How To Become A Patient Account Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a patient account manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN

The patient account manager is employed by hospitals, doctors, clinics, medical billing firms, and medical facilities to handle all matters relating to patient billing and medical insurance claims. You will process the patient's payments and refunds. You will also create suitable payment plans for patients based on their monthly income and financial obligations. The medical insurance providers will be contacted to verify whether the patient's treatments will be covered. You will answer all patient's questions regarding unsettled medical bills, reimbursements, and billing discrepancies. Similarly, you will contact collection agencies or attorneys to initiate the payment collection process in cases of delinquent accounts.

A high school diploma with completion of a post-secondary education program in Medical Office Administration is preferred for this role. Sound knowledge of medical terminology and billing is required. Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, are important for the post. You must have strong analytical and problem-solving skills. The patient account manager earns an average of $55,177 a year.

What general advice would you give to a patient account manager?

Pawn Johnson-Hunter MS, RN, AGPCNP-BC, GERO- BC, CM/DN

Nurse Educator, Nclex Mentor/Coach

A few ways to maximize earning potential as a new graduate nurse is through skillful negotiations and previous experience in healthcare, such as degree level, nurse externships, phlebotomy skills, or certifications. Many, if not all, employers appreciate that new graduates are equipped with clinical skills that are strongly recommended for the practice area. While many nurse certifications require experience, some are for entry-level, such as advanced life support (ACLS and PALS) and IV insertion. There are also some specialty practice certifications that new grads can obtain without years of experience; although they may recommend the experience at times, this is optional. All of this demonstrates the applicant's commitment to the profession and interest. Other ways are to work overtime hours, learn about clinical career ladders, or continue formal education.

ScorePatient Account ManagerUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,777

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.1

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.73%

Asian 7.10%

Black or African American 11.91%

Hispanic or Latino 14.89%

Unknown 4.28%

White 61.10%

Gender

female 79.81%

male 20.19%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

7.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a patient account manager

Explore patient account manager education requirements

Most common patient account manager degrees

Bachelor's

55.0 %

Associate

21.7 %

Master's

8.8 %

Start to develop specific patient account manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.95%
Customer Service	13.09%
Patient Accounts	9.54%
Revenue Cycle	9.36%
Patient Care	4.21%

Complete relevant patient account manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New patient account managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a patient account manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real patient account manager resumes.

Gain additional patient account manager certifications

Patient account manager certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific patient account manager certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for patient account managers include Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) and Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM).

More About Certifications

Research patient account manager duties and responsibilities

Manage CLIA certify laboratory ensuring quality and proficiency standards of several non-waive proficiency tests.
Manage the credentialing of all new providers by ensuring that their Medicare and Medicaid applications are complete accurately and timely.
Manage all medical billing relate operations including insurance and Medicaid verification, coding, accounts receivable, billing and collections.
Manage major transformation by creating/designing and implementing new EHR operating system providing communications, training and technical support throughout the process.

Prepare your patient account manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your patient account manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a patient account manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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