Medical data analyst vs reimbursement specialist

The differences between medical data analysts and reimbursement specialists 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 data analyst and a reimbursement specialist. Additionally, a medical data analyst has an average salary of $56,595, which is higher than the $38,273 average annual salary of a reimbursement specialist.

The top three skills for a medical data analyst include patients, data analysis and medical terminology. The most important skills for a reimbursement specialist are patients, customer service, and appeals.

Medical data analyst vs reimbursement specialist overview

	Medical Data Analyst	Reimbursement Specialist
Yearly salary	$56,595	$38,273
Hourly rate	$27.21	$18.40
Growth rate	11%	11%
Number of jobs	129,290	32,292
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	12	12

What does a medical data analyst do?

A medical data analyst uses a number of applications to improve the quality of healthcare. Their job entails operating an electronic health record system, coding information to be passed on to insurance companies for billing, and organizing patient information to guide the treatment suggestions. The qualifications for this position are knowledge of computer analytics software, experience with database systems, and familiarity with medical terms.

What does a reimbursement specialist do?

A reimbursement specialist is responsible for analyzing insurance documents, processing reimbursement claims, and releasing accurate billing statements for insurance claims. Reimbursement specialists must have excellent analytical skills, especially on performing clerical tasks to evaluate insurance cases, investigate cases, and update the account information of the clients on the database. They should also have impeccable communication skills and understanding of the insurance processes to be able to coordinate with the clients, explaining the procedures of their claims accurately, and coordinate with the insurance management to improve the claims processes.

Medical data analyst vs reimbursement specialist salary

Medical data analysts and reimbursement specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Data Analyst	Reimbursement Specialist
Average salary	$56,595	$38,273
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $80,000	Between $29,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	Lynchburg, VA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Virginia
Best paying company	University of California	Novartis
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Pharmaceutical

Differences between medical data analyst and reimbursement specialist education

There are a few differences between a medical data analyst and a reimbursement specialist in terms of educational background:

	Medical Data Analyst	Reimbursement Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 52%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Pennsylvania

Medical data analyst vs reimbursement specialist demographics

Here are the differences between medical data analysts' and reimbursement specialists' demographics:

	Medical Data Analyst	Reimbursement Specialist
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 31.3% Female, 68.7%	Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 8.5% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 8.1% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between medical data analyst and reimbursement specialist duties and responsibilities

Medical data analyst example responsibilities.

Manage cases by aggressively directing the litigation process.
Maintain priority levels of confidentiality with HIPAA and patient rights in all reviews and aspects of work.
Process records for subpoena, learned deposition process, attend court for subpoenas and processing of records.
Review and interpret diagnosis and procedure codes through ICD-9 and CPT-4, HCPS claims to avoid provider and facility up-coding.
Complete understanding of HIPPA confidentiality requirements, regulations.
Serve as departmental liaison to internal operational committees for Medicare and Medicaid.

Reimbursement specialist example responsibilities.

Manage the EDI clearinghouse rejections.
Process department payroll, order supplies, and manage petty-cash funds.
Manage use of various systems, such as MEDITECH, Cerner, WebNow, and yield-base follow-up tool.
Manage cases by aggressively directing the litigation process.
Negotiate fee structure for manage care contracts on acute and rehabilitation facilities.
Research medical coding ICD-9, ICD-10, HCPCS and CPT-4 to let client know the outcome of medical claim.

Medical data analyst vs reimbursement specialist skills

Common medical data analyst skills

Patients, 12%
Data Analysis, 7%
Medical Terminology, 6%
ICD-10, 5%
EMR, 5%
SQL, 4%

Common reimbursement specialist skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 9%
Appeals, 6%
CPT, 5%
Medicare, 4%
Medicaid, 4%

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Medical Data Analyst vs Reimbursement Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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