The short version: Adentris and SmarterDx both review documentation before billing, but they are built for different settings. SmarterDx is a clinical AI that does pre-bill, second-level review of every hospital chart to catch revenue-integrity and quality gaps for acute inpatient care. Adentris is a revenue integrity and documentation compliance layer purpose-built for behavioral health and SUD, with rules like ASAM level of care and 42 CFR Part 2 and an appeals and denials module, running on any EHR through a secure web agent. If you are an acute hospital, SmarterDx is built for that. If you run a behavioral health or SUD program, that specialty depth is the deciding factor.
Both review documentation before billing, so the comparison comes down to setting and specialty depth. Here is an honest comparison.
What Adentris does
Adentris is an AI platform for revenue integrity and documentation compliance built specifically for behavioral health and SUD programs. It works on top of the EHR you already run, connecting through an API or HL7 where one exists (for example Alleva, Pimsy, Kipu, Epic, or Athenahealth) and through a secure web agent where it does not, so there is no migration. It reviews notes in real time and flags the elements that get behavioral health claims denied before the claim is submitted: medical necessity, ASAM level-of-care justification, treatment plan updates, group therapy attendance, service units, signature timing, and 42 CFR Part 2 consent. When something is missing, it drafts the correction for the clinician to accept, and it pairs documentation review with an appeals and denials module. Adentris is HIPAA compliant and SOC 2 certified, with 42 CFR Part 2 controls and BAAs in place.
What SmarterDx does
SmarterDx is a clinical AI company whose pre-bill product reviews every inpatient chart before the claim is submitted to catch revenue-integrity and quality gaps, helping hospitals recover appropriate revenue and improve quality capture. It is built for acute inpatient settings and reports significant recoveries per thousand discharges. For hospitals and health systems that want AI second-level review of inpatient charts, SmarterDx is a strong, well-regarded option.
Adentris vs SmarterDx at a glance
| Adentris | SmarterDx | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | BH and SUD programs focused on denials and compliance | Hospitals and health systems (acute inpatient) |
| Primary job | Catch and fix denial-driving gaps before the claim is submitted | Pre-bill second-level review of every inpatient chart |
| Review timing | Real time, before the claim is submitted | Pre-bill, before the claim is submitted |
| Is it a scribe? | No, it reviews the note, however it was written | No, it reviews charts pre-bill |
| SUD depth | ASAM level of care and 42 CFR Part 2 built in | General acute inpatient focus |
| EHR fit | Any EHR via API, HL7, or a secure web agent (no migration) | EHR integrations |
| Compliance focus | Payer claim denials and revenue integrity | Revenue integrity and quality for inpatient billing |
| Denials | Paired appeals and denials module | Pre-bill revenue capture |
Capabilities change quickly in this market, so confirm current details with each vendor before you decide.
Which should you choose?
Both catch documentation problems before the claim is submitted, so the real question is setting and specialty depth. SmarterDx is built for acute inpatient hospital billing, reviewing every chart for revenue-integrity and quality gaps. Adentris is built specifically for behavioral health and SUD, where the claims that get denied turn on ASAM level of care, medical necessity, group therapy attendance, service units, and 42 CFR Part 2 consent. Adentris understands those rules, drafts the correction before submission, pairs review with an appeals and denials module, and runs on any EHR through a secure web agent. For a behavioral health or SUD program, that depth is the practical difference.
- Choose SmarterDx if you are a hospital or health system that wants AI pre-bill, second-level review of inpatient charts for revenue integrity and quality.
- Choose Adentris if you run a behavioral health or SUD program and want documentation reviewed against the specialty rules that drive your denials, ASAM, medical necessity, and 42 CFR Part 2, with a paired appeals module, on any EHR.
Adentris as a SmarterDx alternative for behavioral health and SUD
If you are evaluating SmarterDx for a behavioral health or SUD program, the question is specialty fit. Pre-bill review built for acute inpatient billing is valuable in the hospital, but behavioral health claims are denied for reasons specific to the field: an unjustified ASAM level of care, a missing medical necessity statement, group therapy attendance and service units that do not line up, or a 42 CFR Part 2 consent that was not captured. Adentris is built around exactly those rules, drafts the fix before submission, pairs it with an appeals and denials workflow, and runs on any EHR through an API, HL7, or a secure web agent, which makes it the purpose-built choice for behavioral health and SUD.
How Adentris helps
For behavioral health and SUD organizations, the biggest revenue leak is documentation, and it is specific: medical necessity that was never shown, missing ASAM justification, a Part 2 consent that was not captured. Adentris reviews every chart in real time inside your existing EHR and flags exactly those gaps before the claim is filed, then drafts the fix, and it pairs that with an appeals and denials module so compliance and revenue integrity live in one place. At Sobrius Health, a multi-site Virginia SUD provider, pre-submission documentation accuracy moved from 73% to 96%. Adentris is HIPAA compliant and SOC 2 certified, with 42 CFR Part 2 controls and BAAs in place. To see it on your own charts, book a 30-minute call with our team.
The bottom line
For acute inpatient revenue integrity, SmarterDx is a strong fit. For a behavioral health or SUD program, Adentris brings the specialty depth, ASAM, medical necessity, and 42 CFR Part 2, catches and corrects the gap before submission, and pairs it with appeals, on any EHR.
Related reading
- AI chart review tools for behavioral health
- Best behavioral health documentation compliance software
- Behavioral health payer audit readiness solutions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Adentris and SmarterDx?
SmarterDx is a clinical AI that does pre-bill, second-level review of every inpatient chart to catch revenue-integrity and quality gaps for acute hospitals. Adentris is a revenue integrity and documentation compliance layer purpose-built for behavioral health and SUD, with rules like ASAM level of care and 42 CFR Part 2 and an appeals and denials module, running on any EHR. The main difference is setting and specialty depth: acute inpatient versus behavioral health and SUD.
Can Adentris and SmarterDx be used together?
Yes. They solve different halves of the problem, so a program can use SmarterDx to run pre-bill inpatient chart review and Adentris to verify the documentation supports the claim and to handle appeals. Adentris reviews the note however it was written, so it fits alongside SmarterDx.
Is Adentris a good alternative to SmarterDx?
For programs whose problem is denials and audit exposure rather than acute inpatient pre-bill review, yes. Adentris focuses on catching and correcting the behavioral health and SUD gaps that drive denials before submission, with ASAM and 42 CFR Part 2 built in and an appeals and denials module, and it runs on any EHR without a migration.
Which is better for a substance use disorder program?
For SUD, the claims that get denied usually turn on ASAM level of care, medical necessity, and 42 CFR Part 2, which Adentris is built around with real-time, pre-submission review and drafted corrections. SmarterDx is strong for pre-bill, second-level review of inpatient hospital charts. Programs that want SUD-specific compliance depth and denials support often lean Adentris.
About the author: Sergey Yudovskiy is the Chief Product Officer of Adentris, which builds AI for revenue integrity and documentation compliance in behavioral health and substance use disorder care.