Medical billing, receptionist vs medical collector

The differences between medical billings, receptionist and medical collectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical billing, receptionist, becoming a medical collector takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical collector has an average salary of $36,235, which is higher than the $34,622 average annual salary of a medical billing, receptionist.

The top three skills for a medical billing, receptionist include patients, medical billing and data entry. The most important skills for a medical collector are patients, healthcare, and customer service.

Medical billing, receptionist vs medical collector overview

	Medical Billing, Receptionist	Medical Collector
Yearly salary	$34,622	$36,235
Hourly rate	$16.65	$17.42
Growth rate	-3%	-8%
Number of jobs	115,714	73,797
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	2	12

What does a medical billing, receptionist do?

A medical billing receptionist serves as the main point of contact in a hospital. Their responsibilities revolve around greeting patients and attending to their needs, gathering and maintaining records, and checking-in patients. They also have administrative support tasks such as answering calls and responding to inquiries, arranging appointments and schedules, producing reports, keeping documentation, and handling billing processes, including insurance. Moreover, a medical billing receptionist must be alert and proactive as the conditions in a hospital can be very unpredictable.

What does a medical collector do?

A medical collector deals with collection of bills related to medical services. They handle healthcare-related debt, collect patient insurance information, and develop repayment plans to accommodate debtors that are unable to settle their accounts. Qualifications for this position include knowledge of accounting and training in insurance, business or finance.

Medical billing, receptionist vs medical collector salary

Medical billings, receptionist and medical collectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Billing, Receptionist	Medical Collector
Average salary	$34,622	$36,235
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $41,000	Between $30,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Arlington Heights, IL
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Illinois
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Addison Group
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between medical billing, receptionist and medical collector education

There are a few differences between a medical billing, receptionist and a medical collector in terms of educational background:

	Medical Billing, Receptionist	Medical Collector
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 26%	Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	-

Medical billing, receptionist vs medical collector demographics

Here are the differences between medical billings, receptionist' and medical collectors' demographics:

	Medical Billing, Receptionist	Medical Collector
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 9.5% Female, 90.5%	Male, 18.0% Female, 82.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 6.8% White, 56.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 13.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 3.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	8%

Differences between medical billing, receptionist and medical collector duties and responsibilities

Medical billing, receptionist example responsibilities.

Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
Revise CPT codes and ICD-10 codes before submitting to insurance for chiropractic services and durable medical equipment.
Review and research ICD-9 and CPT codes that are denied by payers, and contact physician offices to assist with correction.
Submit secondary insurance claims with primary insurance EOB.
Facilitate medical billing and coding by interfacing with insurance companies and patients to ensure proper billing procedures.
Discuss physicians' choice of E/M level when in question.

Medical collector example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Perform as a mediator between insurance companies and patients collecting nationwide extensive medical bills.
Utilize A/R reports and identify accounts that are past payments.
Maintain a filing system of clients' medical records and disclosure following HIPPA guidelines.
Post appropriate adjustment types and carrier payments to accounts for true A/R account balance reflection.
Maintain strict confidentiality; adhering to all HIPAA guidelines/regulations.

Medical billing, receptionist vs medical collector skills

Common medical billing, receptionist skills

Patients, 21%
Medical Billing, 7%
Data Entry, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
CPT, 4%
Medicaid, 4%

Common medical collector skills

Patients, 22%
Healthcare, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
Medical Collections, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Medicaid, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Medical Billing, Receptionist
Medical Billing, Receptionist vs Medical Collector

Updated January 8, 2025

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