Comparison
CareMAR vs ECP for a small California care home
ECP (Extended Care Pro) is assisted living software used across the country, with a large pharmacy network. It does not publish prices.
The CareMAR teamWritten and reviewed by California RCFE administrators — the same people who built CareMARReviewed
Short answer
CareMAR is built only for small California care homes and costs $79 a month per home with up to 6 beds, fax number included. Every ECP fact below comes from ECP's own website, with a link, checked on 11/04/2026. Where ECP does not say something publicly, the table says so.
Prices and features change. Check the linked page before you decide, and ask both companies to show you a printed MAR and a completed LIC 622.
Side by side, checked 11/04/2026
| CareMAR | ECP, from its own site | |
|---|---|---|
| Price for one 6-bed home | $79/month per home, up to 6 beds | Not listed publiclySource |
| Minimum and per-resident pricing | None. Flat per home, no per-resident fee | Not listed publicly |
| Contract | Month to month | Not listed publicly |
| Setup fee | None | Not listed publicly; an implementation manager helps with setup“An Implementation Manager (IM) assists with training, setup, and progress tracking”Source |
| California LIC forms | Built in and filled from the resident record: LIC 601, 602A, 603, 603A, 613C-2, 621, 622, 624 and 9020 | Names LIC 601, 602A, 603, 604A, 605A, 610D, 610E, 613 and 624“LIC 602A - Physician's Report for RCFE”Source |
| Fax | Included: each home gets its own HIPAA fax number | Fax inbox not listed publicly; fax named as one way to reach the pharmacy“via, fax, email, or direct software integration”Source |
| E-signature | SecureSign add-on, $19.95/month per home | Yes, for move-in documents“E-signatures are legally compliant and stored securely in the resident record.”Source |
| Family portal | Included: family portal | Not listed publicly; families can sign move-in papers and pay by ACH, card or check“ECP gives families every way to pay — ACH, card, or check.”Source |
| Pharmacy | Works with any pharmacy: faxed or photographed orders are read into the MAR for staff to approve. No direct pharmacy-system feed yet | 850+ pharmacy integrations“850+ pharmacy integrations.”Source |
| Medi-Cal ALW / Regional Center | Medi-Cal ALW billing with UB-04 claims included; Regional Center records for ARFs | Not listed publicly; Medicare and Medicaid claims not supported“It doesn't support Medicare or Medicaid claims processing”Source |
| ICF/DD | Yes, ICF/DD homes | Supports IDD and group home operators; ICF/DD not named“We also support IDD/group home operators”Source |
| Caregiver phones | iPhone and Android caregiver app; doses charted without signal are sent when the phone reconnects | Mobile app with offline charting (Apple, Google Play, Microsoft)“ECP's mobile app supports offline charting”Source |
Where ECP may be the better fit
If your pharmacy is already connected to ECP's network, or you run larger communities in several states, a direct pharmacy feed and a national product may matter more to you than California forms and a flat price.