Patient accounts clerk vs patient care advocate

The differences between patient accounts clerks and patient care advocates 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 accounts clerk and a patient care advocate. Additionally, a patient care advocate has an average salary of $34,043, which is higher than the $31,951 average annual salary of a patient accounts clerk.

The top three skills for a patient accounts clerk include patients, medical terminology and patient demographics. The most important skills for a patient care advocate are patients, patient care, and PCA.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care advocate overview

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Advocate
Yearly salary	$31,951	$34,043
Hourly rate	$15.36	$16.37
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	161,780	126,400
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient accounts clerk do?

A Patient Accounts Clerk is primarily in charge of computing, billing, and collecting payments in hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. They may assist patients or families by answering inquiries, explaining payment procedures, and processing requests. Aside from serving as the point of contact regarding payment concerns, a patient accounts clerk is also responsible for liaising with health care providers and insurance companies, gathering and reviewing data for submissions, preparing and processing the necessary documents, and maintaining accurate records.

What does a patient care advocate do?

A patient care advocate specializes in providing support to patients, guiding them throughout the healthcare system. Their responsibilities include educating patients on the treatment and care options available, coordinating with physicians and facility administrators, liaising with insurance companies to resolve issues, and referring patients to other services and programs. They may also come with patients during appointments and keep them company on hospital stays. Moreover, a patient care advocate must help patients understand their rights and process insurance claims.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care advocate salary

Patient accounts clerks and patient care advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Advocate
Average salary	$31,951	$34,043
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $22,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Huntington Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between patient accounts clerk and patient care advocate education

There are a few differences between a patient accounts clerk and a patient care advocate in terms of educational background:

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Advocate
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care advocate demographics

Here are the differences between patient accounts clerks' and patient care advocates' demographics:

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Advocate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient accounts clerk and patient care advocate duties and responsibilities

Patient accounts clerk example responsibilities.

Develop and execute policies and procedures that effectively manage the information needs of the organization and always following HIPAA guidelines.
Research ICD-9 and CPT codes on reject claims.
Adhere to all company policies, processes and procedures in compliance with HIPPA.
Practice HIPAA compliant rules and regulations while updating the patient information and entering the charges.
Verify charges on claims and assign valid ICD-9 and CPT codes to ensure appropriate reimbursement.
Research, appeal and resolve claims, rejections and denials with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurances.

Patient care advocate example responsibilities.

Communicate with insurance companies on a continuous basis to ensure hospital reimbursement and attain authorization for home and rehabilitation services.
Answer questions relate to pharmacy benefits while maintaining HIPAA confidentiality, productivity standards, and performance guidelines.
Assist patients with bathroom needs - bedside commode, bedpan, urinal, catheter care.
Know how to do lab work such as strep and flu testing, drawing blood, and EKG's.
Assist in all medical needs (CBG's, vitals, bathing, bed changes, EKG's).
Place catheters in patients of all ages and genders.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care advocate skills

Common patient accounts clerk skills

Patients, 24%
Medical Terminology, 14%
Patient Demographics, 9%
Customer Service, 8%
Data Entry, 7%
PBX, 4%

Common patient care advocate skills

Patients, 34%
Patient Care, 20%
PCA, 7%
Social Work, 4%
HIPAA, 3%
Vital Signs, 3%

Patient Accounts Clerk vs. similar jobs

Patient Accounts Clerk related careers

Patient Accounts Clerk related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Accounts Clerk
Patient Accounts Clerk vs Patient Care Advocate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs