Authorized representative vs authorization specialist

The differences between authorized representatives and authorization specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an authorized representative and an authorization specialist. Additionally, an authorized representative has an average salary of $38,897, which is higher than the $36,518 average annual salary of an authorization specialist.

The top three skills for an authorized representative include patients, medical terminology and insurance verification. The most important skills for an authorization specialist are patients, customer service, and insurance verification.

Authorized representative vs authorization specialist overview

	Authorized Representative	Authorization Specialist
Yearly salary	$38,897	$36,518
Hourly rate	$18.70	$17.56
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	64,806	71,831
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does an authorized representative do?

An authorized representative's primary role is to represent an individual or company in different official transactions. They have the authority to communicate, liaise, negotiate, and make decisions according to goals and project requirements. Although most authorized representatives have varying responsibilities depending on their company of employment, it usually includes understanding project needs, liaising with internal and external parties, preparing and processing documents, organizing files, handling calls and correspondence, and monitoring the transactions' progress. Moreover, as an authorized representative, it is essential to be proactive at dealing with issues, resolving them promptly and professionally.

What does an authorization specialist do?

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.

Authorized representative vs authorization specialist salary

Authorized representatives and authorization specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Authorized Representative	Authorization Specialist
Average salary	$38,897	$36,518
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $50,000	Between $28,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Elmira, NY	Milford, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Hill International	Guidehouse
Best paying industry	Insurance	Health Care

Differences between authorized representative and authorization specialist education

There are a few differences between an authorized representative and an authorization specialist in terms of educational background:

	Authorized Representative	Authorization Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Authorized representative vs authorization specialist demographics

Here are the differences between authorized representatives' and authorization specialists' demographics:

	Authorized Representative	Authorization Specialist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 6.6% White, 53.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between authorized representative and authorization specialist duties and responsibilities

Authorized representative example responsibilities.

Coach, evaluate and performance manage MSRs to ensure timely and accurate service to clients.
Audit requests to ensure that proper ICD-9 and CPT coding are applied.
Research coordinator and referral coordinator, obtain insurance authorization and provide information to insurance carriers or patients regarding patient accounts.
Verify (CCS), CHDP, HMO, PPO authorizations.
Adhere strictly to HIPAA privacy guidelines.
Scan Medicaid coverage in to patient's electronic file.

Authorization specialist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA by appropriately managing patient confidentiality.
Utilize CMS and InterQual criteria to establish authorizations for members requiring medical services for a Medicare advantage insurance company.
Build authorization, match ICD-10 codes with there procedure codes
Provide patients with patient registration forms in order to follow up on patient check-in and check-out utilizing a proprietary management system.
Obtain verification of insurance coverage and authorizations for clinical visits and surgical procedures for patients.
Perform all components of the office registration including arrival, check-in and future appointments.

Authorized representative vs authorization specialist skills

Common authorized representative skills

Patients, 24%
Medical Terminology, 11%
Insurance Verification, 7%
CPT, 5%
Insurance Authorizations, 5%
Data Entry, 4%

Common authorization specialist skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 10%
Insurance Verification, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Insurance Eligibility, 4%
Veterans, 4%

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Authorized Representative
Authorized Representative vs Authorization Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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