Patient service associate vs patient service representative

The differences between patient service associates and patient service 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 service associate and a patient service representative. Additionally, a patient service representative has an average salary of $32,476, which is higher than the $31,992 average annual salary of a patient service associate.

The top three skills for a patient service associate include patients, customer service and medical terminology. The most important skills for a patient service representative are patients, customer service, and excellent interpersonal.

Patient service associate vs patient service representative overview

	Patient Service Associate	Patient Service Representative
Yearly salary	$31,992	$32,476
Hourly rate	$15.38	$15.61
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	96,748	165,920
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

What does a patient service associate do?

A patient service associate is responsible for providing high-quality care services to the patients, ensuring their satisfaction by assisting their medical needs and concerns. Patient service associates perform administrative duties, such as helping patients to fill-out forms, updating patients' information on the database, processing payments for medical procedures, storing patients' medical files, and monitoring the adequacy of medical tools and supplies. They may also conduct basic medical operations under the supervision of a physician or a health professional, adhering to strict protocols and regulations at all times to avoid hazards and health risks.

What does a patient service representative do?

A Patient Service Representative is responsible for coordinating with patients, ensuring accuracy and satisfaction at all times. The duties of a Patient Service Representative revolves around greeting and responding to patients, offering assistance in documentation, gathering and maintaining their personal information, and even communicating with the family or guardian. They also have to collect payments and process insurance details, obtain medical history, and even keep the patients updated in various aspects. Aside from this, it is crucial for a Representative coordinate with supervisors or personnel in-charge at all times.

Patient service associate vs patient service representative salary

Patient service associates and patient service representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Service Associate	Patient Service Representative
Average salary	$31,992	$32,476
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $39,000	Between $27,000 And $38,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Vermont
Best paying company	Virginia Eye Institute	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient service associate and patient service representative education

There are a few differences between a patient service associate and a patient service representative in terms of educational background:

	Patient Service Associate	Patient Service Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient service associate vs patient service representative demographics

Here are the differences between patient service associates' and patient service representatives' demographics:

	Patient Service Associate	Patient Service Representative
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 18.2% Female, 81.8%	Male, 11.9% Female, 88.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 7.2% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between patient service associate and patient service representative duties and responsibilities

Patient service associate example responsibilities.

Verify patient's insurance eligibility and other pertinent information according to HIPAA regulations and hospital policies.
Screen uninsure patients for medicaid and other programs, complete medicaid applications for qualify applicants.
Interview patients and conduct an analysis of potential eligibility for Medicaid and hospital charity programs.
Obtain accurate and detail diagnostic, demographic and financial information for patients requesting emergency hospital services.
Limit experience in attending patients needs, while perform in accordance with existing regulatory and hospital standards.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.

Patient service representative example responsibilities.

Manage the daily release of charges to A/R.
Adhere with all state and federal regulations such as EMTALA and HIPPA requirements and appropriately collect co-payments and deductibles from patients.
Provide caring and compassion to elderly and developmentally disable patients.
Demonstrate respect, compassion and confidentiality for patients and family members.
Provide professional and accurate service to schedule patient appointments, check-in and verify insurance eligibility.
Provide quality customer service to patients and observe all protocols regarding HIPPA regulations to ensure patient confidentiality.

Patient service associate vs patient service representative skills

Common patient service associate skills

Patients, 22%
Customer Service, 12%
Medical Terminology, 6%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Service, 6%
HIPAA, 4%

Common patient service representative skills

Patients, 20%
Customer Service, 12%
Excellent Interpersonal, 7%
Check-In, 7%
Patient Service, 6%
Excellent Organizational, 6%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Service Associate
Patient Service Associate vs Patient Service Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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