MedEZ vs Kipu: Addiction Treatment EHR, Documentation & Billing Compared
MedEZ and Kipu are both built for treatment programs rather than outpatient therapy practices, which is why they end up on the same shortlist. The differences are in scale, how billing is handled, and how the system is deployed.
Short answer
Both are behavioral health and substance use EHRs with billing. Kipu is the larger, SUD-focused platform, with an RCM product strengthened by its 2021 acquisition of Avea Solutions, and fits residential, detox, PHP, and IOP treatment centers. MedEZ, founded in 1996, pairs a clinical module with billing, offers cloud or on-premise deployment, and integrates ASAM criteria and the Wiley Treatment Planner.
At a glance
| MedEZ | Kipu | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Behavioral health and substance use programs, including inpatient psychiatric settings | Addiction treatment and behavioral health centers. See Kipu billing. |
| Deployment | Cloud or on-premise | Cloud |
| Clinical | Notes, treatment plans, utilization review, critical incident reporting, form builder; ASAM and Wiley Treatment Planner integrations | SUD documentation, treatment plans, MAT tracking, utilization review, outcomes |
| Billing | CMS-1500 and UB-04 (CMS-1450) claims; reviewers describe 837 files to Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payers and 835 auto-posting | Kipu RCM: benefits verification, utilization review, claims, patient payments; per-diem and level-of-care billing |
| Company | Founded 1996, Davie, Florida | Acquired Avea (RCM) in 2021 and Hatch Compliance in 2024 |
Choose Kipu if
- You run a residential, detox, PHP, or IOP program and want the platform most of your peers and referral partners already use.
- Utilization review and level-of-care billing are the center of your revenue cycle.
Choose MedEZ if
- You need on-premise deployment or a system a state agency or hospital IT team can host.
- You want ASAM and Wiley planner integrations inside a combined clinical and billing system from a long-tenured vendor.
What neither one does for you
Both MedEZ and Kipu get claims out the door. Neither diagnoses why a claim denied, corrects it, and resubmits it, or keeps authorizations and payer rules current. That work stays with your billing staff or an outside biller, whichever system you choose. It's the part Stable automates, alongside the EHR you already run.
Billing SUD programs: addiction treatment billing and IOP and PHP billing. Comparing other systems? See billing across 17 behavioral health EHRs.
Vendor details checked against vendor sites, help pages, press releases, and software listings on October 19, 2026. Products and prices change; confirm with each vendor before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
What is MedEZ?
An EHR and billing suite for behavioral health and substance use programs, founded in 1996 and based in Davie, Florida, available in the cloud or on-premise.
Does Kipu do billing?
Yes. Kipu RCM handles benefits verification, utilization review, claims, and patient payments, built partly on Avea Solutions, which Kipu acquired in 2021. Denial follow-up is still staff work.
Is MedEZ or Kipu better for a residential treatment center?
Kipu is the more common choice for residential and detox centers. MedEZ fits programs that want on-premise deployment or its ASAM and Wiley planner integrations. Ask each for references from programs like yours.
Treatment center billing, worked automatically.
Stable works alongside Kipu and other SUD EHRs to track authorizations and concurrent review and resolve denials.
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