Patient coordinator vs medication coordinator

The differences between patient coordinators and medication coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patient coordinator, becoming a medication coordinator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a medication coordinator has an average salary of $41,887, which is higher than the $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient coordinator include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a medication coordinator are patients, triage, and HIPAA.

Patient coordinator vs medication coordinator overview

	Patient Coordinator	Medication Coordinator
Yearly salary	$32,954	$41,887
Hourly rate	$15.84	$20.14
Growth rate	-4%	-8%
Number of jobs	97,878	67,303
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Average age	40	49
Years of experience	4	2

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.

What does a medication coordinator do?

A medication care coordinator communicates on the job with basic knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy to ensure that patient medication plans are correct. Medication care coordinators establish relationships with healthcare clinic partners. They serve as liaisons between pharmacies and patients. Their skills to acquire include knowledge and experience in patient care, customer service, medical standards, and treatment plans. They should also develop strong communication skills, attention to detail, and patient relations.

Patient coordinator vs medication coordinator salary

Patient coordinators and medication coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Coordinator	Medication Coordinator
Average salary	$32,954	$41,887
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $28,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Catholic Health Care System
Best paying industry	Health Care	Pharmaceutical

Differences between patient coordinator and medication coordinator education

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

	Patient Coordinator	Medication Coordinator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 41%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Patient coordinator vs medication coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between patient coordinators' and medication coordinators' demographics:

	Patient Coordinator	Medication Coordinator
Average age	40	49
Gender ratio	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 70.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	9%

Differences between patient coordinator and medication coordinator duties and responsibilities

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.

Medication coordinator example responsibilities.

Manage patient's accounts collecting and billing financial statements, budgets and expertise with CPT and ICD-9 coding.
Manage inpatient transfers to rehabilitation and medical facilities, along with preparing and monitoring outpatient billings insurance verification and referrals.
Complete records after patients complete all medical appointments, typing intake forms and additional entries/forms, and obtain physician signatures.
Navigate effectively through an electronic medical records (EMR) system.
Develop plan for confidentiality of client and agency information through HIPAA guidelines.
Perform Medicare and Medicaid audits on members using company medical policy and establish criteria for H.C.F.A.

Patient coordinator vs medication coordinator skills

Common patient coordinator skills

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

Common medication coordinator skills

Patients, 13%
Triage, 6%
HIPAA, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
Test Results, 5%
Vital Signs, 5%

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Patient Coordinator
Patient Coordinator vs Medication Coordinator

Updated January 8, 2025

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