Authorized representative vs registration specialist

The differences between authorized representatives and registration 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 a registration specialist. Additionally, an authorized representative has an average salary of $38,897, which is higher than the $30,422 average annual salary of a registration specialist.

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

Authorized representative vs registration specialist overview

	Authorized Representative	Registration Specialist
Yearly salary	$38,897	$30,422
Hourly rate	$18.70	$14.63
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	64,806	79,118
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
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 registration specialist do?

A registration specialist is responsible for managing patient information, including the verification of their insurance details and medical treatment schedules. Registration specialists assign admission rooms and processing payments for discharge. They also assist patients with the completion of medical forms by helping them fill-out papers with the most accurate information. A registration specialist performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, requiring them to have excellent data management skills to process information and provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

Authorized representative vs registration specialist salary

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

	Authorized Representative	Registration Specialist
Average salary	$38,897	$30,422
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $50,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Elmira, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	New York	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Hill International	Deloitte
Best paying industry	Insurance	Health Care

Differences between authorized representative and registration specialist education

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

	Authorized Representative	Registration Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Authorized representative vs registration specialist demographics

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

	Authorized Representative	Registration Specialist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between authorized representative and registration 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.

Registration specialist example responsibilities.

Attain and authenticate patient insurance information, counsel patients on changes in insurance policies, verify patient demographics.
Help patients through the registration and admitting processes and also contribute to the PBX department.
Input data entries for insurance billing; adding CPT codes and diagnosis from face sheets as patients arrive.
Act as hospital PBX operator.
Complete all charge entry, enter all CPT and ICD-9 codes for billing for multiple doctors each day.
Enter patient information and verify information according to HIPAA regulations.

Authorized representative vs registration specialist skills

Common authorized representative skills

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

Common registration specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 14%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

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Authorized Representative
Authorized Representative vs Registration Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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