groups, health systems | Specialty and primary care clinics, health systems |
| Pricing | Not published on its website | Custom plans from $5,000/month, priced on volume. Self-serve plan for smaller clinics coming early 2027 |
Tennr details reflect its public website as of November 9, 2026. Every Tennr claim links to the page it comes from. See the full TriFetch comparison page for other vendors.
Who covers each step?
A referral isn't done when the fax is read. The patient still has to be reached and booked, the payer has to approve the service, and a denial has to be worked instead of dropped. Here's the full path, and which tool covers each step based on what each one publishes.
Both tools cover the first three steps. The difference is in the last two: TriFetch books the visit onto your schedule, and appeals the denial if the payer says no. Our guide on why prior authorizations get denied goes deeper on that last step.
How do they connect to your EMR?
Tennr says it pulls missing records from HIEs and connected EHRs and turns them into structured records directly in your EHR.
TriFetch takes a different approach. Linda logs into your systems with her own credentials and works on the same screens your staff use. If your EMR runs in a browser, including NextGen, eClinicalWorks and athenahealth, she can work in it. There's no integration project and no migration.
How fast can you go live, and what does it cost?
Tennr doesn't publish a go-live time or pricing on its website. TriFetch goes live in one week, usually starting with the workflow that costs you the most, like a referral fax backlog or a prior auth queue.
TriFetch publishes its pricing. Custom plans start at $5,000 per month and are priced on the work Linda does: which workflows she runs, how much volume each one handles, and how many provider schedules are set up. Adding staff never raises your price. Every plan includes HIPAA compliance, SOC 2 certification, a signed BAA and a 30-day opt-out period. See the pricing page for details, or estimate your savings with the ROI calculator.
Smaller clinics that need just one workflow can join the waitlist for TriFetch's self-serve plan, coming in early 2027. It's built for practices with fewer providers and lower patient volume, with one standard workflow and quick self-guided setup.
For a real example: a multi-provider GI practice on eClinicalWorks used TriFetch to clear a backlog of 767 referrals in two weeks, with no added headcount. Thirty-seven patients moved toward procedures, and the practice saw a 5.4–6.6x ROI in 14 days on its own numbers. Read the GI case study.
Which one should your clinic choose?
Choose TriFetch if
- You run a clinic and your front desk is buried in calls, referrals and prior auths
- Denials are piling up and no one has time to appeal them
- You want to go live in a week with no EMR integration
- You want pricing you can see up front, tied to work done
Tennr may fit if
- You're a DME supplier, infusion provider or specialty pharmacy, and orders are your main intake
- Your biggest problem is matching paperwork to payer criteria at high volume, and your scheduling is already covered
When TriFetch isn't the right fit
TriFetch's custom plans are built for multi-provider clinics automating several workflows. If you're a smaller practice that only needs help with one thing, like phones or prior auths, a custom plan may be more than you need today. The self-serve plan coming in early 2027 is designed for you: one standard workflow and a quick self-guided setup. Join the waitlist on the pricing page, or email inquiry@trifetch.ai with "Self-serve waitlist" in the subject.
And if your EMR only runs as installed desktop software rather than in a browser, talk to us first so we can check how Linda would work with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between TriFetch and Tennr?
- Both use AI to read referrals, check eligibility, submit prior authorizations and handle patient calls. TriFetch also answers every call 24/7, up to 50 at once, books patients onto your schedule and appeals denials, so a referral is carried from the first call to an approved visit.
- Is TriFetch a Tennr alternative?
- Yes. Clinics comparing AI referral tools often look at both. TriFetch fits when you want calls, referrals, prior auths and appeals handled by one agent, live in one week.
- Does Tennr appeal denials?
- Tennr's website talks about reducing first-pass denials and managing denials proactively, but doesn't list denial appeals as of November 2026. TriFetch appeals denials.
- Does Tennr do prior authorizations?
- Yes. Tennr's website says it prepares and submits prior authorization cases and tracks them to a decision. TriFetch does this too, and also appeals denials.
- Does TriFetch need an EMR integration?
- No. Linda logs into your browser-based EMR with her own credentials and works on the same screens your staff use.
- How much does TriFetch cost?
- Custom plans start at $5,000 per month, priced on the volume of work Linda handles, not per seat. Book a demo for an exact quote. Tennr doesn't publish pricing.
- Is there an option for smaller clinics?
- Yes. A self-serve plan for smaller clinics that need one workflow is coming in early 2027. You can join the waitlist on the pricing page.
The Bottom Line
Tennr and TriFetch both take referral paperwork and prior auths off your staff. Tennr serves a wide range of providers, including DME suppliers, infusion providers and specialty pharmacies. If you run a clinic, TriFetch covers the whole front desk: it answers the call, enters the referral, gets the auth approved, appeals the denial and books the visit, inside the EMR you already use.
See how Linda handles a referral and a prior auth in your workflow. Book a 30-minute demo.
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