Prior authorization representative vs patient care advocate

The differences between prior authorization representatives and patient care advocates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a prior authorization representative and a patient care advocate. Additionally, a prior authorization representative has an average salary of $38,726, which is higher than the $34,043 average annual salary of a patient care advocate.

The top three skills for a prior authorization representative include patients, customer service and outbound calls. The most important skills for a patient care advocate are patients, patient care, and PCA.

Prior authorization representative vs patient care advocate overview

	Prior Authorization Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Yearly salary	$38,726	$34,043
Hourly rate	$18.62	$16.37
Growth rate	-4%	-4%
Number of jobs	55,498	126,400
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Prior authorization representative vs patient care advocate salary

Prior authorization representatives and patient care advocates have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Prior Authorization Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Average salary	$38,726	$34,043
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $22,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Attleboro, MA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Hawaii
Best paying company	NTT Data International L.L.C.	Huntington Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between prior authorization representative and patient care advocate education

There are a few differences between a prior authorization representative and a patient care advocate in terms of educational background:

	Prior Authorization Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 24%	Bachelor's Degree, 29%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Howard University	University of Pennsylvania

Prior authorization representative vs patient care advocate demographics

Here are the differences between prior authorization representatives' and patient care advocates' demographics:

	Prior Authorization Representative	Patient Care Advocate
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9%	Male, 22.3% Female, 77.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 5.8% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between prior authorization representative and patient care advocate duties and responsibilities

Prior authorization representative example responsibilities.

Manage inbound/outbound calls for medical personnel and patients, along with computerize data entry to regulate proper distribution of prescription medication.
Utilize knowledge of physician office policies, CPT and ICD-9 coding, procedures, and equipment.
Provide compassion without judgment in regards to patient's finances.
Determine if CPT and ICD-10 codes are correct and qualify for coverage.
Review all daily EDI reports to make sure claims are being accept properly.
Perform chart audits via EMR, prepare medical records for subpoenas, general requests.

Patient care advocate example responsibilities.

Communicate with insurance companies on a continuous basis to ensure hospital reimbursement and attain authorization for home and rehabilitation services.
Answer questions relate to pharmacy benefits while maintaining HIPAA confidentiality, productivity standards, and performance guidelines.
Assist patients with bathroom needs - bedside commode, bedpan, urinal, catheter care.
Know how to do lab work such as strep and flu testing, drawing blood, and EKG's.
Assist in all medical needs (CBG's, vitals, bathing, bed changes, EKG's).
Place catheters in patients of all ages and genders.

Prior authorization representative vs patient care advocate skills

Common prior authorization representative skills

Patients, 26%
Customer Service, 8%
Outbound Calls, 5%
Medical Terminology, 4%
Data Entry, 4%
Insurance Coverage, 4%

Common patient care advocate skills

Patients, 34%
Patient Care, 20%
PCA, 7%
Social Work, 4%
HIPAA, 3%
Vital Signs, 3%

Prior Authorization Representative vs. similar jobs

Prior Authorization Representative related careers

Prior Authorization Representative related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Prior Authorization Representative
Prior Authorization Representative vs Patient Care Advocate

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs