Medical office administrator vs patient coordinator

The differences between medical office administrators and patient coordinators 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 office administrator, becoming a patient coordinator takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical office administrator has an average salary of $34,252, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a medical office administrator include patients, patient care and customer service. The most important skills for a patient coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Medical office administrator vs patient coordinator overview

	Medical Office Administrator	Patient Coordinator
Yearly salary	$34,252	$32,954
Hourly rate	$16.47	$15.84
Growth rate	-8%	-4%
Number of jobs	179,503	97,878
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Average age	49	40
Years of experience	2	4

What does a medical office administrator do?

A medical office administrator is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties within a health care institution, supplying physicians and medical professionals with patients' information, and coordinating with insurance companies. Medical office administrators handle the information and data management system to ensure the accuracy of patients' details, medical history, and treatment plans. They also schedule doctor appointments and cancellations, as well as monitoring the inventory of medical supplies. A medical office administrator submits payment reports, respond to patients' inquiries and concerns, and process billing disputes.

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

Medical office administrator vs patient coordinator salary

Medical office administrators and patient coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Office Administrator	Patient Coordinator
Average salary	$34,252	$32,954
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Anchorage, AK	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical office administrator and patient coordinator education

There are a few differences between a medical office administrator and a patient coordinator in terms of educational background:

	Medical Office Administrator	Patient Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Health Care Administration	Business
Most common college	-	University of Pennsylvania

Medical office administrator vs patient coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between medical office administrators' and patient coordinators' demographics:

	Medical Office Administrator	Patient Coordinator
Average age	49	40
Gender ratio	Male, 9.4% Female, 90.6%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	7%

Differences between medical office administrator and patient coordinator duties and responsibilities

Medical office administrator example responsibilities.

Re-Evaluat & improve policy manual, develop standards for HIPPA, OSHA, manage care, billing and medical compliance.
Facilitate client relationships and manage surgery schedules, financial consultations, follow up care and ongoing maintenance.
Used knowledge of medical procedures and customer service, record medical histories and schedule patients for hospitalization and other procedures.
Scan new information such as daily progress notes, physical exams, labs and diagnostic testing into EMR.
Advise and counsel patient regarding food, fluid, medicine intake and restrictions prior to surgery including drop regime.
Organize patient charts and loose reports, as well as paper work from daily operations for scanning into EMR system.

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

Medical office administrator vs patient coordinator skills

Common medical office administrator skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 10%
Customer Service, 8%
Insurance Verification, 5%
Phone Calls, 5%
Appointment Scheduling, 4%

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

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Medical Office Administrator
Medical Office Administrator vs Patient Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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