Central scheduler vs referral coordinator

The differences between central schedulers and referral coordinators 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 referral coordinator. Additionally, a referral coordinator has an average salary of $35,179, 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 referral coordinator are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Central scheduler vs referral coordinator overview

	Central Scheduler	Referral Coordinator
Yearly salary	$32,993	$35,179
Hourly rate	$15.86	$16.91
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	55,861	65,934
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
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 referral coordinator do?

A referral coordinator works with insurance companies and care providers to share essential patient information and assists primarily in scheduling appointments and managing health insurance issues. As a referral coordinator, you will work directly with the patient, patient families, or even social workers, depending on the job and patient needs. Other job responsibilities include general administrative or clerical tasks such as setting up appointments for new and existing patients, verifying insurance information before appointments, and answering phone calls.

Central scheduler vs referral coordinator salary

Central schedulers and referral coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Central Scheduler	Referral Coordinator
Average salary	$32,993	$35,179
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Maine
Best paying company	-	Horizon Laser Vision
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between central scheduler and referral coordinator education

There are a few differences between a central scheduler and a referral coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Central Scheduler	Referral Coordinator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 29%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Central scheduler vs referral coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between central schedulers' and referral coordinators' demographics:

	Central Scheduler	Referral Coordinator
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 8.9% Female, 91.1%	Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
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 referral coordinator 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.

Referral coordinator example responsibilities.

Establish rapport with all PCP offices, hospital personnel, and manage care representatives.
Ensure CPT and ICD-9 coding are accurate and complete according to AMA's guidelines and for third party intermediaries.
Contact medical insurance companies and provide ICD-9 diagnosis and CPT procedure codes for patient's illness, condition or injury.
Apply ICD-9 and CPT-4 codes to complete referral requests online or via fax.
Conduct the entire office's EHR process and create a system to track old and new patient's records.
Incorporate core organizational values of quality, respect, integrity, partnership, and compassion in all activities and decisions.

Central scheduler vs referral coordinator skills

Common central scheduler skills

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

Common referral coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 12%
Medical Terminology, 7%
Patient Care, 4%
Data Entry, 4%
EMR, 3%

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Central Scheduler
Central Scheduler vs Referral Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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