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The differences between medical claims specialists and health information technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a medical claims specialist and a health information technician. Additionally, a medical claims specialist has an average salary of $35,706, which is higher than the $34,604 average annual salary of a health information technician.
The top three skills for a medical claims specialist include customer service, patients and medicaid. The most important skills for a health information technician are patients, medical terminology, and customer service.
| Medical Claims Specialist | Health Information Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $35,706 | $34,604 |
| Hourly rate | $17.17 | $16.64 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 82,897 | 120,786 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A medical claims specialist is responsible for gathering and processing the information required to complete the medical insurance claims process. Typical duties include determining covered medical insurance losses, documenting medical claims actions, and resolving claims through approval or denial of documentation. In addition, you will be responsible for maintaining excellent customer service by responding to customer inquiries and following best practices. You will also be responsible for protecting company operations by maintaining the confidentiality of information.
A health information technician is primarily responsible for managing and handling patient information, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality. They coordinate with various health care workers to gather patient data, laboratory results, test findings, and medical histories, encoding them in clinical databases in a timely and efficient manner. They must analyze every information to detect any inconsistencies, performing corrective measures right away. Furthermore, as a health information technician, it is essential to utilize particular software and systems when processing information, all while adhering to the hospital's policies and regulations.
Medical claims specialists and health information technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Claims Specialist | Health Information Technician | |
| Average salary | $35,706 | $34,604 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $43,000 | Between $26,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Attleboro, MA | Fairbanks, AK |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Total Medical Personnel Staffing | Stifel Financial |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical claims specialist and a health information technician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Claims Specialist | Health Information Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Health Care Administration |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between medical claims specialists' and health information technicians' demographics:
| Medical Claims Specialist | Health Information Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3% | Male, 16.5% Female, 83.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 8.3% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 8.6% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |