Authorized representative vs patient care representative

The differences between authorized representatives and patient care representatives 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 a patient care representative. Additionally, an authorized representative has an average salary of $38,897, which is higher than the $33,709 average annual salary of a patient care representative.

The top three skills for an authorized representative include patients, medical terminology and insurance verification. The most important skills for a patient care representative are patients, patient care, and home health.

Authorized representative vs patient care representative overview

	Authorized Representative	Patient Care Representative
Yearly salary	$38,897	$33,709
Hourly rate	$18.70	$16.21
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	64,806	133,317
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
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 a patient care representative do?

PCRs (Patient Care Representatives) are given responsibilities like updating and verifying patient information after every visit, scheduling and reminding patients about appointments, and informing patients about delays and how long the estimated waiting times will be. They are also responsible for obtaining patients' personal information like their address, contact details, insurance information, and medical and surgical history. They must be able to communicate with patients, family members, and medical staff to give them all the information they need to treat the person looking for medical help.

Authorized representative vs patient care representative salary

Authorized representatives and patient care representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Authorized Representative	Patient Care Representative
Average salary	$38,897	$33,709
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $50,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Elmira, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Hill International	Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry	Insurance	Technology

Differences between authorized representative and patient care representative education

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

	Authorized Representative	Patient Care Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Authorized representative vs patient care representative demographics

Here are the differences between authorized representatives' and patient care representatives' demographics:

	Authorized Representative	Patient Care Representative
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
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, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between authorized representative and patient care representative 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.

Patient care representative example responsibilities.

Manage cash and co-payments accurately and discharge patients providing them with proper medical notes and information before exiting.
Verify insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, register patients, and code proper ICD-9 and CPT codes on encounters.
Utilize medical terminology, CPT, HCPC and ICD-9 and patient information into new authorizations.
Interview patients to gather information pertinent to their Medicaid application.
Screen, identify, and enter ICD-9 coding from treatment record forms.
Maintain patient confidentiality and follow HIPAA rules.

Authorized representative vs patient care representative skills

Common authorized representative skills

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

Common patient care representative skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 13%
Home Health, 7%
Cash Management, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
CPT, 3%

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Authorized Representative
Authorized Representative vs Patient Care Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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