Medical records administrator vs patient care representative

The differences between medical records administrators and patient care representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a medical records administrator, becoming a patient care representative takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical records administrator has an average salary of $80,519, which is higher than the $33,709 average annual salary of a patient care representative.

The top three skills for a medical records administrator include patients, medical terminology and HIPAA. The most important skills for a patient care representative are patients, patient care, and home health.

Medical records administrator vs patient care representative overview

	Medical Records Administrator	Patient Care Representative
Yearly salary	$80,519	$33,709
Hourly rate	$38.71	$16.21
Growth rate	28%	-4%
Number of jobs	103,325	133,317
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	47	40
Years of experience	6	4

What does a medical records administrator do?

Medical records administrators oversee written and electronic medical records and reports. The duties of a medical records administrator are to maintain patient records, collect admission reports, liaise with other medical staff, compile documentation from different medical records, respond to enquiries and records requests from patients and physicians, and create a database for patient records. They are also tasked with ensuring the records comply with all policies protecting patient privacy and confidentiality.

What does a patient care representative do?

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.

Medical records administrator vs patient care representative salary

Medical records administrators and patient care representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Records Administrator	Patient Care Representative
Average salary	$80,519	$33,709
Salary range	Between $59,000 And $108,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Delaware	Alaska
Best paying company	Long Island, FQHC, Inc	Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Technology

Differences between medical records administrator and patient care representative education

There are a few differences between a medical records administrator and a patient care representative in terms of educational background:

	Medical Records Administrator	Patient Care Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical records administrator vs patient care representative demographics

Here are the differences between medical records administrators' and patient care representatives' demographics:

	Medical Records Administrator	Patient Care Representative
Average age	47	40
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	12%	7%

Differences between medical records administrator and patient care representative duties and responsibilities

Medical records administrator example responsibilities.

Manage medical records in accordance with federal and state HIPAA guidelines, maintaining confidentiality of patient information.
Bill Medicaid and pertinent insurance companies for payment on services.
Respond swiftly to provider questions and ensure claims are processed through MMIS system properly to meet Medicaid eligibility.
Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA privacy and security regulations by appropriately handling patient information.
Ensure evacuated patients are moved to the appropriate medical treatment facility or warrior transition units.
Interact with patients and associate medical professionals in order to supply and forward correct documentation for clinical visits.

Patient care representative example responsibilities.

Manage cash and co-payments accurately and discharge patients providing them with proper medical notes and information before exiting.
Verify insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, register patients, and code proper ICD-9 and CPT codes on encounters.
Utilize medical terminology, CPT, HCPC and ICD-9 and patient information into new authorizations.
Interview patients to gather information pertinent to their Medicaid application.
Screen, identify, and enter ICD-9 coding from treatment record forms.
Maintain patient confidentiality and follow HIPAA rules.

Medical records administrator vs patient care representative skills

Common medical records administrator skills

Patients, 28%
Medical Terminology, 12%
HIPAA, 7%
Patient Care, 7%
Patient Charts, 7%
Transcription, 4%

Common patient care representative skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 13%
Home Health, 7%
Cash Management, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
CPT, 3%

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Medical Records Administrator
Medical Records Administrator vs Patient Care Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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