Medical receptionists are responsible for manning the front desk at a medical facility such as a clinic or a hospital. They manage schedules and appointments in the clinic or hospital. They help patients to their respective appointments. They also assist doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners by ensuring that the schedule for the day is being followed. They are also in charge of assisting visitors by directing them wherever they would need to go. Medical receptionists also answer inquiries by patients or visitors. Medical knowledge, great customer service skills, and a friendly attitude are needed.

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Medical Receptionist Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real medical receptionist resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

  • Conduct analysis to address long wait times which lead to faster triage, shorter wait times.
  • Evaluate all EOB's to insure accurate payment is received and when necessary will file appeals to achieve optimal payments.
  • Greet and check-in patients, including obtaining accurate patient demographic information, patient registration, and checking insurance eligibility.
  • Learned and operate chiropractic equipment (decompression; Leander) & x-rays; enabling Dr to have more time for patients.
  • Resolve concerns of terminally ill patients with compassion and professionalism.
  • Identify patients' specific scheduling requirements while demonstrating care and compassion via telephone.
  • Perform responsibilities of maintaining and updating patients insurance and demographic information in the EHR.
  • Register new patients and update existing patient demographics by collecting patient information including personal and financial information.
  • Direct and escort patients to appropriate medical clinics including labor and delivery, radiology, laboratory and MRI.
  • Experience with EMR and scanning charts.
  • Confirm address and phone numbers are correct in the EMR.
  • Machine then pulls patients by weight that the Dr. prescribes.
  • use omni-doc to write all progress notes, immunization, etc.
  • Process all same day surgery and labor/delivery admissions to and from the hospital.
  • Type in MediSoft for patient charges and enter payments from patients and insurance companies.

Medical Receptionist Job Description

When it comes to understanding what a medical receptionist does, you may be wondering, "should I become a medical receptionist?" The data included in this section may help you decide. Compared to other jobs, medical receptionists have a growth rate described as "decline" at -7% between the years 2018 - 2028, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, the number of medical receptionist opportunities that are predicted to open up by 2028 is -276,700.

A medical receptionist annual salary averages $31,960, which breaks down to $15.37 an hour. However, medical receptionists can earn anywhere from upwards of $26,000 to $38,000 a year. This means that the top-earning medical receptionists make $13,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

It's hard work to become a medical receptionist, but even the most dedicated employees consider switching careers from time to time. Whether you're interested in a more challenging position or just looking for a fresh start, we've compiled extensive information on becoming a patient service coordinator, front office coordinator, patient coordinator, and patient representative.

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Medical Receptionist Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 30% of Medical Receptionists are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Check-In. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Technical skills.

We break down the percentage of Medical Receptionists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 30%

    Collected patient co-payments and recorded payment transactions; obtained third-party payer authorization for services provided and communicated outstanding balances to patients.

  • Customer Service, 9%

    Participated as an integral member of a medical team and dedication to delivering excellent customer service and strengthening the patient/clinician relationship.

  • Check-In, 6%

    Processed patient check-in and checkout paperwork for medical imaging procedures and responsible for various secretarial duties.

  • Medical Terminology, 6%

    Received certificates in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and medical terminology.

  • Patient Care, 4%

    Assist with ensuring excellent patient care by maintaining relationships through efficient greeting and positive demeanor.

  • Front Desk, 4%

    Manage a medical front desk in areas of manual and computerized scheduling and medical/insurance records management including major carriers and Medicaid.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Medical Receptionist Resume templates

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Some of the skills we found on medical receptionist resumes included "patients," "customer service," and "check-in." We have detailed the most important medical receptionist responsibilities below.

  • In order for certain medical receptionist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires the skill "writing skills." According to a medical receptionist resume, "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers" As an example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies: "key competencies and skills office administration excellent verbal and writing skills insurance authorization time management"
  • Lastly, this career requires you to be skillful in "organizational skills." According to medical receptionist resumes, "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in proper order so an office can run efficiently." This resume example highlights how medical receptionist responsibilities rely on this skill: "managed many tasks and multiple demands and always handled phone calls with excellent telephone manners and organizational skills required"
  • See the full list of medical receptionist skills.

    After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a medical receptionist. We found that 22.4% of medical receptionists have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 2.0% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some medical receptionists have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every two medical receptionists were not college graduates.

    The medical receptionists who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied health care administration and business, while a small population of medical receptionists studied medical assisting services and nursing.

    When you're ready to become a medical receptionist, you might wonder which companies hire medical receptionists. According to our research through medical receptionist resumes, medical receptionists are mostly hired by Sea Mar Community Health Centers, Florida Medical Clinic, and UnitedHealth Group. Now is a good time to apply as Sea Mar Community Health Centers has 164 medical receptionists job openings, and there are 89 at Florida Medical Clinic and 75 at UnitedHealth Group.

    If you're interested in companies where medical receptionists make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at CENTER FOR SIGHT, Retina Group Of Washington, and Eye Health Services. We found that at CENTER FOR SIGHT, the average medical receptionist salary is $42,610. Whereas at Retina Group Of Washington, medical receptionists earn roughly $42,578. And at Eye Health Services, they make an average salary of $42,535.

    View more details on medical receptionist salaries across the United States.

