Patient account coordinator vs medical collector

The differences between patient account coordinators and medical collectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a patient account coordinator and a medical collector. Additionally, a medical collector has an average salary of $36,235, which is higher than the $35,695 average annual salary of a patient account coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient account coordinator include patients, patient accounts and credit balances. The most important skills for a medical collector are patients, healthcare, and customer service.

Patient account coordinator vs medical collector overview

	Patient Account Coordinator	Medical Collector
Yearly salary	$35,695	$36,235
Hourly rate	$17.16	$17.42
Growth rate	-8%	-8%
Number of jobs	148,258	73,797
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	12	12

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 medical collector do?

A medical collector deals with collection of bills related to medical services. They handle healthcare-related debt, collect patient insurance information, and develop repayment plans to accommodate debtors that are unable to settle their accounts. Qualifications for this position include knowledge of accounting and training in insurance, business or finance.

Patient account coordinator vs medical collector salary

Patient account coordinators and medical collectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Account Coordinator	Medical Collector
Average salary	$35,695	$36,235
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $41,000	Between $30,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	-	Arlington Heights, IL
Highest paying state	-	Illinois
Best paying company	-	Addison Group
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between patient account coordinator and medical collector education

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

	Patient Account Coordinator	Medical Collector
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 24%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Patient account coordinator vs medical collector demographics

Here are the differences between patient account coordinators' and medical collectors' demographics:

	Patient Account Coordinator	Medical Collector
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 12.0% Female, 88.0%	Male, 18.0% Female, 82.0%
Race ratio	Black 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, 13.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 3.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between patient account coordinator and medical collector 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

Medical collector example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Perform as a mediator between insurance companies and patients collecting nationwide extensive medical bills.
Utilize A/R reports and identify accounts that are past payments.
Maintain a filing system of clients' medical records and disclosure following HIPPA guidelines.
Post appropriate adjustment types and carrier payments to accounts for true A/R account balance reflection.
Maintain strict confidentiality; adhering to all HIPAA guidelines/regulations.

Patient account coordinator vs medical collector skills

Common patient account coordinator skills

Patients, 20%
Patient Accounts, 10%
Credit Balances, 9%
Appeals, 7%
Medical Billing, 4%
Data Entry, 3%

Common medical collector skills

Patients, 22%
Healthcare, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
Medical Collections, 5%
Appeals, 5%
Medicaid, 4%

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Patient Account Coordinator
Patient Account Coordinator vs Medical Collector

Updated January 8, 2025

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