Central scheduler vs patient access representative

The differences between central schedulers and patient access representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a central scheduler, becoming a patient access representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a patient access representative has an average salary of $33,603, 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 patient access representative are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Central scheduler vs patient access representative overview

	Central Scheduler	Patient Access Representative
Yearly salary	$32,993	$33,603
Hourly rate	$15.86	$16.16
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	55,861	151,077
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	49	40
Years of experience	2	4

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 patient access representative do?

A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.

Central scheduler vs patient access representative salary

Central schedulers and patient access representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Central Scheduler	Patient Access Representative
Average salary	$32,993	$33,603
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between central scheduler and patient access representative education

There are a few differences between a central scheduler and a patient access representative in terms of educational background:

	Central Scheduler	Patient Access Representative
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Central scheduler vs patient access representative demographics

Here are the differences between central schedulers' and patient access representatives' demographics:

	Central Scheduler	Patient Access Representative
Average age	49	40
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, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between central scheduler and patient access representative 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.

Patient access representative example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPPA and clinic.
Conduct intensive screening of all Medicare, Medicaid and manage care patients for provider service eligibility.
Educate eligible applicants about Medicaid manage care and how to access benefits in a manage care environment.
Run internal reports to ensure ICD 9 and CPT procedure codes are accurate for billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Deliver quality customer service and compassion while obtaining demographic and financial data from patients seeking emergency medical services.
Operate front desk check-in, preparation of charts, receive payments and balance books at the end of the day.

Central scheduler vs patient access representative skills

Common central scheduler skills

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

Common patient access representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 13%
Medical Terminology, 9%
Patient Care, 5%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Central Scheduler
Central Scheduler vs Patient Access Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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