    Some other companies you might be interested in as a medical receptionist include D-R SERVICES, Johns Hopkins University, and Kaiser Permanente. These three companies were found to hire the most medical receptionists from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

    The three companies that hire the most prestigious medical receptionists are:

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    What Patient Service Coordinators Do

    Patient services coordinators act as a liaison between a healthcare organization and patients. Their primary job is to provide quality service to patients. Their duties and responsibilities include fielding telephone calls from patients, assessing patients' issues, and interacting with team members, medical personnel, and employees from other departments. Also, they are responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory and hospital requirements and maintaining quality service. Patient services coordinators must also ensure to maintain their technical knowledge by participating in personal networks, attending educational workshops, and reviewing professional publications.

    We looked at the average medical receptionist annual salary and compared it with the average of a patient service coordinator. Generally speaking, patient service coordinators receive $2,794 higher pay than medical receptionists per year.

    Even though medical receptionists and patient service coordinators have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require patients, customer service, and check-in in the day-to-day roles.

    These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. A medical receptionist responsibility is more likely to require skills like "insurance forms," "test results," "ehr," and "word processing." Whereas a patient service coordinator requires skills like "patient service," "home health," "excellent organizational," and "cleanliness." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

    Patient service coordinators really shine in the health care industry with an average salary of $35,469. Whereas medical receptionists tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $32,483.

    The education levels that patient service coordinators earn is a bit different than that of medical receptionists. In particular, patient service coordinators are 2.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a medical receptionist. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    What Are The Duties Of a Front Office Coordinator?

    A front office coordinator is responsible for assisting clients with their inquiries and concerns and directing them to the appropriate department and personnel to immediately address their needs. Front office coordinators schedule appointments, verify visitors' identities by checking their credentials for security purposes, processing service payments, updating customers' data and visitation log on the database, and escalating high-level complaints. A front office coordinator also performs administrative and clerical tasks as needed, requiring them to have excellent time-management and organizational skills.

    Next up, we have the front office coordinator profession to look over. This career brings along a higher average salary when compared to a medical receptionist annual salary. In fact, front office coordinators salary difference is $884 higher than the salary of medical receptionists per year.

    Not everything about these jobs is different. Take their skills, for example. Medical receptionists and front office coordinators both include similar skills like "patients," "customer service," and "patient care" on their resumes.

    In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, medical receptionist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "check-in," "medical terminology," "phone calls," and "insurance forms." Meanwhile, a front office coordinator might be skilled in areas such as "appointment scheduling," "patient appointments," "emr," and "physical therapy." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

    Front office coordinators may earn a higher salary than medical receptionists, but front office coordinators earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $32,333. On the other side of things, medical receptionists receive higher paychecks in the health care industry where they earn an average of $32,483.

    On the topic of education, front office coordinators earn similar levels of education than medical receptionists. In general, they're 1.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

    How a Patient Coordinator Compares

    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.

    The third profession we take a look at is patient coordinator. On an average scale, these workers bring in higher salaries than medical receptionists. In fact, they make a $994 higher salary per year.

    While looking through the resumes of several medical receptionists and patient coordinators we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "patients," "customer service," and "check-in," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

    Some important key differences between the two careers are a few of the skills necessary to fulfill responsibilities. Some examples from medical receptionist resumes include skills like "insurance eligibility," "insurance forms," "patient insurance," and "provides administrative support," whereas a patient coordinator might be skilled in "excellent organizational," "patient satisfaction," "pet," and "taking care. "

    Patient coordinators make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $33,131. Whereas medical receptionists are paid the highest salary in the health care industry with the average being $32,483.

    When it comes to education, patient coordinators tend to earn similar education levels than medical receptionists. In fact, they're 2.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

    Description Of a Patient Representative

    A patient representative is responsible for assisting the patients with their health care needs by identifying their medical concerns, assessing their medical history, and referring them to the appropriate physicians or other medical professionals for immediate treatments and further examinations. Patient representatives verify the patients' insurance information, guiding them on filling out medical forms, processing payments for medical services, and updating them for the release of medical results. A patient representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially when responding to patient's inquiries and concerns timely and accurately, and performing additional administrative and clerical tasks as needed.

    Now, we'll look at patient representatives, who generally average a higher pay when compared to medical receptionists annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $509 per year.

    According to resumes from both medical receptionists and patient representatives, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "patients," "customer service," and "check-in. "

    While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "office equipment," "insurance forms," "test results," and "provides administrative support" are skills that have shown up on medical receptionists resumes. Additionally, patient representative uses skills like patient appointments, strong customer service, excellent interpersonal, and emr on their resumes.

    In general, patient representatives make a higher salary in the non profits industry with an average of $34,572. The highest medical receptionist annual salary stems from the health care industry.

    The average resume of patient representatives showed that they earn similar levels of education to medical receptionists. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 2.8% more. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.

    What a Medical Receptionist Does FAQs

    Is Being A Medical Receptionist A Good Job?

    Yes, being a medical receptionist is a good job. This position is fairly important to the everyday management of a hospital or doctor's office. A medical receptionist's job is to perform clerical and supportive work in a hospital unit, ensuring that everything runs efficiently and avoids delays.

    What Qualifications Do You Need To Be A Medical Receptionist?

    The qualifications to become a medical receptionist include a high school diploma and some experience and knowledge working in healthcare environments. It typically takes two to four years to become a medical receptionist.

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