Patient service specialist vs scheduling specialist

The differences between patient service specialists and scheduling specialists 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 service specialist, becoming a scheduling specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a scheduling specialist has an average salary of $37,269, which is higher than the $33,563 average annual salary of a patient service specialist.

The top three skills for a patient service specialist include patients, patient service and physical therapy. The most important skills for a scheduling specialist are patients, medical terminology, and home health.

Patient service specialist vs scheduling specialist overview

	Patient Service Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Yearly salary	$33,563	$37,269
Hourly rate	$16.14	$17.92
Growth rate	-4%	-8%
Number of jobs	105,915	73,381
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	40	49
Years of experience	4	2

What does a patient service specialist do?

A patient service representative serves as a patient's primary point of contact in a hospital or clinic, ensuring accuracy and customer satisfaction. They are mainly responsible for gathering a patient's information and medical history, verifying insurance forms, managing accounts, and processing payments, arranging appointments, and even performing reminder calls and correspondence. There are also instances when a patient service representative must discuss situations to patients and their families, and even alert the doctors when a patient displays strange or unlikely behavior.

What does a scheduling specialist do?

A scheduling specialist is responsible for managing the department's meeting, conference, and event schedules, as well as negotiating with suppliers and third-party vendors for appointment and program needs. Scheduling specialists may also perform administrative and clerical duties as needed, especially on communicating with clients and informing them of meetings, and responding to their concerns and inquiries. A scheduling specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, as well as knowledge of the data processing procedures to maintain the organization's database, updating clients' information, and tracking business transactions.

Patient service specialist vs scheduling specialist salary

Patient service specialists and scheduling specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Service Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Average salary	$33,563	$37,269
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $40,000	Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	New York
Best paying company	Virginia Eye Institute	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industry	Health Care	Transportation

Differences between patient service specialist and scheduling specialist education

There are a few differences between a patient service specialist and a scheduling specialist in terms of educational background:

	Patient Service Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Patient service specialist vs scheduling specialist demographics

Here are the differences between patient service specialists' and scheduling specialists' demographics:

	Patient Service Specialist	Scheduling Specialist
Average age	40	49
Gender ratio	Male, 12.5% Female, 87.5%	Male, 23.9% Female, 76.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 54.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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 service specialist and scheduling specialist duties and responsibilities

Patient service specialist example responsibilities.

Benefit coverage eligibility or concerns for patients will be complete timely to achieve identify outcomes or solutions.
Greet patients and visitors with warmth, compassion, and demonstrate commitment to exceptional service.
Provide customer service to patients via registration, co-pay and co-insurance payment collection, appointment scheduling and telephone service
Obtain patient demographic, billing, insurance, and other necessary intake information for patients seeking rehabilitation services.
Screen, triage, register and verify a high volume of client eligibility and demographic data.
Direct callers to appropriate personnel, and initiate a triage slip for response by medical personnel.

Scheduling specialist example responsibilities.

Manage clinic visit schedules, rehabilitation conferences, medical exams, trial appearances, depositions, etc.
Treat all patients with compassion and dignity no matter what their socioeconomic status is.
Job entail becoming familiar with medical insurance carriers, which include Medicaid and Medicare programs.
Schedule patients for radiology procedures, including complicate scheduling for multiple exams in one patient visit.
Register patients into EMR system, ensuring accuracy when updating patient information, demographics and insurance.
Schedule outpatient appointment for radiology patients, verify insurance, obtain authorization from insurance companies for special procedures.

Patient service specialist vs scheduling specialist skills

Common patient service specialist skills

Patients, 20%
Patient Service, 9%
Physical Therapy, 8%
Rehabilitation, 8%
Patient Appointments, 8%
Front Desk, 7%

Common scheduling specialist skills

Patients, 25%
Medical Terminology, 8%
Home Health, 7%
Patient Care, 5%
Insurance Verification, 4%
Excellent Interpersonal, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Patient Service Specialist
Patient Service Specialist vs Scheduling Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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