Medical center representative vs patient care advocate

The differences between medical center representatives and patient care advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a medical center representative and a patient care advocate. Additionally, a patient care advocate has an average salary of $34,043, which is higher than the $32,415 average annual salary of a medical center representative.

The top three skills for a medical center representative include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a patient care advocate are patients, patient care, and PCA.

Medical center representative vs patient care advocate overview

	Medical Center Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Yearly salary	$32,415	$34,043
Hourly rate	$15.58	$16.37
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	101,907	126,400
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a medical center representative do?

A medical center representative is in charge of providing assistance to patients, ensuring they get to receive prompt and efficient service. Among their responsibilities include answering inquiries, directing patients to offices, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They may also perform clerical tasks such as processing insurance documents, responding to calls and correspondence, and maintaining records. Furthermore, as a medical center representative, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

What does a patient care advocate do?

A patient care advocate specializes in providing support to patients, guiding them throughout the healthcare system. Their responsibilities include educating patients on the treatment and care options available, coordinating with physicians and facility administrators, liaising with insurance companies to resolve issues, and referring patients to other services and programs. They may also come with patients during appointments and keep them company on hospital stays. Moreover, a patient care advocate must help patients understand their rights and process insurance claims.

Medical center representative vs patient care advocate salary

Medical center representatives and patient care advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Center Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Average salary	$32,415	$34,043
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $54,000	Between $22,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	East Meadow, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Hawaii
Best paying company	HonorHealth	Huntington Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between medical center representative and patient care advocate education

There are a few differences between a medical center representative and a patient care advocate in terms of educational background:

	Medical Center Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 42%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	New York University	University of Pennsylvania

Medical center representative vs patient care advocate demographics

Here are the differences between medical center representatives' and patient care advocates' demographics:

	Medical Center Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between medical center representative and patient care advocate duties and responsibilities

Medical center representative example responsibilities.

Follow policies and procedures to accomplish responsibilities including following HIPAA regulations.
Qualify in the application and use of ICD-9 and CPT codes relative to patient registration.
Read claims, CPT and ICD-9 codes to do an explanation of benefits, the company history cards and out-of-pocket expense.
Call points are hematology/oncology, infectious disease, renal transplant/urology and nuclear cardiology.
Operate within the laws of HIPPA.
Help set up protocol for LTM studies in Neuro ICU.

Patient care advocate example responsibilities.

Communicate with insurance companies on a continuous basis to ensure hospital reimbursement and attain authorization for home and rehabilitation services.
Answer questions relate to pharmacy benefits while maintaining HIPAA confidentiality, productivity standards, and performance guidelines.
Assist patients with bathroom needs - bedside commode, bedpan, urinal, catheter care.
Know how to do lab work such as strep and flu testing, drawing blood, and EKG's.
Assist in all medical needs (CBG's, vitals, bathing, bed changes, EKG's).
Place catheters in patients of all ages and genders.

Medical center representative vs patient care advocate skills

Common medical center representative skills

Patients, 28%
Customer Service, 13%
Patient Care, 11%
CPR, 7%
Surgery, 7%
Acute Care, 4%

Common patient care advocate skills

Patients, 34%
Patient Care, 20%
PCA, 7%
Social Work, 4%
HIPAA, 3%
Vital Signs, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Medical Center Representative
Medical Center Representative vs Patient Care Advocate

Updated January 8, 2025

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