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The differences between medical records 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 records analyst and a reimbursement specialist. Additionally, a medical records analyst has an average salary of $73,609, which is higher than the $38,273 average annual salary of a reimbursement specialist.
The top three skills for a medical records analyst include patients, patient care and medical terminology. The most important skills for a reimbursement specialist are patients, customer service, and appeals.
| Medical Records Analyst | Reimbursement Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $73,609 | $38,273 |
| Hourly rate | $35.39 | $18.40 |
| Growth rate | 11% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 61,145 | 32,292 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A medical records analyst oversees healthcare records and data within an organization. Their job duties include creating reports and using records to determine how to better streamline processes. They also need to compile, calculate, audit, verify and organize information. They review the records to ensure they are accurate, interpret billing and payment information, and generate reports to be used by the management for review. The main qualification for this position is a degree in health information management.
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 records analysts and reimbursement specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Records Analyst | Reimbursement Specialist | |
| Average salary | $73,609 | $38,273 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $101,000 | Between $29,000 And $49,000 |
| Highest paying City | Manchester, CT | Lynchburg, VA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Virginia |
| Best paying company | Mayo Clinic | Novartis |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a medical records analyst and a reimbursement specialist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Records Analyst | Reimbursement Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between medical records analysts' and reimbursement specialists' demographics:
| Medical Records Analyst | Reimbursement Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.8% Female, 80.2% | Male, 15.2% Female, 84.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 8.8% White, 58.6% 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% |