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The differences between authorization specialists and health information specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an authorization specialist, becoming a health information specialist takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, an authorization specialist has an average salary of $36,518, which is higher than the $33,343 average annual salary of a health information specialist.
The top three skills for an authorization specialist include patients, customer service and insurance verification. The most important skills for a health information specialist are patients, HIPAA, and medical terminology.
| Authorization Specialist | Health Information Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $36,518 | $33,343 |
| Hourly rate | $17.56 | $16.03 |
| Growth rate | -4% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 71,831 | 135,448 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 40 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
An authorization specialist is responsible for reviewing insurance claims and determining the necessary settlement for the clients and involved parties. Authorization specialists file documents and gather the required information for further investigation and analysis. They coordinate with the insurance agency and the medical institution and ensure that the correct communications are being sent out for reference. An authorization specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing authorization requests and resolve claims timely and efficiently.
A health information specialist is in charge of overseeing and developing strategies to optimize information management procedures in hospitals, physicians' offices, and other similar environments. Their responsibilities revolve around gathering and updating medical records, receiving and organizing files, and updating databases according to the appropriate coding systems and procedures. Furthermore, as a health information specialist, it is essential to coordinate with nurses and other staff to ensure accuracy in documentation, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Authorization specialists and health information specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Authorization Specialist | Health Information Specialist | |
| Average salary | $36,518 | $33,343 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $47,000 | Between $25,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Milford, MA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Guidehouse | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an authorization specialist and a health information specialist in terms of educational background:
| Authorization Specialist | Health Information Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 33% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between authorization specialists' and health information specialists' demographics:
| Authorization Specialist | Health Information Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6% | Male, 15.1% Female, 84.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.5% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 9% |