Patient relations manager vs patient access representative

The differences between patient relations managers and patient access 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 relations manager and a patient access representative. Additionally, a patient relations manager has an average salary of $43,633, which is higher than the $33,603 average annual salary of a patient access representative.

The top three skills for a patient relations manager include patients, schedule appointments and patient care. The most important skills for a patient access representative are patients, customer service, and medical terminology.

Patient relations manager vs patient access representative overview

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Access Representative
Yearly salary	$43,633	$33,603
Hourly rate	$20.98	$16.16
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	77,096	151,077
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient relations manager do?

Patient Relations Managers serve as the front desk personnel of offices or organizations. They handle the comments, questions, and any concerns associated with patients. It is their responsibility to manage patient relations as well as their complaint activity. Also, they ensure timely and thorough resolution of patient's concerns, complaints, and other issues.

What does a patient access representative do?

A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.

Patient relations manager vs patient access representative salary

Patient relations managers and patient access representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Access Representative
Average salary	$43,633	$33,603
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $68,000	Between $27,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between patient relations manager and patient access representative education

There are a few differences between a patient relations manager and a patient access representative in terms of educational background:

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Access Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient relations manager vs patient access representative demographics

Here are the differences between patient relations managers' and patient access representatives' demographics:

	Patient Relations Manager	Patient Access Representative
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%	Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.3% Asian, 5.3% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient relations manager and patient access representative duties and responsibilities

Patient relations manager example responsibilities.

Manage PSR staff and perform all PSR functions including registration, check-out, medical records, order entry and procedure scheduling.
Lead interdisciplinary teams working on quality improvement initiatives and prepare for a JCAHO survey.
Provide excellent customer service in a medical institution and ensure all patients are well attend.
Oversee electronic medical records system and HIPPA compliance.
Maintain CMS and regulatory compliance with the grievance process.
Scan and file medical records in accordance with HIPAA protocols.

Patient access representative example responsibilities.

Use EMR software to manage patient records and files; reinforce and uphold patient confidentiality as required by HIPPA and clinic.
Conduct intensive screening of all Medicare, Medicaid and manage care patients for provider service eligibility.
Educate eligible applicants about Medicaid manage care and how to access benefits in a manage care environment.
Run internal reports to ensure ICD 9 and CPT procedure codes are accurate for billing for Medicare and Medicaid patients.
Deliver quality customer service and compassion while obtaining demographic and financial data from patients seeking emergency medical services.
Operate front desk check-in, preparation of charts, receive payments and balance books at the end of the day.

Patient relations manager vs patient access representative skills

Common patient relations manager skills

Patients, 39%
Schedule Appointments, 14%
Patient Care, 11%
Patient Relations, 9%
Service Recovery, 2%
Patient Rights, 2%

Common patient access representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 13%
Medical Terminology, 9%
Patient Care, 5%
Patient Registration, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Relations Manager
Patient Relations Manager vs Patient Access Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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