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Patient account coordinator vs front office coordinator

The differences between patient account coordinators and front office coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a patient account coordinator, becoming a front office coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a patient account coordinator has an average salary of $35,695, which is higher than the $32,844 average annual salary of a front office coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient account coordinator include patients, patient accounts and credit balances. The most important skills for a front office coordinator are patients, customer service, and data entry.

Patient account coordinator vs front office coordinator overview

Patient Account CoordinatorFront Office Coordinator
Yearly salary$35,695$32,844
Hourly rate$17.16$15.79
Growth rate-8%-5%
Number of jobs148,258131,810
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age4647
Years of experience122

What does a patient account coordinator do?

A patient account coordinator ensures that the medical records of a patient are consolidated and updated with necessary and accurate information for ease of access by medical staff and other departments within a medical facility. You will capture and record patient information for easy access, handle patient billing and related inquiries, and help patients fill out the required paperwork. Patient account coordinators schedule and follow up patient appointments, set up and manage patient accounts and information therein, and coordinate and follow up on insurance benefits.

What does a front office coordinator do?

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.

Patient account coordinator vs front office coordinator salary

Patient account coordinators and front office coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Patient Account CoordinatorFront Office Coordinator
Average salary$35,695$32,844
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $41,000Between $25,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry-Health Care

Differences between patient account coordinator and front office coordinator education

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

Patient Account CoordinatorFront Office Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college-University of Pennsylvania

Patient account coordinator vs front office coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between patient account coordinators' and front office coordinators' demographics:

Patient Account CoordinatorFront Office Coordinator
Average age4647
Gender ratioMale, 12.0% Female, 88.0%Male, 9.0% Female, 91.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.7% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 4.0% White, 59.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 24.1% Asian, 6.7% White, 53.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage8%6%

Differences between patient account coordinator and front office coordinator duties and responsibilities

Patient account coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Accept and process healthcare claims and confidential medical records; verify patient eligibility and manage the Medicare and Medicaid billing process.
  • Perform appropriate follow-up for missing data elements such as CPT, HCPCS, ICD-9 codes and modifiers.
  • Be able to work with the current CPT, ICD-9 books, CPC certification are required for this position
  • Provide quality customer service, maintain confidentiality, problem solving, and accuracy while complying with all HIPAA regulations.
  • Provide adequate documentation to insurance carriers for appeals and reconsideration of soft and technical denials.
  • See that records are store securely and handle in compliance with HIPAA privacy and security regulations
  • Show more

Front office coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage medical records and other patient information within HIPPA guidelines.
  • Manage facility procedures relate to insurance and billing and solve patients' queries regarding their insurance renewal and expiry.
  • Work in Kronos to enter miss punches or correct time for employees when payroll is due.
  • Apply proper ICD-9 and CPT coding to patient invoices and submit claims to insurance companies for proper reimbursement.
  • Monitor physician documentation in EHR versus fee ticket and verify that the correct ICD9 and CPT codes are being used.
  • Maintain confidentiality of patient privacy in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
  • Show more

Patient account coordinator vs front office coordinator skills

Common patient account coordinator skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Patient Accounts, 10%
  • Credit Balances, 9%
  • Appeals, 7%
  • Medical Billing, 4%
  • Data Entry, 3%
Common front office coordinator skills
  • Patients, 27%
  • Customer Service, 11%
  • Data Entry, 5%
  • Front Desk, 4%
  • Insurance Verification, 4%
  • Patient Charts, 3%

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