Post job

Credentialing specialist vs referral coordinator

The differences between credentialing specialists 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 credentialing specialist and a referral coordinator. Additionally, a credentialing specialist has an average salary of $40,899, which is higher than the $35,179 average annual salary of a referral coordinator.

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

Credentialing specialist vs referral coordinator overview

Credentialing SpecialistReferral Coordinator
Yearly salary$40,899$35,179
Hourly rate$19.66$16.91
Growth rate-8%-8%
Number of jobs68,02165,934
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age4949
Years of experience22

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.

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.

Credentialing specialist vs referral coordinator salary

Credentialing specialists and referral coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Credentialing SpecialistReferral Coordinator
Average salary$40,899$35,179
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $57,000Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYPortland, ME
Highest paying stateMaineMaine
Best paying companyHawaii Pacific HealthHorizon Laser Vision
Best paying industryInsuranceHealth Care

Differences between credentialing specialist and referral coordinator education

There are a few differences between a credentialing specialist and a referral coordinator in terms of educational background:

Credentialing SpecialistReferral Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Credentialing specialist vs referral coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between credentialing specialists' and referral coordinators' demographics:

Credentialing SpecialistReferral Coordinator
Average age4949
Gender ratioMale, 14.5% Female, 85.5%Male, 10.2% Female, 89.8%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage9%9%

Differences between credentialing specialist and referral coordinator duties and responsibilities

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.
  • Show more

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.
  • Show more

Credentialing specialist vs referral coordinator skills

Common credentialing specialist skills
  • Patients, 10%
  • Customer Service, 8%
  • Data Entry, 6%
  • Primary Source Verification, 5%
  • NCQA, 5%
  • CAQH, 4%
Common referral coordinator skills
  • Patients, 30%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Medical Terminology, 7%
  • Patient Care, 4%
  • Data Entry, 4%
  • EMR, 3%

Browse office and administrative jobs