What does a medical clerk do?
A medical clerk works in the administrative area of a medical facility or hospital. The medical clerk collects all patient information and medical records. The clerk also does all the clinic or hospital paperwork and generates reports of all transactions that transpired in a day's work. The medical clerk also processes admission and discharge papers, medical charts, properly file and safeguard all patient records and secure them from unauthorized access. The medical clerk is expected to be highly organized, capable of handling pressure, and has good communication skills.
Medical clerk responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real medical clerk resumes:
- Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
- Follow HIPPA patient confidentiality guidelines making patients or facility have filled proper forms to release records.
- File results of laboratory tests, x-rays, EKG's, etc., in patients records.
- Respond and resolve patient inquiries with compassion and patience.
- Prepare request for EKG tests, eye examinations, audio and dental records.
- Enter deficiencies into MediTech program.
- Process Medicaid authorizations promptly and within state regulations.
- Assist students with Medicaid applications and Medicaid renewal applications.
- Ensure accuracy of payroll information submit by all departments.
- Maintain confidentiality and adhere to all HIPAA guidelines and regulations.
- Maintain accurate and detail payroll records including job assignments and overtime.
- Fax medical records request by internal/external customers after receiving ROI submission request forms.
- Transcribe recorded messages or practitioners' diagnoses or recommendations into patients' medical records.
- Communicate with department supervisor and director any discrepancies with prepare files for ROI requests.
- Register new patients and update existing patient demographics by collecting patients personal and financial information.
Medical clerk skills and personality traits
We calculated that 32% of Medical Clerks are proficient in Patients, Medical Terminology, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Writing skills, Organizational skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Medical Clerks that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 32%
Answered questions concerning clinic/hospital/DOD protocol and applied clinic guidelines when assisting patients and providers.
- Medical Terminology, 6%
Perform secretarial duties using specific knowledge of medical terminology and Hospital, clinic, or laboratory procedures.
- Data Entry, 6%
Performed clerical duties to include data entry from physicals and other necessary medical procedures.
- Phone Calls, 5%
Screened telephone calls and visitors; referred individuals to appropriate providers.
- Patient Care, 4%
Perform variety of receptionist/clerical/record-keeping duties associated with patient care/treatment in one of several clinics responsible for a variety of medical services.
- Telephone Calls, 3%
Review records for completeness, accuracy and compliance with regulations Receive telephone calls from patients and physicians requesting chart information.
"patients," "medical terminology," and "data entry" are among the most common skills that medical clerks use at work. You can find even more medical clerk responsibilities below, including:
Writing skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a medical clerk to have is writing skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." Medical clerks often use writing skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "exercised general secretarial skills; writing letters to patients and insurance companies as well as answering phones. "
Organizational skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling medical clerk duties is organizational skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." According to a medical clerk resume, here's how medical clerks can utilize organizational skills in their job responsibilities: "develop and implement organizational policies and procedures for the facility including hipaa privacy and security rules. "
Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for medical clerks to perform their duties. For an example of how medical clerk responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a medical clerk: "utilized exceptional interpersonal communication and organizational skills in person and on the telephone regarding patient appointments, privacy and specialty clinics. ".
The three companies that hire the most medical clerks are:
- Decypher12 medical clerks jobs
- Signature Performance
9 medical clerks jobs
- UPMC8 medical clerks jobs
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Compare different medical clerks
Medical clerk vs. Patient access representative
A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a medical clerk are more likely to require skills like "clerical support," "office equipment," "ekg," and "medical charts." On the other hand, a job as a patient access representative requires skills like "customer service," "insurance eligibility," "insurance benefits," and "cycle management." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Patient access representatives tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $33,319. In contrast, medical clerks make the biggest average salary, $35,578, in the government industry.The education levels that patient access representatives earn slightly differ from medical clerks. In particular, patient access representatives are 1.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a medical clerk. Additionally, they're 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Medical clerk vs. Patient care representative
PCRs (Patient Care Representatives) are given responsibilities like updating and verifying patient information after every visit, scheduling and reminding patients about appointments, and informing patients about delays and how long the estimated waiting times will be. They are also responsible for obtaining patients' personal information like their address, contact details, insurance information, and medical and surgical history. They must be able to communicate with patients, family members, and medical staff to give them all the information they need to treat the person looking for medical help.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that medical clerk responsibilities requires skills like "appointment scheduling," "clerical support," "patient appointments," and "provide clerical support." But a patient care representative might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "home health," "cash management," "excellent interpersonal," and "rehabilitation."
Patient care representatives may earn a higher salary than medical clerks, but patient care representatives earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $36,400. On the other hand, medical clerks receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $35,578.In general, patient care representatives achieve similar levels of education than medical clerks. They're 0.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Medical clerk vs. Patient service associate
A patient service associate is responsible for providing high-quality care services to the patients, ensuring their satisfaction by assisting their medical needs and concerns. Patient service associates perform administrative duties, such as helping patients to fill-out forms, updating patients' information on the database, processing payments for medical procedures, storing patients' medical files, and monitoring the adequacy of medical tools and supplies. They may also conduct basic medical operations under the supervision of a physician or a health professional, adhering to strict protocols and regulations at all times to avoid hazards and health risks.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, medical clerks are more likely to have skills like "appointment scheduling," "clerical support," "patient appointments," and "office equipment." But a patient service associate is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "patient service," "excellent organizational," and "patient calls."
Patient service associates earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $32,522. Comparatively, medical clerks have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $35,578.Most patient service associates achieve a similar degree level compared to medical clerks. For example, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Medical clerk vs. Registration specialist
A registration specialist is responsible for managing patient information, including the verification of their insurance details and medical treatment schedules. Registration specialists assign admission rooms and processing payments for discharge. They also assist patients with the completion of medical forms by helping them fill-out papers with the most accurate information. A registration specialist performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, requiring them to have excellent data management skills to process information and provide the highest quality care services for the patients.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between medical clerks and registration specialists, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a medical clerk might have more use for skills like "clerical support," "office equipment," "provide clerical support," and "ekg." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of registration specialists require skills like "customer service," "insurance eligibility," "home health," and "basic math. "
Registration specialists enjoy the best pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $30,648. For comparison, medical clerks earn the highest salary in the government industry.In general, registration specialists hold similar degree levels compared to medical clerks. Registration specialists are 0.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of medical clerk
Updated January 8, 2025
