R1 RCM vs Change Healthcare (Optum)
Side-by-side from the Top 11 ranking of Waystar vs R1 RCM vs athenahealth: 11 Best Revenue Cycle Management Software 2026. Last verified July 12, 2026.
The short answer
R1 RCM ranks higher on Top 11 (#2 vs #6) for Practice administrators, CFOs, and billing leaders at hospitals, physician groups, and specialty practices. Full-service revenue cycle partner built for large hospitals and health systems.
At a glance
| R1 RCM | Change Healthcare (Optum) | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #2 / Waystar vs R1 RCM vs athenahealth: 11 Best Revenue Cycle Management Software 2026 | #6 / Waystar vs R1 RCM vs athenahealth: 11 Best Revenue Cycle Management Software 2026 |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 9.1 | 8.2 |
| Best for | End-to-end outsourced RCM for systems | Very large clearinghouse and payer reach |
| Pricing | $$$$ (percentage of net collections, custom enterprise) | $$$ (custom, per-transaction) |
| HQ | Murray, USA | Nashville, USA |
| Founded | 2003 | 2007 |
R1 RCM
Full-service revenue cycle partner built for large hospitals and health systems.
www.r1rcm.comSee full entry in Waystar vs R1 RCM vs athenahealth: 11 Best Revenue Cycle Management Software 2026
Change Healthcare (Optum)
One of the largest US clearinghouses, with a 2024 outage on its record.
www.optum.com/en/business/insights/change-healthcare.htmlSee full entry in Waystar vs R1 RCM vs athenahealth: 11 Best Revenue Cycle Management Software 2026
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.