Central scheduler vs credentialing specialist

The differences between central schedulers and credentialing specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a central scheduler and a credentialing specialist. Additionally, a credentialing specialist has an average salary of $40,899, which is higher than the $32,993 average annual salary of a central scheduler.

The top three skills for a central scheduler include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a credentialing specialist are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Central scheduler vs credentialing specialist overview

	Central Scheduler	Credentialing Specialist
Yearly salary	$32,993	$40,899
Hourly rate	$15.86	$19.66
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	55,861	68,021
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

What does a central scheduler do?

Central schedulers are professionals who are responsible for setting up all the appointments from various departments in a medical facility. These schedulers are required to receive incoming medical records of patients while contacting their families to schedule clinic appointments. They must contact the offices of physicians and various hospital personnel so that they can coordinate patient care with multiple health facilities and providers. Central schedulers must also facilitate phone calls from patients to schedule medical procedures.

What does a credentialing specialist do?

Credentialing specialists are employed by healthcare organizations, primarily to make sure that medical personnel and health facilities maintain compliance with regulations. They keep a record of the medical practitioner's credentials and make sure that their licenses are updated and issued legally for their specialty. They have to inform the medical staff of the upcoming renewal dates of their license and advise them on how to keep their credentials updated. Potential new employees are also monitored and screened for their current and required licenses before getting hired. Applicants for this job must have excellent knowledge and understanding of health information management. They must also work on maintaining licensure and credentials while applying the governing rules and standards.

Central scheduler vs credentialing specialist salary

Central schedulers and credentialing specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Central Scheduler	Credentialing Specialist
Average salary	$32,993	$40,899
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $40,000	Between $29,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	New York, NY
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Hawaii Pacific Health
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between central scheduler and credentialing specialist education

There are a few differences between a central scheduler and a credentialing specialist in terms of educational background:

	Central Scheduler	Credentialing Specialist
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Central scheduler vs credentialing specialist demographics

Here are the differences between central schedulers' and credentialing specialists' demographics:

	Central Scheduler	Credentialing Specialist
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 8.9% Female, 91.1%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between central scheduler and credentialing specialist duties and responsibilities

Central scheduler example responsibilities.

Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
Bill HMO's and commercial insurances.
Adjust medical providers' schedule templates within EMR software.
Check for correct CPt and ICD-10 matches to ensure correct billing.
Train new hires and cross-train current employees in two EMR software programs.
Check all physicians orders for correct CPT, ICD-10 codes, and prior authorizations.

Credentialing specialist example responsibilities.

Establish rapport with all PCP offices, hospital personnel, and manage care representatives.
Manage and administer the programs CME accredit education programs/Conferences.
Ensure enrollment and participation with all organization contract managed care plans and perform Medicaid/Medicare provider enrollment.
Process and manage all requests and applications for CME certification and supervise activities relate to credentialing process.
Perform spot claims audits to ensure CMS compliance with ICD-9, HCPCS, CPT, and other requirements.
Maintain and track data for OPPE and FPPE according to hospital policy and regulatory requirements.

Central scheduler vs credentialing specialist skills

Common central scheduler skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 11%
Medical Terminology, 10%
Phone Calls, 4%
Patient Demographics, 4%
Patient Care, 3%

Common credentialing specialist skills

Patients, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Data Entry, 6%
Primary Source Verification, 5%
NCQA, 5%
CAQH, 4%

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Central Scheduler vs Credentialing Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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