Patient accounts clerk vs patient care representative

The differences between patient accounts clerks and patient care representatives 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 representative. Additionally, a patient care representative has an average salary of $33,709, 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 representative are patients, patient care, and home health.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care representative overview

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Yearly salary	$31,951	$33,709
Hourly rate	$15.36	$16.21
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	161,780	133,317
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
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 representative do?

PCRs (Patient Care Representatives) are given responsibilities like updating and verifying patient information after every visit, scheduling and reminding patients about appointments, and informing patients about delays and how long the estimated waiting times will be. They are also responsible for obtaining patients' personal information like their address, contact details, insurance information, and medical and surgical history. They must be able to communicate with patients, family members, and medical staff to give them all the information they need to treat the person looking for medical help.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care representative salary

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Average salary	$31,951	$33,709
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between patient accounts clerk and patient care representative education

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care representative demographics

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Care Representative
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 17.1% Female, 82.9%
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, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient accounts clerk and patient care representative 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 representative example responsibilities.

Manage cash and co-payments accurately and discharge patients providing them with proper medical notes and information before exiting.
Verify insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, register patients, and code proper ICD-9 and CPT codes on encounters.
Utilize medical terminology, CPT, HCPC and ICD-9 and patient information into new authorizations.
Interview patients to gather information pertinent to their Medicaid application.
Screen, identify, and enter ICD-9 coding from treatment record forms.
Maintain patient confidentiality and follow HIPAA rules.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient care representative 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 representative skills

Patients, 25%
Patient Care, 13%
Home Health, 7%
Cash Management, 5%
Phone Calls, 4%
CPT, 3%

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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