Patient care specialist vs authorization specialist

The differences between patient care specialists and authorization specialists 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 care specialist and an authorization specialist. Additionally, an authorization specialist has an average salary of $36,518, which is higher than the $34,157 average annual salary of a patient care specialist.

The top three skills for a patient care specialist include patients, patient care and data entry. The most important skills for an authorization specialist are patients, customer service, and insurance verification.

Patient care specialist vs authorization specialist overview

	Patient Care Specialist	Authorization Specialist
Yearly salary	$34,157	$36,518
Hourly rate	$16.42	$17.56
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	146,861	71,831
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient care specialist do?

A patient service or care specialist works at different medical facilities. Primary responsibilities include checking patients in and out, scheduling follow-up appointments as well as checking patient eligibility for services or programs. Patient service specialists should maintain a systematic referral log to correlate patient referrals to other specialists. Applicants for the job should have the basic computer knowledge to effectively manage data of patient's files, knowledge of medical terminologies, and possess good interpersonal and customer service skills.

What does an authorization specialist do?

An authorization specialist is responsible for reviewing insurance claims and determining the necessary settlement for the clients and involved parties. Authorization specialists file documents and gather the required information for further investigation and analysis. They coordinate with the insurance agency and the medical institution and ensure that the correct communications are being sent out for reference. An authorization specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing authorization requests and resolve claims timely and efficiently.

Patient care specialist vs authorization specialist salary

Patient care specialists and authorization specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Specialist	Authorization Specialist
Average salary	$34,157	$36,518
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $55,000	Between $28,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Milford, MA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Massachusetts
Best paying company	KPG	Guidehouse
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care specialist and authorization specialist education

There are a few differences between a patient care specialist and an authorization specialist in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Specialist	Authorization Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 33%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient care specialist vs authorization specialist demographics

Here are the differences between patient care specialists' and authorization specialists' demographics:

	Patient Care Specialist	Authorization Specialist
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 20.3% Female, 79.7%	Male, 15.4% Female, 84.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.1% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 22.6% Asian, 6.9% White, 53.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient care specialist and authorization specialist duties and responsibilities

Patient care specialist example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPAA and clinic.
Utilize software applications to document call interactions using medical terminology and responsible for initially engaging patients by explaining the services.
Verify CPT codes along with diagnosis code for guarantee payment for surgeries.
Process daily fee tickets and correctly enter office visit ICD 9 and CPT codes into the system for billing.
Adhere to HIPPA confidentiality guidelines.
Track Medicaid eligibility of clients.

Authorization specialist example responsibilities.

Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA by appropriately managing patient confidentiality.
Utilize CMS and InterQual criteria to establish authorizations for members requiring medical services for a Medicare advantage insurance company.
Build authorization, match ICD-10 codes with there procedure codes
Provide patients with patient registration forms in order to follow up on patient check-in and check-out utilizing a proprietary management system.
Obtain verification of insurance coverage and authorizations for clinical visits and surgical procedures for patients.
Perform all components of the office registration including arrival, check-in and future appointments.

Patient care specialist vs authorization specialist skills

Common patient care specialist skills

Patients, 33%
Patient Care, 17%
Data Entry, 5%
Medical Terminology, 4%
CPT, 2%
CPR, 2%

Common authorization specialist skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 10%
Insurance Verification, 6%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Insurance Eligibility, 4%
Veterans, 4%

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Patient Care Specialist
Patient Care Specialist vs Authorization Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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