Patient accounts clerk vs patient coordinator

The differences between patient accounts clerks and patient coordinators 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 coordinator. Additionally, a patient coordinator has an average salary of $32,954, 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 coordinator are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient coordinator overview

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Coordinator
Yearly salary	$31,951	$32,954
Hourly rate	$15.36	$15.84
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	161,780	97,878
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
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 coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient coordinator salary

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Coordinator
Average salary	$31,951	$32,954
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $38,000	Between $25,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Brockton, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between patient accounts clerk and patient coordinator education

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Coordinator
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 40%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient accounts clerk vs patient coordinator demographics

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

	Patient Accounts Clerk	Patient Coordinator
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 13.9% Female, 86.1%	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%
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, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient accounts clerk and patient coordinator 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 coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

Patient accounts clerk vs patient coordinator skills

Common patient accounts clerk skills

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

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Accounts Clerk
Patient Accounts Clerk vs Patient Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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