Patient access representative vs registration specialist

The differences between patient access representatives and registration specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a patient access representative and a registration specialist. Additionally, a patient access representative has an average salary of $33,603, which is higher than the $30,422 average annual salary of a registration specialist.

The top three skills for a patient access representative include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a registration specialist are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Patient access representative vs registration specialist overview

	Patient Access Representative	Registration Specialist
Yearly salary	$33,603	$30,422
Hourly rate	$16.16	$14.63
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	151,077	79,118
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient access representative do?

A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.

What does a registration specialist do?

A registration specialist is responsible for managing patient information, including the verification of their insurance details and medical treatment schedules. Registration specialists assign admission rooms and processing payments for discharge. They also assist patients with the completion of medical forms by helping them fill-out papers with the most accurate information. A registration specialist performs administrative and clerical duties as needed, requiring them to have excellent data management skills to process information and provide the highest quality care services for the patients.

Patient access representative vs registration specialist salary

Patient access representatives and registration specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Access Representative	Registration Specialist
Average salary	$33,603	$30,422
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $41,000	Between $23,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Deloitte
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient access representative and registration specialist education

There are a few differences between a patient access representative and a registration specialist in terms of educational background:

	Patient Access Representative	Registration Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient access representative vs registration specialist demographics

Here are the differences between patient access representatives' and registration specialists' demographics:

	Patient Access Representative	Registration Specialist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient access representative and registration specialist duties and responsibilities

Patient access representative example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPPA and clinic.
Conduct intensive screening of all Medicare, Medicaid and manage care patients for provider service eligibility.
Educate eligible applicants about Medicaid manage care and how to access benefits in a manage care environment.
Run internal reports to ensure ICD 9 and CPT procedure codes are accurate for billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Deliver quality customer service and compassion while obtaining demographic and financial data from patients seeking emergency medical services.
Operate front desk check-in, preparation of charts, receive payments and balance books at the end of the day.

Registration specialist example responsibilities.

Attain and authenticate patient insurance information, counsel patients on changes in insurance policies, verify patient demographics.
Help patients through the registration and admitting processes and also contribute to the PBX department.
Input data entries for insurance billing; adding CPT codes and diagnosis from face sheets as patients arrive.
Act as hospital PBX operator.
Complete all charge entry, enter all CPT and ICD-9 codes for billing for multiple doctors each day.
Enter patient information and verify information according to HIPAA regulations.

Patient access representative vs registration specialist skills

Common patient access representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 13%
Medical Terminology, 9%
Patient Care, 5%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%

Common registration specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Customer Service, 14%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Data Entry, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Access Representative
Patient Access Representative vs Registration Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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